*2.3. The Evolution of E-Activities in the Globalized World*

Due to the continuous changing work environment, market liberalization and internationalization, as well as globalization which bring technology in foreground [42] (p.51), organizations use more and more e-communication and employees' e-skills in order to satisfy stakeholders' needs. Human capital is a central pillar of growth and productivity, thus, investing in people and skills is a vital topic for policy makers and enterprises, and therefore the share of the labor force with ICT skills has been steadily growing. Adapting education and training systems for a knowledge society is a crucial issue as a means to reduce the digital divide. The diffusion and use of ICT modify employment, work, and skill patterns. ICT usage fosters lifelong learning and enables workforce mobility. Any field effectiveness depends mainly on the skills of employees facing a challenging environment. Modernization has imposed the use of new information and communication technologies (ICT) and these have led to new demands regarding the skills of employees, especially in activities such as e-banking, e-booking, e-communication (using e-mailing), e-recruitment, e-government, e-commerce, e-development, and e-information.

### 2.3.1. E-Banking

E-banking is defined as web-based banking which involves individual and corporate clients and includes many online services for them [43] (p 2). One characteristic of e-banking is the sheer speed of new technological developments along with a high pace of competition and changing customer preferences. In order to be the first on the market, a bank must anticipate trends to be able to respond to competitors and gain a competitive advantage [44] (p 237).

The data on online banking penetration in European countries shows that, in 2018, 89% of the Danish population, the Netherlands, and Finland were the strongest European countries with the greatest online banking penetration in the EU28, with Romania and Bulgaria being the last ones with 7% who had accessed online banking sites.

#### 2.3.2. E-Commerce

E-commerce refers to the use of electronic means and technologies, such as the sale, purchase, transfer, or exchange of products and services or information [45]. E-commerce means making business transactions using the Internet [46] (p 506) and is more than just retail, i.e., it is about production, advertising, sale, and distribution using telecommunication networks [47] (p 2). This process connects consumers who are online and mobile, and communities on the electronic platforms, which have become an integral part of their life [48] (p 731). The Internet offers opportunities and a great potential for small enterprises, but also for developing countries [49].

In 2018, in the EU28, the percentage of enterprises making e-sales ranged from 11% (Bulgaria and Greece) to 30% to 39% (Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, and Czechia) [50]. During 2018, 43% of large enterprises conducted e-sales, having an e-sales value of 25% of the total turnover in this size class; 28% of medium sized enterprises made e-sales generating 14% of the total turnover in this size class; and 18% of small enterprises were generating 8% of the turnover of such enterprises [42]. During 2018, 14% of EU enterprises conducted e-sales using only websites or apps, 3% used only EDI-type sales, while another 3% used both [51]. Web sales were the dominant mode of conducting e-sales in all the EU28, in 2018. The percentage of enterprises receiving electronic orders only over websites or apps ranged from 22% in Ireland to 9% in Greece and Romania [52]. The percentage of enterprises that had e-sales increased by seven percentage points, from 13%, in 2008, to 20% in 2018, and the turnover for the same period from 12% to 18% [53].
