Abstract:
The sustainable management of endogenous resources is a research topic extensively debated on global scale that
promotes an economic and social diagnosis model, meant to emphasize the specificity of territorial element in defining
objectives, strategy and options for the development and diversification of economic activities in rural areas. The
purpose of the paper is to put in value, in a sustainable way, with efficiency and effectiveness the endogenous resources,
by adopting the most relevant possible options, to contribute decisively in reducing disparities in the studied rural area.
The research was focused on rural areas in Sibiu Depression - a unitary area with a remarkable habitable and
geoproductive potential; for its diagnosis it was used the PESTEL model, whose usefulness is recognized in the context
of globalization, because it allows highlighting of the particular aspects of the studied community. This makes it
possible to adjust the rural economy and its resilience to the more and more frequent changes occurring in the
environment. The PESTEL diagnosis model was completed, for a better and exhaustive knowledge of the socioeconomic characteristics of the studied rural area, by the SWOT analysis, which was backed by organizing meetings of
the focus group formed by key local factors and specialists, concerned with the development and diversification of
economic activities in rural areas. This research has lead to the general conclusion that the development and
diversification of rural economy is achieved according to the territorial specificity, and is supported by the rural
community that gives life and maintains rural areas of Sibiu Depression.
