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In the wake of the IT revolution of recent decades, Polish companies have experienced changes, such as the obligation to report financials in purely electronic form. This shift creates benefits but is also a source of challenges. The authors' inspiration for this research stems from the recognition of a clear research gap in the literature relating to the electronic reporting of micro and small companies. The article aims to verify how Poland's smallest companies covered by reporting obligations cope with the compulsory compilation, signing and publication of financial statements solely by electronic means. The study was qualitative in nature, followed a case study methodology, and concerned two Polish micro-companies. The results show that the entities analyzed essentially do cope with e-reporting. Certain attributes of these reports - - such as timeliness or completeness, are questionable, however. The results contribute to the understanding of the financial reporting practice by micro companies in Poland. They can indicate directions for changes in the actions taken by those involved in corporate reporting. Cognizance of this issue can also provide the regulator with directions for regulatory changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper was to evaluate the behavior of farmers in the utilization of financial services and products through the application of Latent Class Analysis (LCA). The study was conducted on a group of farmers in Central Pomerania, Poland. The data set comprised 150 farms, obtained from the pilot study conducted in 2023 using the CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview) survey technique based on an interview questionnaire. The research findings demonstrated the applicability of Latent Class Analysis in the assessment of farmers' behavior in the market of financial services and products. The use of this method for unique survey results is innovative and contributes to the development of research on farmers' financial decisions. The research identified three distinct groups of farmers. Group 1 is comprised of farmers who exhibit a high degree of caution in their utilization of financial services and products. Group 2 comprises farmers who are active in the market of financial services and products. In contrast, Group 3 represents those farmers who, in terms of their behavior on the market of financial services and products, take relatively high risks. The calculations were performed using the R statistical program with the poLCA package. Intelligent information systems are of high importance for the advancement of research in the evaluation of the behavior of farmers in the use of financial services and products, since they allow the identification of cause-and-effect relationships and the evaluation of the impact of individual variables on the phenomenon under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovativeness is important for the success and performance of firms on both the domestic and international markets. The majority of firms with a solid foothold on the market acknowledge the need for innovation as the driving force of organic growth and the way to distinguish themselves from the competition. This paper is aimed at analyzing both the internal and external factors that support the innovativeness of companies and the impact of these factors on the performance of enterprises. The methodological framework of research is of a deductive nature and the existing theories of innovativeness were availed of for the purposes of research on these particular phenomena. By availing of survey responses from personnel directors, heads of HR departments, while also specialists of the field of HR among 179 enterprises from various sectors, evidence was established in the cases of (1) the positive relation between external factors and the internal processes supporting the innovativeness of companies, while also (2) the positive relation between external and internal factors supporting innovativeness and the market situation, economic efficiency and the development of companies. The herein paper makes a theoretical and empirical contribution in terms of research into the innovativeness of enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the results of a study on the use of the online service e-Tax Office (hereinafter e-TO) recently made available by the Polish Ministry of Finance to, inter alia, implement the concept of Polish revenue authorities e-communication with taxpayers. To achieve the objectives assumed, the following research methods were used: multiple case study, literature study, analysis of relevant legal regulations, and own observation method. As a result of the study, it has been found that the e-TO, developed at high expense, did not meet the expectations in any of the cases analyzed, as communication between the Tax Office and the taxpayers in ongoing cases was still carried out in traditional 'paper-based' form; what is more, it was the revenue authorities themselves, who initiated paper-based communication, as opposed to contacting the taxpayer electronically. The study also resulted in an attempt to identify some of the limitations hindering the taxpayer and the tax office e-communication via e-TO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The company's innovativeness is largely influenced by external factors, which is influenced by the increasing demand for new products, pressure from competition, or accelerating the processes of europeanization and globalization. An enterprise described as innovative is considered to be better and more desirable. Businesses recognize that they need to understand where the market is heading and create products and services that fit with it. The entrepreneurs understand that they need to innovate so as not to be left behind. The aim of the paper was to show the importance of the issues of sustainable development in relation to the innovativeness of Polish enterprises. The paper presents the idea of sustainable development, the concept of innovation and sustainable innovation in business. The theoretical considerations have been extended to the presentation of selected projects for sustainable innovations in enterprises in Poland and around the world. The considerations were also enriched with the results of research conducted among the managerial staff of selected Polish enterprises located in the Silesian Voivodeship. The research was conducted in the period November 2021 - March 2022 among companies that were known to have experience in activities related to sustainable development. The aim of the research was to get to know the awareness of management staff about sustainable development and to find out what importance is given in companies to issues related to sustainable development and sustainable innovation, how it affects their company and what actions are taken to further take into account the principles of sustainable development in their activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the problem of selecting a state-made electronic document management system (EDMS) using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model. The problem of EDMS selection from two available variants is analysed and the selection criteria related are highlighted on the basis of the literature and the authors' experience. Calculations related to pairwise comparisons and prioritisation between criteria and variants form the core of the paper. This problem is only applicable to municipalities in Poland that have implemented an older state-made system; based on pair-wise comparisons, retaining the older system is preferable to implementing the new state-made EDMS because of the lack of integration of the new EDMS with internal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of primary research involving a survey of Polish passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was conducted in January 2022 using the CAWI method on a representative sample of N = 1,129 Polish adults aged 18 to 60. First, means of transport were classified by distance covered into urban, regional and interregional transport. Survey participants were asked a series of questions regarding the use of modern technologies in public transportation. Before that, however, the frequency of urban (agglomeration), regional, interregional (transregional) and private transport use during the COVID-19 pandemic was examined. More than half of respondents said they used modern technology across all modes of public transportation, and about a quarter said that while they had not yet used these technologies, they intended to do so. Only about 15% of respondents replied they did not use and did not intend to use modern technologies, regardless of the mode of transport. The aim of the paper is to examine the use of modern technologies by passengers in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research results may help to influence passengers' purchasing decisions and to improve services offered by carriers in accordance with the objectives of long-term transport policy of both the European Union and Poland related to sustainable transport development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of primary research involving a survey of travelers in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was conducted in January 2022 using the CAWI method on a representative sample of n =1,129 Polish adults aged 18 to 60. As many as 74% of respondents believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed traveler preferences with regard to urban, regional and trans-regional transport. Two-thirds of respondents (67%) cited a car as the most common mode of transportation, 40% said they walk, and 25% use buses. Just over 10% chose a bicycle (14%) or tram (11%). The least preferred mode of transportation was the train (7%). The three most frequently cited features of transportation services that respondents considered most important included easy ticket purchasing, ticket prices, and cost of travel. The aim of this paper is to discuss the decisions of Polish passengers using public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the research may help to influence the passengers' purchasing decisions in accordance with the objectives of long-term transport policy of both the European Union and Poland related to sustainable transport development, as well as the decisions of transport operators as this is a stakeholder group that may be interested in applying them in their daily work and carriers themselves, competing for passengers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplier selection is a decision of strategic nature that significantly influences a company's competitive advantage. The supplier selection criteria list has evolved over the years. Traditional criteria are: cost, quality and delivery. In manufacturing industry, those were highlighted as being the most important supplier selection criteria. The paper focuses on of the steel industry company in Poland. The evaluation sheets in this enterprise are the basis for creating a vendor ranking. However, they do not contain evaluation criteria in line with the sustainable development strategy. The discussed company requires introducing significant changes in the supplier selection criteria. Thus, the aim of this paper is to implement a method that will help in the selection of suppliers. Studied company operates in the area of ​​prefabrication of steel structures. In the paper, the AHP method is used. The results show dominant position of 3 suppliers out of 11. Moreover, the case study shows that in analyzed enterprise managers do not use the evaluation criteria that are in line with the sustainable development strategy. Thus, this area requires introducing significant changes in the supplier selection criteria in this company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connected vehicles revolutionize the automotive industry. A connected car can be defined as a new form of vehicle that combines ICT technology with automobiles. The main objective of this paper is to identify the benefits of connected vehicles within an organization. In addition, the paper discusses in-vehicle data, which can be used in management information systems to boost their effectiveness and new business models, such as in-vehicle payments or usage-based insurance. The research employed a questionnaire and the final sample included 161 respondents. The data were collected through the use of an online survey. The results reveal that only 42.2% of respondents declared knowledge of the connected vehicles technology. The employed respondents declared more knowledge about connected cars than those unemployed. Navigation and road traffic monitoring (mean = 4.25) were perceived by the respondents as the top benefit of connected cars. Location and condition monitoring of the vehicle (4.19) were ranked as the second top benefit. Conversely, the least potential benefits were environmental aspects (3.61) as well as access to the Internet and possibility to work while driving (3.79). The findings indicated benefits of the connected vehicles and could support managers in deploying a new technology in their organizations. The research limitation concerns the fact that this study focuses on respondents from Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New technologies that are applied in many areas of social and economic life, make the processes of creating, distributing and communicating value to customers continuously transform. It is also connected with redefining the roles performed by market entities, including producers, service providers, distributors and consumers. New technologies expand the possibilities of engaging the consumer in processes that have been conducted before only by companies. In this context, technology management is important. It translates into creating a spiral of values, in which what is possible in the field of new technologies will inspire what is indicated in the area of value management for the customer and vice versa. This is reflected in the concept of technological determinism, as well as in the ongoing changes in consumer behaviour and consumption virtualization. The aim of the paper is to present the scope of Internet applications in the processes of managing value for customers in Poland. The paper is based on literature studies and the results of a quantitative empirical study, which was performed on a sample of 156 companies operating on the Polish market. The research included people responsible for the use of the Internet in marketing or for maintaining contacts with customers with the use of new technologies. The analysis of the research results shows that the Internet is used to a greater extent to communicate and distribute value rather than to involve customers in its creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to point out selected issues about the Total Performance Scorecard and its usefulness for Polish universities in performance measurement as well as in support in making decisions about the goals of employees and in helping them in personal develop. The carried out research, which small part is presented in this paper, indicates that current way of universities management is not really helping employees in their development as well as it does not take into account the needs of employees (specially while personal goals are set) and what's worst it can have an impact on their considerations of resignation of work. The research shows that the Total Performance Scorecard seems to be adequate for the universities. It is because this concept assumes that continuous improvement, development and learning, not only of the organization itself, but its employees as well, are very important elements of effective management of an economic unit and universities required continuous develop from their employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to show the development of the information society in Poland through the prism of the use of e-government services in comparison to the other EU countries. At the same time, as part of the research, the aim is to indicate the strategies and methods of data security in intelligent IT systems that eliminate development barriers of the information society and e-government services. Research methodology was based on the desktop-based research that consisted of a document and database review of available information, statistics and other data from international, national, regional sources. The statistical analysis was performed on the basis of qualitative data collected from both Poland and other European Union member countries. Time frame for the research was set up for the year 2019. The analysis of the data presented in this paper shows that the demand for and willingness to use e-government services is enormous. Moreover, organizations ought to actively develop a comprehensive strategic security plan including security policy, procedures to be developed and technologies to be implemented that would integrate new applications and processes, while complying with security requirements and relevant laws and regulations. The paper also rises awareness about the importance of ensuring the protection of sensitive date in ICT and therefore limit the barriers for the development of information society, information systems (IS) and the use of Decision Support Systems (DSS) in e-government services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to examine the issue of automated decision-making, i.e. decisions made by artificial intelligence. The use of automated decision-making is on the rise not only within private sectors, but also within the public sector. In today's world, people increasingly expect speedy decision-making, in particular in areas of public administration where to the so-called mass decisions are made pertaining to, i.a., taxation, social benefits, fees, permits, licences. Despite the fact that artificial intelligence has long been used in many areas of public administration in Poland, the automated, algorithmic decision-making process has not been regulated at the national level. The existent regulations pertain only to the serving and signing of documents. In Poland, there is a severe lack of comprehensive rules regulating automated-decision making, and at the same time, safeguarding administrative due process. The paper is based on analysis of normative acts and practice, supported by the study of secondary sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper is to improve understanding of the differences and similarities between Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that are offered to consumers to gain their knowledge and ICTs that are expected by consumers in terms of their engagement in knowledge sharing. Thus, this paper aims to solve this problem by answering the main research question: Are the ICT offered to consumers to engage them in knowledge sharing in line with their expectations? The presented outcomes result from two sets of data, (1) a survey questionnaire on consumers and (2) a case study online observation of enterprises and public sector organizations (PSOs). Popular and well-known ICTs were taken into consideration. The findings show that both enterprises and PSOs most often offer consumers their own websites. That indicates that they choose an easily accessible and convenient tool for them to facilitate consumer engagement. The comparison of the results taken from two sets of data has revealed that consumer expectations as to ICT usage for knowledge sharing are much higher than the possibilities offered by enterprises and PSOs. This is especially true for Internet forums, industry-specialized portals, and specialized organization websites. The results also show that females would like to use ICTs in greater scope than males. It is especially true for popular information websites and Facebook portal. What is more, the results show statistically significant differences between age generations for two ICTs only, i.e., mobile applications and Facebook portal. Detailed analyses indicated that the elder generations, i.e., Baby-Boomers and Builders, would like to use these ICTs in greater scope than the younger ones. In particular, the results reveal that consumers expect to use ICTs in greater scope than those offered by enterprises and PSOs. However, the results must be interpreted with caution because of their limitations that pertain to the survey sample, which embraced consumers from Poland only, as well as to ICTs selection limited to nine items. The findings presented could be relevant to any enterprise and PSO that would like to engage consumers in providing feedback about their product and service offerings with the ICT usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the possible effect of combining signaling with pacing. The researchers used the Gazepoint eye tracker to track the eye movements of the respondents and OGAMA to analyze and store necessary parameters used for this study. This paper considered 24 respondents divided into two groups – one exposed to a stimulus applied with signaling and the other with a stimulus applied with signaling and pacing. Each stimulus contained a brief history of Poland which was chosen by the researchers to avoid possible bias to the data when the stimulus is a learning material that inherently requires a greater cognitive load to understand. The result of this paper shows that the number of fixation and fixation duration has a positive relationship to the comprehension test result. Further, it also shows that the post test scores, the number of fixation and the fixation duration of the student exposed to stimuli with signaling alone differs significantly to the comprehension test result, the number of fixation, and fixation duration of the student exposed to stimuli with signaling and pacing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent focus on sustainability and its three pillars (economic, environmental, and social) brought new issues, especially for manufacturing companies, to be addressed. The article uses the methodology of a case study based on observation, panel expert, interviews with employees and the documentation analysis. The research had been carried out in steel processing enterprise in West Pomeranian region in Poland. The purpose of the article is twofold. Firstly, the aim is to present the company in the context of the production scheme and information flow, as well as the scheme for solving a decision problem that may increase the company's sustainable development potential. Secondly, the aim of the paper is to present the methodology of the process of selecting and assessing a range of criteria and fields of operation based on the identified sustainability criteria, which should be taken into account when deciding what type of the product to choose to improve the potential of sustainability of the company. The described methodology of this process is a scientific contribution based on literature research, observation of the company under study, interviews with employees, analysis of documents and work with experts inside the company, which allowed the creation of a tool for determining operational and decision-making areas that are directly related to the company's sustainable development potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper is to explore the success factors and barriers to digital co-creation between Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO). The analysis is based on a qualitative approach, and particularly 80 semi-structured interviews with experts in digital co-creation from HEIs and NGOs from Poland, Germany, Turkey and Italy. The article identifies key success factors, including country's level of digitalization, individual's motivation to engage with digital platforms and methods, common goals, attitudes, and expectations. The study also highlights several barriers to successful digital co-creation, including variety of digital platforms, interpersonal connection, disengagement, and decreased attention spans. Among the success factors and barriers both external and internal factors were identified, all comprising a network of driving fosters and limitations to digital co-creation. Main of them include country's level of digitalization, motivation to engage with digital technology, digital literacy, incentives for engagement, shared goals and mutual understanding, variety of digital platforms, fear from losing interpersonal interactions, disengagement, and decreased attention span. The findings of this study will be of interest to HEIs, NGOs, policymakers, and other stakeholders involved in digital co-creation initiatives, providing insights on how to overcome barriers and optimize success factors to achieve effective and sustainable partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper is to assess the state and changes of innovativeness of Poland in 2011–2022. According to the study, innovation in Poland still remained low, although it was slightly improving. The results of this study can be used as an instrument in setting the direction of the country's innovation policy to support the increase of its innovativeness. Knowing the innovation strengths of the Polish economy, such as trademark protection and human capital, allows for their further strengthening. In turn, the identification of weaknesses and barriers to innovation growth (including significant underinvestment in research and innovation activities, little cooperation between R&D and business, and an unfavourable climate for innovation) allows them to be reduced and transformed from barriers into growth drivers, resulting in a significant improvement in Poland's innovativeness, the consequence of which will be closing the gap dividing it from the EU average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to classify major errors affecting the security of information resources made by employees. Human factors that can be a direct cause of these errors were enumerated. The empirical part presents surveys conducted among small businesses in 2019 and 2022 related to the human factors discussed in the theoretical part. The study compared the results obtained before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A discussion related to the factors and the results was presented. The main aim of the present research, conducted twice on a group of 287 small businesses in Poland, was to show changes in attitudes toward the security of intangible resources and how the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way of thinking of people responsible for information security in terms of behavioral security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to investigate the relationship between subjective quality of life (QoL) measured by life satisfaction and two domains: material and non-material. Additionally, the aim is also to compare the effect of these two dimensions on subjective QoL among females and males. The study was conducted based on a representative sample of adult inhabitants of Poland (N=1067) in December 2021. The question regarding the quality of life consists of eight items that were focused on the following aspects of quality of life: work, level of living, income, family life, work-life balance, health, access to infrastructure (sports, cultural), and access to healthcare. These items encompass two dimensions of quality of life: material (level of living, income) and non-material (the other items). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling analysis were used in the study. The data do not follow the normal distribution. Therefore, the estimation method was WLSMV (robust weighted least squares). Based on confirmatory factor analysis, it can be stated that two constructs (dimensions: material and non-material) are correlated at an acceptable level. Eight manifested variables are valid and the two constructs are reliable. Structural equation models in the pooled sample and based on gender are at an acceptable level according to the majority of fit indices. Two dimensions – material and non-material – affect positively subjective QoL and are statistically significant. The strength of the influence of two dimensions on subjective QoL is very similar but there are significant differences among women (higher effect of material dimension) and men (higher effect of non-material dimension). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the healthcare system are triggered by, among other things, technological developments. As such, have a correlative effect on changes in the approach to task performance of healthcare professionals. One of the other reasons for changes affecting individuals among health care personnel is also the sense of transformation of the roles undertaken by them from classically accepted to being oriented by current needs and situations. This paper presents the results of a study related to such situation in the Polish healthcare system based on quantitative results of questionnaire survey distributed to staff at selected healthcare facilities countrywide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience of highly developed countries proves that innovation is the driving force of economy. Emerging economies should in particular be focused on innovation, in order to achieve higher productivity and boost their competitive advantage. This is especially important in the current reality of disruptive changes related to IT and ICT new technologies rapid emergence. Technologies already partly adopted on the ground of industrial automation lead to further implementations in many sectors of economy. The reality is often adverse. This particularly concerns insufficient activities of enterprises with respect to intellectual assets creation. Although some progress is observed, emerging economies enterprises rather applicate existing solutions, than invest in their own intellectual assets. Furthermore, financial performance measures concerning innovation activity of enterprises often provide mixed findings. In this context, the purpose of this paper was threefold: to propose a practical set of adjusted performance measures, to verify if innovators sustain performance development and receive additional economic profits, and finally to encourage stronger innovation engagement of managers and entrepreneurs. The results of this empirical study proved that the selected group of enterprises generated positive performance development within three perspectives: financial, economic and intellectual capital efficiency. Moreover, these enterprises seem to have additional innovation bias revealed by further investments of retained profits in new implementations, which should also be taken into consideration with respect to performance measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper concerns the role of e-leadership in organizations operating in crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the extensive literature review, it introduces a new model of organizational performance based on e-leadership, as a response for sudden growth of dependence of modern organizations on IT. The influence of e-leadership on organizational performance is assumed to be mediated by work engagement, employees' dynamic capabilities, work motivation, P-J fit and job performance. The theoretical model is verified by empirical research performed among 1160 organizations operating in Poland, Italy and USA during an active wave of COVID-19 pandemic. The obtained results confirmed the proposed hypotheses, allowing to conclude that e-leadership activates work engagement of employees, who are more willing to use their dynamic capabilities to shape work motivation and reestablish P-J fit, which in turn influences positively job and organizational performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

System for Applied Behavioral Analysis (SYSABA) is a freeware web-based software developed in Poland that aids therapists who work with developmentally disordered children. A pioneer in Poland application is adapted to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) methodology and is compliant with the Polish Regulation of the Ministry of Education. A part of SYSABA is a module that helps compose a compliant with Polish regulations and ABA methodology, the Individual Education-and-Therapeutic Program (pol. IPET). This development process is guided by an expert system, including specialists' knowledge of the subject. The IPET composition is demanding and time-consuming, and the decisions made by the therapist will influence the treatment results. Because there are many paths to the final curriculum, the decision-making module in SYSABA was designed to improve and standardize the process. The paper provides details of the IPETs expert module design in SYSABA. The expert knowledge of long-term supervisors was expressed in a set of regulations and constraints supplying a rule-based expert system. The unstructured expertise was translated into a logical SYSABA two-level framework. Thirty-six rules guiding skill and behavior curricula were created. The effectiveness of the expert system was confirmed by a survey after one year of SYSABA usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The task of management concepts, methods and techniques is to diversify the toolkit for the management staff so that they can lead organizations more efficiently and effectively. The possibility of having a variety of tools gives better prospects for developing effective strategies, creating an appropriate competitive position, faster decision-making, as well as progress, especially in the field of information technology, pose qualitatively new challenges for managers. It is of particular importance in the public administration sector, which is related to the state budget and is financed from it. The administration has to carry out the tasks for which it has been assigned, but it does not always have the appropriate human or financial resources. Modern management orientations can be helpful in this, especially when they are supported by IT technologies. Taking into account the above, the aim of the paper was formulated, which is to define the necessary conditions conducive to the implementation of new management tools with the support of IT technologies in public administration organizations. The research was conducted on a group of 20 public administration offices in Poland in the period 2018-2021. The main results show that the organizations participating in the study most often perceived the COVID-19 pandemic as a particular determinant of introducing changes in organizations and the search for new tools helpful in management, and IT technologies turned out to be a significant support in the implementation of tasks. The implementation of the study during the current development of COVID-19 and drawing conclusions after the pandemic may be the reason for further observations in this area, both in Poland and internationally. Therefore, it would be worthwhile to evaluate and compare the test results from several periods. It is certainly an interesting research problem that requires further research and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the methodological assumptions for the linear mixed model and shows its usefulness in research on the factors determining the efficiency of investment funds. The aim of the study was to identify and evaluate the factors determining the efficiency of commodity funds in Poland using a linear mixed model. The Sharpe ratio was adopted as the fund's efficiency criterion. The subjective scope of the research covered all funds in Poland which at the end of December 2019 declared their investment portfolio exposure to commodity markets. The time scope of the study was 5 years, and annual data were used for the analysis. Based on the use of a linear mixed model, it was shown that there is a statistically significant negative relationship between the effectiveness of the studied funds and their operating time. This means that commodity funds that have been operating on the market for a shorter period of time achieve better investment results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the methodological assumptions of a logistic regression model and presents an example of the use of this type of models to assess the factors determining investment decisions of agricultural enterprises. The aim of the study was to identify and evaluate the factors influencing the decisions of agricultural enterprises in Central Pomerania with respect to tangible investments using the logistic regression model. The results of the research proved that the probability of making tangible investments by agricultural enterprises in Central Pomerania is influenced by financial factors: the structure of the use of capital expenditure (x 1 , x 4); use of traditional sources of financing (x 5 , x 6 , x 8); use of alternative sources of financing (x 13); variable combining the use of traditional and alternative sources of financing (x 14), as well as non-financial factors: characteristics of the enterprise (x 17) and behavioral aspects (x 18). It was also established that financial factors have a greater impact on the development of tangible investments in agricultural enterprises in Central Pomerania than non-financial factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many SMEs innovation is essential to survive in a dynamically changing environment. Technological progress, including in particular the more intense use of digital technologies, increasingly pushes companies to take a fresh look at innovation and also indicates the need for changes in approach in the strategy adopted in order to become and stay innovative and competitive. New management approaches, flexibility of operations as well as product- and service-related innovativeness determines SMEs survival and development. As service SMEs start to compete more openly, rather than locally, their owners and managers have to stay alert and ready for changes. As digitization is beginning the factor which strongly influence how innovation processes are or can be implemented, also service SMEs should be actively aware of how digital transformation affects their environment. Emerging digital tools that aim to support the innovation process also influence its possible modifications, bringing a number of possible benefits and optimisations. The main objective of this paper is to expand the understanding of innovation process digitalization level and intensity in service SMEs, based on the pilot study conducted at the end of 2021 in Poland. The analysis was performed in relation to innovation process model, that included its six general stages. The results summarise the digitalisation score of the sample of 350 companies representing various service sector, and present the overview of innovating digitally practices in reference to general engagement in innovation process. The conclusions are drawn in regards to type and scope of digital tools used to facilitate respective activities included in the innovation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study discusses the subject matter of sureties and guarantees granted by the State Treasury and their importance in implementing new technical and technological solutions and investment projects in which sureties and guarantees granted by the State Treasury are applied, emphasizing their relationship with new technical and technological solutions. An analysis of these issues leads to a conclusion that the technical and technological progress lies at the axiological basis of the surety-guarantee system which has been operating in Poland for a few decades. The research is narrowed down to projects that implement new technical and technological solutions. The paper primarily makes use of two research methods, that is an analysis of the law in force and an analytical investigation. These methods are applied to examine relevant literature, current legislative acts and statistical data contained in information on State Treasury sureties and guarantees granted in 2016-2020. The study takes account of the legal status in force on 30 April 2022 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2020, the global economy has been dominated by the global outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing the disease COVID-19. The outbreak of the pandemic was an external threat to companies, which had an impact on their innovation strategy On the other hand, for some companies, the pandemic is an opportunity for development. The global crisis, dynamic socio-technological changes, combined with globalization, cause a dizzying pace of change, there is no permission for failure in enterprises – you have to act and to do so effectively. One of the possible ways is to adapt/implement an innovation strategy The basic hypothesis in this paper is the claim that during the pandemic, the surveyed companies did not significantly limit their innovative activities and used an offensive strategy. The aim of the article is to identify the innovation strategies used in enterprises before and during the pandemic. In order to achieve the assumed goal, the article uses deductive inference, critical analysis of the subject-related literature and the in-depth interview (IDI). The research results presented in the article enrich the knowledge about innovative activities of enterprises during the pandemic. Innovation strategies used by enterprises before the pandemic (in 2016-2019) and during its duration (2020-2022) were identified. To summarise the research carried out, it can be stated that before the pandemic, respondents most often pointed to the offensive strategy, independent and market creation, during the pandemic to the offensive strategy, recruitment and independent. Enterprises that were innovative before the pandemic and applied innovation strategies did not stop doing so during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern-day innovations have become a base requirement of civilization progress, a determinant of the socio-economic development of each country or region, as well as the basis for the competitiveness and development of economic entities or organizations. Research on enterprise innovation in Poland shows inadequate engagement in this type of activity, which results in a poor assessment in innovation rankings, both in the EU and in the whole world alike. At the same time, statistics indicate that enterprises with foreign capital that operate in Poland are characterized by a greater propensity to pursue innovative activities. Amongst the many economies of the world, which have achieved tremendous progress in the recent years, both in terms of economic development and an increase in the level of innovation, China is commonly indicated as allocating more and more funds to R&D, while raising the quality and innovation of its production. Account taken of the above, the research problem undertaken by the authors consists in seeking an answer to the question whether the high level of innovative activity recorded in the Chinese economy translates in any way to the innovation of Chinese capital invested in Poland. In view of this, the aim of the research comprises taking an attempt to answer the following research questions: do enterprises that operate in Poland on the basis of Chinese capital conduct innovative activities and how is it directed? This paper discusses the preliminary results of research on the indicated issues, which were carried out by means of a diverse methodology, including, in addition to a critical analysis of the literature, in-depth interviews with experts in the field of China's economic policy and Polish-Chinese cooperation, as well as an analysis of a case study in a selected economic entity with Chinese capital operating in Poland. The results prove that the examined Chinese capital invested in Poland undertakes innovative activity and treats it as a strategic element of development, as evidenced not only by the implementation of specific types of innovations, but also by the pursue of R&D activities in Poland. For the sake of completeness of the situation regarding the activity of Chinese capital in the field of innovative activities carried out in Poland, it is required to expand and deepen the scope of research by extending the subjective scope of companies from other sectors of the economy, identifying determinants that shape innovation of this type of investment, or analysis of Chinese business models capital invested in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most noticeable changes related to the Industry 4.0 is growing investment in industrial robots, and in manufacturing automation in general. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the recent trends in the international market of industrial robots over two last decades, and then to assess the achievements of selected new European Union member states in respect of industrial robots' implementation and its consequences to domestic labor market. Research based mostly on International Federation of Robotics and International Labour Organization data showed that automation processes in new EU member states were recently much faster than in top 10 countries with largest operational stocks of industrial robots. On the other hand still lower labor costs and relatively high labor productivity can result in slower implementation of industrial robots in their manufacturing industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper is to find out whether companies belonging to Industry 4.0 use management accounting systems more intensively. We used three main statistical methods in the analysis of the surveys: Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, the U Mann-Whitney test, and the H Kruskal-Wallis test. The conclusion of the study is that companies belonging to Industry 4.0 use selected management accounting systems more intensively, both conventional ones as well as those considered to be modern. The study also showed that the combined effect of belonging to Industry 4.0 and intensive use of selected management accounting systems differentiates the perceived performance of companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is devoted to the analysis of the role of IT dynamic capabilities on leadership influence on organizational performance. In particular, the analysis concentrates on servant leadership. It is assumed that the dynamic capabilities of IT strengthen the relation between servant leadership and organizational performance, allowing for quicker adaptation of IT solutions to the needs of employees. Empirical research was conducted to verify formulated hypotheses based on results obtained from 263 organizations operating in Poland. Statistical reasoning based on linear regression analysis with moderator was made using SPSS Macro Process. The role of IT dynamic capabilities for enhancing the development of leadership skills, specifically are presented. The findings show that IT dynamic capabilities indeed strengthen the positive influence of servant leadership on organizational performance, boosting the positive role of servant leadership in contemporary organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns the influence of IT dynamic capabilities on controlling effectiveness. The main aim of the article is to verify whether IT dynamic capabilities strengthen the influence of dynamic capabilities of controlling on organizational performance through quality of controlling, as well as job performance of managers and employees, showing another way, in which IT can support controlling use in contemporary organizations. The proposed theoretical framework is verified empirically on the sample of 246 organizations operating in Poland, from which 231 organizations commented on the implementation of controlling. The verification confirmed that IT dynamic capabilities moderate the relations included in Controlling Effectiveness Model, which is a basis for the study. The research is based on the multivariant path analysis executed using SPSS AMOS, with bootstrapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entrepreneurial competencies of business owners are one of the main factors determining the development and competitiveness of economic entities. However, in the scientific literature and research on women, there is not much space devoted to the recognition of their competencies that determine the creation and running of start-ups. There is no doubt that a modern woman-owner of a start-up should not only be characterized by entrepreneurial traits, such as creativity, innovation, motivation to act, or ability to overcome uncertainty, but also possess and apply knowledge and business experience, have strong social skills and the ability to efficiently manage a team, as well as the ability to fulfil the social role of a woman in professional and private environment. Bearing in mind the above characteristics, as well as having identified a research gap concerning the poor identification of competencies of women start-up-owners, it is reasonable to attempt to diagnose their key competencies. In this regard, the below analysis will focus on ICT start-ups, since, according to many reports, such as the Global Start-up Ecosystem Report 2020 or technology innovation report 2021, the majority of start-ups are created and operate in the ICT industry. The aim of this paper will be achieved through the analysis of the literature on the subject which provides the basis for presenting selected results of the author's own research concerning the competences of women who run ICT start-ups.The COVID-19 pandemic in Poland resulted in the government imposing restrictions on business activity in order to limit the mobility of citizens and thus limit the spread of the virus. As a result of the restrictions, businesses were in some cases deprived of the possibility to make a living. The government of the Republic of Poland applied public aid directed to entrepreneurs under the name "Anti-Crisis Shield" in order to maintain employment, maintain economic activity of enterprises and their liquidity. The following article will present the results of statistical research aimed at answering whether the state aid related to COVID-19 was sufficient and whether it served its purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 epidemic propagation computational models generate datasets that exhibit multi-level and time granulation. The Predictive Modelling of the Spatial Propagation of the COVID-19 Pandemic Project (ProME) has produced multi-scenario, multi-agent models for decision making support assessing the impact on the healthcare and the general population. In this paper we present the interactive software developed for models' calibration and visual analysis, addressing the needs of all aspects of data analytics and modeling that arise within ProME system. In order to deal with the Project's tasks we developed the application based on multi-modal, open-source VisNow platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents various aspects of harnessing solar energy and green hydrogen which is one of the objectives of the EU and Poland's energy transition. Theoretical issues were examined on the basis of the analysis of available source literature on renewable energy sources (RES), green hydrogen and energy transition. The research methods used in this paper include: critical analysis of the source literature, comparative analysis method and secondary data analysis. The article describes actions taken in Poland to facilitate the energy transition associated with harnessing solar energy and green hydrogen and presents author's diagram of energy transition related to RES and green hydrogen in EU and Poland. The analysis and assessment carried out in the article indicated that the new concept of operation of the entire energy market and its transition involves the integration of three sectors: transport, heat engineering and power engineering. In the future, green hydrogen will enable a reduction of CO 2 emissions from the power engineering and heat engineering sector to zero. Importantly, the electrification of heat engineering and transport based on domestic renewable energy sources will render Poland independent of the energy resources from other countries. The issues as presented in the article concerning renewable energy sources, green hydrogen and energy transition have not been collectively studied in Polish and foreign literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication plays a crucial role in business, education, and generally in everyday people's interactions. Face-to-face communication has been banned by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and had to be replaced with its electronic remote form. Popular digital applications allowed us to switch to online life quite easily. That conversion wasn't problematic for most (especially young) people. Working online and meeting people virtually became a standard, and people have mostly adapted to the new reality. Moving conventional communication to the Internet wasn't much challenging, because it was only a matter of existing ICT solutions popularization. They have already existed and were functional, but haven't been used much often. COVID-19 pandemic changed it permanently because there was no other way as rapid adoption to this unusual situation. Although most of the actions could have been realized online, some were more problematic to conduct electronically. One of them was secret balloting for virtual meetings. As open voting was not much complicated to arrange using remote communication, conduction the secret type of elections was not so obvious. In open voting electors' data can be revealed and the results may be easily verified when it's finished. Secret voting demands to remain voters' data and their choices confidential. That leads to the question of how to verify the users' identity and voting rights and keep them anonymous at the same time? This paper provides an overview of a person's remote identification and verification methods, also explores the possibilities of using them for secret voting authentication. Results show that conducting a secret ballot with remote voter authentication is possible. The method was widely described and also applied in a authors' digital system. A fully functional ICT solution has been tested in real elections across several organizations in Poland, in which present authorities were elected electronically during the COVID-19 lockdown period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution presents an evaluation of the effectiveness of the social media platform (Facebook, Instagram) promoting the brands of main city halls in Poland based on the DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) methodology and its selected models. The research question is that inhabitants use the fun pages of the city halls in Poland on the Facebook and Instagram social networks to get information about public e-services, public activities, projects, reports, and city views. In September 2020, data were collected on input and output variables, with input data being photos, posts, and links to social networking sites of city halls in Poland on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and output data such as Likes, Comments, and Shares. The measurement of the efficiency of these input and output variables in order to assess the effectiveness of 18 main city halls in Poland was based on an input-oriented CCR DEA model. The number of Likes, Comments, and Shares on the Facebook, Instagram pages of the 18 city halls suggests that city inhabitants use Social Media to learn more about the services, events, and news they provide. Therefore, the DEA model is a functional tool to help evaluate the effectiveness of a public sector on a social network in promoting its e-services and activities, as it uses multiple variables and does not necessarily require an input-output relationship. The results of using this method confirmed the research question. The results of the analysis show the current state of using social networking sites by the offices of the largest cities in Poland. Over 60% of examined profiles publish posts with low effectiveness. The obtained data show posts with the most effective topics. In the paper, six models were developed for which the effectiveness of posts was examined in terms of their topics. The results of the analysis indicate that posts with the themes of "e-services" and "ex-ante relationships" receive a higher number of responses. The least effective represent posts from the groups: "ex-post relations", "representatives of the city government", and the "city panorama". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments all over the world make their best to fight with Covid-19 pandemic as effectively as possible. Therefore, we observed a growing need of trustworthy data-intensive systems supporting administration in validating their policy decisions. ProMES, the Covasim-based multiagent pandemic simulator, may serve as such a system, adjusted to the specificity of living, working and social conditions in Poland. The main role of ProMES is to evaluate and compare strategies for reducing Covid-19 transmissions. The strategies include time- and region-dependent combinations of nonpharmaceutical coronavirus-related individual and state interventions, tests and vaccinations. Ultimately, ProMES is meant to serve as a part of data/knowledge intensive decision support system, enhancing administrative reactivity as well as pro-activity in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. This paper reports a work in progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the theory of economics, innovations are currently perceived as one of the most progressive factor of growth and development. After 30 years of economic transformation, combined with regular growth of productivity, the condition of Polish emerging economy is still negative in the respect of innovations. This especially concerns the activity of enterprises, which are important actors in the whole innovation system. On the other hand, significant investments are realised in Poland by multinational enterprises (MNEs), deriving from leading European countries in terms of innovation. In this context, the assessment of the economic value added generated by innovative MNEs operating in Poland remained the main purpose of this paper. The return on invested capital as well as the economic value added, in five-year period, for the focus group of Scandinavian MNEs were estimated. The results of the empirical study proved, that all analysed enterprises generated the value added above the market benchmark, representative both for Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. Additionally, the differences in approach enhancing enterprises' innovative activities, including management and social factors, were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to track how cities develop and grow, multidimensional systems of urban development indicators taking into account the balance between economic, social, and environmental aspects are the best solution found so far. However, there is no unique measurement system that would be widely accepted and applied within various urban areas to verify whether a given city is developing in a sustainable way. The aim of this paper is to apply the TOPSIS algorithm on the basis of selected urban indicators, in order to evaluate the progress of a single city towards the concept of sustainable development observed over a longer period of time. A capital city of Poland, Warsaw, faces several challenges associated with development policy evaluation, thus confirming the need for this research. We meticulously selected 48 indicators from the economic, social and environmental areas as an input for TOPSIS algorithm, which allowed us to calculate a new proposed aggregated index for evaluating urban policy on the example of Warsaw. Research has shown usefulness of applied TOPSIS algorithm in assessing the long-run development of an urban area towards the concept of a sustainable city. The results of our analysis indicated that over a period of ten years, during 2008-2017, the urban policy decision-making has been balancing the socio-economic and environmental aspects and the city of Warsaw has been developed in a sustainable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the paper is the identification of internal and external factors prompting selected Polish R&D departments to be active in innovation, R&D and user-driven innovation. To study the relation between selected determinants, econometric models were applied. The results of the adopted research procedure confirmed that it is important to invest in innovation activity but especially to have at least an R&D strategy in enterprise. The use of user-driven innovation concept is mostly unconsciously but still cooperation with users is an important factor in achieving the high level of innovation. Because of that, according to authors, the more advance research procedure to analyze the further determinants of innovation activity in R&D department in Poland should be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to establish the impact of Information Systems (IS) integration on project success in Government Administration Units (GAUs) in Poland. To attain this objective, the study addresses three basic issues: (1) does IS integration have an impact on IS project success, (2) is back-office IS integration related to IS project success, and (3) is front-office IS integration related to IS project success. To explore these issues the literature was critically reviewed, a case study and a survey were conducted, and experts' judgments considered. To measure the impact of IS integration on IS project success empirically we gathered 220 survey responses from GAUs. The study identified 10 IS project success measures (SMs), as well as 26 IS project success factors (SFs). One of the SFs is related to IS integration. The impact of the IS integration factor was analyzed in comparison to other factors. The correlation analysis shows that IS integration in GAUs is significantly and positively correlated with IS project success. This study establishes that both front- and back-office IS integration has a positive relationship with IS project success. The findings provide some support for IS project management in GAUs in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of GIS (Geographic Information System) systems to manage investments in cities is becoming more and more popular. Current technology enables the use of GIS system with the use of network technology. In this way, the same maps can be used by users of different units. Implementation of investments in cities often requires cooperation between different institutions, offices and other entities. For this purpose, it is possible to create electronic communities, which can be realized through electronic channels. This concept was called the Regional Business Spatial Community. The GIS tools can be considered as an integrating element between actors in the environment. GIS tools can be an element integrating the environments in which investments are made. On shared maps, not only existing facilities can be marked, but also implemented, planned or even postulated projects. The aim of the paper is to present the results of research conducted to identify whether, at a specific stage, the use of GIS technology in cities can serve as a platform conducive to the creation of regional electronic communities to facilitate investment in the city. The study covered 10 largest cities in Poland in the form of observations. In the case of 5 entities, a questionnaire interview was conducted. Based on the analysis of the results, it can be concluded that from a technical point of view, GIS software can be such a platform. The problem is the business, information and organizational platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents methodological assumptions regarding the logistic regression model and an example of using this research method to evaluate financial decisions taken by households. The aim of the study was to identify and evaluate socio-economic factors determining the debt of households in Central Pomerania using a logistic regression model. The source of data was the results of a survey conducted among 1,000 households of Central Pomerania (Poland). The obtained results prove that the following factors related to the socio-economic characteristics of households: economic education of the head of the household, developmental phase of the household, socio-economic type of the household had a statistically significant positive impact on the likelihood of Central Pomeranian households using external sources of financing: household income and household income. These factors increase the likelihood of households using external sources of financing. In turn, a statistically significant negative impact on the analyzed phenomenon had the household income diversification and the age of the household head. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ICT (Information and Communications Technology) has three components: information technology equipment (computers and related hardware), communication equipment, and software. They comprise IS/IT (Information Systems/Information Technology). The literature indicates that there are numerous studies describing IT application in all industries and only few focus on PBOs (Project-Based Organizations), most of them are limited to construction industry. Presentation and discussion of the findings from empirical studies related to the software utilization and its differentiation in PBOs of various industries and size are the main objectives of the paper. The research concentrates on middle and large PBOs operating in Poland. The crucial findings from the conducted study are that PBOs utilize in most cases commonly known software, such as office suite, and IT tools integrating various areas of entities – such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems. The most common software supporting project management are Microsoft products. The research points out that there is a remarkable difference in software utilization between entities from various industries (construction, ICT, and others), also there is a remarkable difference in software utilization between middle and large PBOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To support trade, stimulate economic growth, create jobs and conditions favourable to the economic situation to prosperity, Europe needs a well-developed transport network. Transport is the basis of the European integration process and is closely related to the creation of the internal market, which promotes employment and economic growth. As one of the common policies in the European Union a transport policy has been defined (road, rail or air connections), that its implementation will improve the functioning of the common market and will promote the development of the transport. The aim of the paper is to analyse the structure of expenditures on transport infrastructure in Poland over the years 1995 - 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]