4.50 €
We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.
Purpose: The authors aim to briefly present the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies among Polish companies in the realm of the VUCA world. These solutions may work as measures that increase the resilience of companies against the Covid-19 crisis and support the recovery in “the new normal” reality. Design/methodology/approach: The paper combines literature studies with an empirical investigation in the form of computer-assisted telephone interviews conducted among 400 Polish manufacturing companies. Findings: Polish industrial manufacturing firms lag in implementing I4.0 technologies compared to their Western European counterparts. Research limitations/implications: The empirical part of the study was conducted among Polish companies. Similar studies among firms from other CEE countries will be necessary to conclude about this part of the world’s readiness to adopt 4.0 technologies. Practical implications: The pandemic era and increasing I4.0 adoption pose particular tasks for companies. They should revise their contractual arrangements with IT service providers and focus on data privacy and security topics, but also industry-specific regulations. Triggered by the Covid-19 crisis, these actions may contribute to developing companies’ comprehensive digital strategy in the “new normal” reality. Originality and value: The chapter contributes to the discussion on the readiness of companies and economies to adopt the Industry 4.0 technologies. It also provides the level of the adoption of these solutions in the context of a post-transition economy.
More...
Purpose: The aim of the chapter is to present the competence patterns before and during the economic crisis and to determine the importance of individual competences for doing business in a turbulent environment. In many sectors of the economy, global changes triggered by Covid-19 called into question the use of existing sets of competences needed to run businesses effectively in supply chains. The continuous improvement of supply chains – or lean and agile management – will no longer work in current conditions. Faced with an increasingly unstable economy triggered by a global pandemic, many economists ask whether the existing competence patterns in companies or supply chains remain appropriate and proper for the current economic situation. Design/methodology/approach: In 2017, a survey was conducted among selected experts in the pharmaceutical sector. The same questionnaire distributed in September 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The experts were highly qualified managers employed in transnational companies. The 10 respondents were asked to indicate selected competencies. The choice of the pharmaceutical sector was motivated primarily by its specific characteristics as it is particularly important not only economically but also socially, by providing life-saving medicines. Findings: Technical competences are becoming the necessary ones. This is due to the need for self-sufficiency in lockdown situations, when it is difficult to find external employees and the possibility of outsourcing skills. In the case of managerial competence, it is clear that creativity and entrepreneurial thinking have increased in importance. When analyzing social competences, what comes to the fore is diversity of intercultural skills: foreign language skills, the ability to compromise, the ability to transfer knowledge, and finally, the ability to adapt to change. Originality and value: This chapter answer what competences seem necessary for future managers in the pharmaceutical industry in a turbulent environment, which is crucial for research and teaching centers who seek to educate future managers at the highest level of specific competences and skills. Due to the dynamic development of the industry, the text identifies the needs in the areas of technical, managerial, and social skills.
More...
Purpose: The aim of the chapter is to compare the declarations of local and international companies regarding the maintenance of sustainable development initiatives during acrisis. Design/methodology/approach: The article presents the results of a survey conducted in September 2020 on a sample of 500 enterprises located in Poland. Respondents were asked to declare if they will maintain or abandon sustainable development initiatives in a crisis situation. The examples presented a pandemic similar to the one caused by Covid-19, an economic crisis, or a significant decrease in company revenues. Findings: The research showed that the largest group of companies in acrisis situation will completely abandon their initiatives in the field of sustainable development. Another group will give up those initiatives that generate the highest cost. There are some small differences in responses of local and international companies. Companies with foreign entities in the ownership structure seems less likely to give up all initiatives in the field of sustainable development. International companies more often than local companies declare that they do not know which initiatives they will abandon and which will they keep. Research limitations/implications: Factors other than international involvement (e.g. company size, strategic approach to sustainable development) may have a decisive impact on decisions regarding the maintenance of sustainable development initiatives in acrisis. Originality and value: The chapter illustrates the approach to sustainable development by companies classified into various categories: local and international.
More...
The aim of this chapter is to describe various determinants of sustainable development in the contemporary world, including those most important, such as globalisation, climate change, poverty versus unlimited consumption as well as limited exhausted access to resources—with regard to the goals of sustainable development. The other objective is to give the reader essential resources covering the topic from various viewpoints and a starting point for discussions about sustainability.
More...
The aim of the current chapter is to present the essence of sustainable consumption andits basic rules: Reduce-Reuse-Recycle. Minimalism and sharing economy were presented as the manifestation of the Reduce rule. Reuse requires distribution systems which will give access to preowned products (in a broader scope), thus, they will provide products with a second life. This may be provided by alternative retail formats which are oriented towards the sale of second-hand products. Some of these formats, especially online applications, are becoming quite popular—their number, as well as the amount of their customers is rapidly growing. Also, traditional mainstream retailers have become involved in second-hand product sales.
More...
The aim of the chapter is to explain how to incorporate Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into corporate strategy in order to increase the competitive advantage of a company in thelong-run. The questions how to set a mission, vision and objectives to prepare annual reports in the field of sustainability will be discussed. Furthermore, motives as to why companies have to consider local and global perspective when setting SD objectives and the problem of conflicts in SD goals will be determined.
More...
Most of empirical literature on participation in and choice of recycling at the household level has been focused on factors determining the direct cost for households engaging in recycling efforts (Czajkowski, Kądziela, & Hanley 2012; Huhtala, 2010, Jenkins, Martinez, Palmer, & Podolsky,2003). Researchers noticed mixed findings in the literature on the significance of waste collection fees for recycling efforts. There is also a question as whether household recycling efforts represent a social cost, which should be taken into account in cost-benefit analyses of alternative waste treatment systems. Some argue that it should not be calculated, since recycling efforts are, to a large extent, voluntary. But on the other hand, households devote time to segregation, which is, in fact, an alternative cost (Bruvoll & Nyborg, 2002). One of the barriers of effective segregation seems to be a low level of awareness on recycling and segregation issues among households. That was also noticed in research conducted by Omran, Mahmood, Abdul Aziz and Robinson (2009). The aim of this case study is to recognise why citizens’ knowledge on waste segregation rules is not sufficient enough. Despite research results confirming rather limited consumer skills related to the subject, efficient methods to make people increase their awareness of what correct selective waste collection is, seem to remain still undiscovered. The students’ task is both to identify why mistakes in waste segregation are made, as well as to propose ways of helping citizens avoid them.
More...
Since 2020 the modern world has been witnessing a complex crisis, which is essentially a medical crisis (the COVID-19 pandemic) within a structural economic crisis. In addition to the current nexus of risk stressors, such as anthropogenic climate crisis, biodiversity loss, financialization and income inequality, all global and cross-cutting by their very nature, in the last period biorisk has been growing dramatically. The COVID-19 pandemic is a devastating and tragic moment which is rapidly becoming a matter of primary public concern. Social distancing, as the most effective anti-pandemic measure, has pushed the economy into sleep mode. Hibernation provokes a truly systemic economic downturn. The current crisis is particularly deepening structural imbalances of the neoliberal model of capitalism. Core policies responses, such as liquidity infusion and fiscal stimulus, are massive and permanent. Increasing moral hazard and irrational exuberance, such policies are destroying capital markets,as a brain of the market economy. But every crisis is also a chance to change. By tackling the neoliberal capitalism’ fault lines in a more effective way, it may actually accelerate the pace to the future we had in mind. A quick restart (or recovery) of the economy and a later rebound require systemic and concerted action in order to mitigate the negative effects of both medical and economic crisis. In managing a complex crisis such as this one, guided by the vision o fa sustainable, inclusive and prosperous economy, governments all around the world should take radical reform steps. It means, at least, two things at once. First, dealing with the pandemic as a macroeconomic variable. Second, implementing core economic policies (monetary and fiscal) in a structural way. To do so, the transition from shareholder capitalism to stakeholder capitalism is imminent. An emerging system will combine two institutional choices,the “visible hand” of state (impact investments based on structural or industrial policies)and the “invisible hand” of market forces. It’s time to give the government a stronger voice in the economy. To create value instead of redistributing value, the major part of impact investments will be in circular and regenerative economy, health care, infrastructure (physical and conceptual), science, and education. The objective of this paper is twofold. First, to fill the present conceptual vacuum created by the neoliberal doctrine economics rules with the aim of identifying key components of Serbia’s economy revival based on its macroeconomic specifics and catalytic impact of new economics rules during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.Second, to highlight the relevance of key components of stakeholder capitalism, including the regenerative and circular model of growth and heterodox economic policy platform for the Great Reset, or recovery and rebound respectively.
More...
The virus has impacted the economy through the following key channels: containment measures,and the supply and demand side problems caused by the disease. Lockdowns, cessation of certain services and public life, problems in organizing work-processes, problems in logistics and value chains at large, increased uncertainty, increased unemployment, and many others caused a simultaneous crunch on both the supply and the demand side of the economy.As a result of the simultaneous shock to both sides, the impact has been very strong, causing an endogenous spiral and resulting in a much higher overall impact than initially expected.The purpose of this paper is to present the impact of the virus-related crisis on the economies,with the focus on the European economy and Slovenia, relying on most recent available statistical resources. First, a brief theoretical background is provided, explaining more in detail how the virus impacted the economy. This is followed by an overview of the macroeconomic data, including a reflection to the financial and economic crisis 10 years ago. A sectoral perspective is provided next. The paper concludes with a selection of forecasts for the future.While the crisis has had a negative impact on the overall macroeconomic performance, significant sectoral as well as cross-country differences can be observed. Forecasting the future and overall impacts of the virus is at the moment very risky, however, the forecasts are unanimous in the evaluation that the crisis in 2020 will be significantly deeper than the crisis in 2009. Future effects and development of the crisis depend on a number of factors(1) the duration and type of restrictions, (2) government aid programs, (3) consumer behaviour), (4)timing of medication/vaccine, (5) unemployment rates, and (6) impact on household budgets.Primarily, it is important to understand that these factors could have very different impacts on different industries and countries.
More...
The introduction of new customs duties represents a serious challenge for the organisation of global value chains and current patterns of the international division of production Such measures have further weakened the already fragile fundamentals of the post 2nd World War Bretton-Wood’s multilateral system. In the last couple of years, the appeal for a reorganization of the World Trade Organization has intensified. In this paper, we aim to study trade implications of the US-China trade war from a perspective of supply chain trade and the organisation of global value chains (GVCs). We first present the development of the tariff rates in the US and China over the course of the trade war and sum up early evidence on the US-China trade war effects from stock price volatility. Next, we discuss the differences in tariff impacts on traditional and supply chain trade. We continue with characterizing the US and China’s GVC position and resulting pressure for supply chain restructuring. Finally, we look at trade effects for the EU in different categories of goods. The involvement of the EU-28in GVCs is characterized in general with a more upstream position in trade with China, while backward participation strongly prevails in the EU-28 trade with the US, with notable differences among EU member states. Trade data for the two most recent years shows a certain degree of EU trade reorientation towards both the US and China, where an increased share of exports to the US has been driven by intermediate goods, while in exports to China consumer goods showed the strongest growth. The evidence on the adjustment of GVCs in wake of the US-China trade war suggests that an increase in trade costs has important implications for the organisation and location of GVC activities. We may expect that such a trend will be further strengthened in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic situation. Trade is likely to fall more steeply in sectors characterized by complex value chain linkages. Restructuring,shortening, and reorientation of GVCs will, expectedly, be even more pronounced since the COVID-19 crisis involves lockdown and social distancing causing major labour supply shocks and GVC disruptions.
More...
The coronavirus pandemic represents a major shock for the global and EU economies and is expected to bear unpredictable, yet severe and long-lasting socio-economic consequences.Health crises provoked economic contagion and is now, it seems, spreading as fast as the disease itself. During the crisis, national economies found themselves in a free fall with different velocities. In general, it is expected that COVID-19 will take much higher toll in terms of GDP if compared with three main crises in past 100 years: the great depression in 1930s, first OPEC oil crises in the 1970s and the recent financial crises in the period of 2007-2009. Global GDP is projected to contract by about 4.4 percent in 2020, which is a sharper downturn than during the Global Financial Crisis in 2008-2009. It is then expected to rebound by 5.2percent in 2021, implying that global output should recover above it 2019 level but remain well below the level projected in the autumn 2019 forecast.The health and economic crisis has led to a significant job crisis that will increase the inequality and widen the gap in social structures. This paper presents the role of business and societal resilience. At the policy and societal level, the COVID-19 crisis has brought about a will to question the current functioning of economy and society with citizens’ initiatives. The economic system supporting the increasing share of precariat workers due to gig economy and deterioration of workers’ bargaining power, eroding the public institutions by austerity measures and siphoning value out of the economy by rewarding shareholders through stockbuyback schemes, rather than supporting investment in research and development, wages,and worker training, has proven to be ineffective to combat serious exogenous shocks. The current crisis calls for a new policy approach, based on theoretical foundations of (i) the developmental state, (ii) legal institutionalism and (iii) the entrepreneurial state.During the recent COVID crisis the switch in policy paradigm will improve the resilience of the companies in order to be capable of managing future disruptions and handling the most important challenges we need to solve like climate change, inequalities or financial crises, by reaping the synergies between collaboration, digitalization and sustainability.
More...
Ayoub and Malika Amrani are husband and wife, former farm workerswho, for many years, came to France on OMI contracts to do seasonal work for a farmer in the Bouches-du-Rhône area. In the early 1970s, the young woman’s father and uncle, fellahs2from the Moroccan Prerif who had emigrated to the city, found a contract in the city of Grans, on the Crau plain, and gradually “sponsored” the next generation of migrants. In 1990, when Malika was recruited to join them, there were about ten family members already working on the farm. Though she was formally employed as a farm worker, she actually worked as a “servant” for the farmer and his family. Against the advice of her employer, who wanted nothing to distract her from her work, she got married and held a big wedding in Fez, to which her employer was invited. Ayoub, her husband, was recruited to work in the orchards. As a newlywed, Malika had more and more trouble accepting the abuse and bullying her parents had endured until then. She became increasingly opposed to her employer. 2000 marked a breaking point, when Ayoub fell from an apple tree and was seriously injured. His pelvis was fractured. Their employer was reluctant to report it as a work-related accident. The couple stood up to him, and the following year, none of the family’s contracts were renewed. It was a form of retaliation. It was a collective punishment, as if to remind the migrants that they were bound to their employer by the same duty of loyalty. This incident would have lasting consequences on Malika’s relationship with her family, who accused her of being selfish. In the meantime, Malika became a prominent figure in the movement to defend seasonal migrants’ rights, almost in spite of herself. Her story was the subject of several articles in the media and was taken up by the Collectif de défense des travailleurs agricoles saisonniers (Collective for the Defense of Seasonal Agricultural Workers) (CODETRAS).
More...
Tourism has as its legal basis the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union of December 2009, a relatively recent date, given the importance of this area. Although it does not have a separate budget in the multiannual financial framework (MFF), it contributes significantly to the European Union's Gross Domestic Product and remains a good job seeker. The special measures at EU level, which have been taken in the field of tourism, concern: the interest of travelers and/or tourists, the interest of the tourism sector and regions. This area remains the most affected by the COVID Pandemic 19.
More...
The trans-border online purchase of medicines has been growing in the last decades. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the relevant case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Luxembourg Court has addressed the issue of online sale of medicinal products on several occasions primarily from an internal market perspective. From its first judgments in cases Doc Morris, Ker-Optika and Pierre Fabre the Court tried to find the delicate balance between the freedom of goods within the European Union and the principle of protection of the public health. On the one hand, the Court tries to keep in line with the development of the internal market, including medicinal products sold online and on the other hand the public interest has been always observed, in particular the protection of public health. The article pays attention to one of the legislative initiatives of the European Commission in this field as well as to the newest judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
More...
Purpose: The purpose of this chapter is to identify the initial responses of municipalities to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: The research questions posed were: What types of budgetary instruments were used by municipalities during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland? What was the scale of the loss of their current revenues and what was the amount of expenditures related to countering COVID-19? What were the sources of funding for these expenditures? Findings: Municipalities were, by necessity, on the front line of the fight against the effects of the pandemic. They used the available budgetary instruments (local taxes and fees, property revenues, budgetary expenditures) to limit the spread of the virus and reduce its negative consequences. These actions were not coordinated. The study revealed that revenue losses and expenditure increases due to COVID-19 were not as large as expected. Originality and value: The research in this chapter demonstrates that municipalities in Poland used different approaches to develop and implement policies to counteract the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its effects. The research shows that Polish municipalities played a leading role in the rapid response to the pandemic, although their actions varied and were uncoordinated.
More...
Purpose: The purpose of the chapter is to examine the evolution of the budget deficit and the sovereign public debt in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: The research question presented is: What is the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the amount of state budget deficit and state public debt in Poland? The method of critical analysis of the literature on the subject was applied. Statistical data obtained from the Central Statistical Office and the Ministry of Finance were also presented. Findings: In 2020, the state budget deficit reached an unprecedented amount of 85 billion zloty, which is directly linked to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the draft budget assumed no state budget deficit. Consequently, in 2020–2021 (Q1) there was a dynamic increase in public debt. Originality and value: The state budget result and the size of the public finance sector debt were lower than they should have been, because the vast majority of anti-crisis measures were financed from off-budget sources. Increased public spending increased the deficit and debt, but calculated using the Brussels method. The collected secondary data leads to the conclusion that the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is also a decrease in the transparency of public finance in Poland.
More...
Additional to the three main trends influencing social dialogue at the organizational level - de-centralization, up-scaling, de-institutionalization and representation – the COVID-19 pandemic rules brought a new influence that impacts the Unions, forcing it to adapt its internal communication. This paper is centred upon the way the Unions members in Romania get access to information in the new labour landscape, characterized by the work from home and physical distancing. The research focuses on a collective case-study of three strong Union Federations that developed internal communication with unions’ members that fits the pandemic context. The research focuses on the internal communication repertoire elements used by the Unions. The research method assesses the qualitative information gathered by interviewing key Unions representatives. The main areas of interest are the key topics addressed in the communication with the members, the tools and media mix used, the frequency of the formal communication with the trade unions members, the accountable and the responsible persons with the internal communication, and the management of the feedback from the members, all in the context of what is different vs. 2019. The conclusions are enriched with some recommendations for future development of communication with union members, supporting the social dialog.
More...
Cyberbullying is a negative social phenomenon that takes place online. It consists of harassing technology users through various means and various platforms. Frequent exposure to this phenomenon can cause emotional, mental and social problems for victims, witnesses and aggressors.In the current pandemic context, when education has shifted to the online environment, and students spend a significant amount of time using different devices and online platforms, the number of cyberbullying cases is constantly increasing. There is currently little research describing how this phenomenon influenced online aggression.In preventing and eliminating this phenomenon, teachers play an important role, due to the time they spend with students and the impact they can have on them.In order to identify teachers' perceptions of this phenomenon during the pandemic and how they manage it in the classroom, we conducted a qualitative research on 10 teachers from primary and secondary schools. The results of the research were interesting and offered a new perspective on this phenomenon during Covid-19 crisis.
More...
Motivation has the potential to make a difference in terms of results both individually and organizationally. Motivation based on classical processes, such as the theory of hope, the theory of goal setting and the theory of equity. In the social context of governmental organizations, public values have the potential to infuse the value structures of organizations and individuals, leading to forms of prosocial motivation that focus on supporting the public interest and helping citizens. The management of human resources has evolved considerably since this function was named the Personnel Administration. Currently, organizations do not only manage resources, but focus in particular on the proper management of human capital. There are many aspects of human resources management, all of which are just as important for the development of an organization.
More...