This study proposes and tests an integrated model of marketing insight–a brand's ability to understand and respond to how consumers think, feel, act, and derive meaning–comprising three theoretically grounded dimensions: psychological insight (attachment, self-congruity, brand trust), behavioural insight (habit, participatory behaviours), and creative insight (perceived creativity, narrative authenticity, symbolic resonance). Each dimension is theoretically mapped onto one of the three constitutive components of Consumer Brand Engagement (CBE) theory, ensuring coherence between the antecedent system and the mediating construct. A cross-sectional consumer survey (N = 462) was analysed using PLS-SEM. All three insight dimensions significantly predict brand engagement, which in turn predicts loyalty, with the model explaining 79.2% of variance in engagement and 72.7% in loyalty. Critically, the pathway from insight to loyalty is contingent: creative insight affects loyalty exclusively through engagement (full mediation; VAF = 54.9%), while psychological and behavioural insights retain significant direct routes to loyalty (partial mediation), with behavioural insight exhibiting the strongest direct path (β = 0.480). This contingency finding advances CBE theory by demonstrating that engagement is not a universal relational intermediary–a nuance that prior fragmented, single-antecedent models were structurally unable to detect. The study reconceptualises marketing insight as a measurable antecedent system, empirically differentiates habitual loyalty from engaged loyalty, and provides managers with a diagnostic framework for balancing psychological, behavioural, and creative brand strategies across industry contexts including technology brands, fast-moving consumer goods, and fashion and lifestyle categories.
This study aims to analyse how wine tourism contributes to economic, social, and environmental outcomes at both the winery and regional levels, and to examine its strategic role within an emerging wine tourism destination. A qualitative case study approach was adopted, and data were collected through an in-depth semi-structured interview with the winery’s senior management, direct observation, and documentary analysis, following a triple bottom line perspective to capture multidimensional impacts. The findings show that wine tourism does not function as a primary revenue source but plays a strategically significant role by enhancing financial stability, brand positioning, and market access, while at the regional level, it generates spillover effects through employment creation, cooperation with local actors, and destination branding. Socially, it contributes to cultural valorisation and learning opportunities, although deeper community embeddedness depends on education and long-term institutional commitment. Environmentally, it reinforces resource efficiency and landscape preservation but increases pressure on fragile ecosystems in the absence of coordinated territorial governance. This research presents empirical evidence from Mexico, an underexplored context in wine tourism research, advances understanding of wine tourism as a relational and place-based mechanism linking firm strategy with regional sustainability outcomes, and provides relevant theoretical, managerial, and policy implications for wine tourism and regional development, offering insights on how to integrate wine tourism into sustainable regional development strategies.
Urban areas frequently provide improved access to resources and services; however, the presence of disparities (distribution of resources, opportunities, and services) within and among cities impedes the equitable achievement of global development objectives across EU member states. In the context of EU member states, these disparities can manifest in various ways and have significant implications for sustainable development and social equality. It is necessary to address these urban-related challenges and disparities to ensure the comprehensive implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in EU countries. This paper explores the complex interplay between urbanisation, social development, and the realisation of SDGs in EU countries during the period from 2004 to 2021. Employing the system generalised method of moments (GMM) analysis, this study seeks to empirically validate the hypothesis suggesting that increasing urbanisation is associated with enhanced social equity, which in turn positively influences the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The research findings reveal a compelling pattern: as urbanisation experiences growth, it stimulates a simultaneous reduction in social inequities within EU member states. Moreover, this diminishing trend in social inequalities exerts a favourable impact on the attainment of SDGs. This research contributes to the understanding of the multifaceted challenges and opportunities associated with promoting sustainable development across the diverse urban landscapes of the EU. These findings could lead policymakers to design targeted interventions and strategies aimed at fostering greater equity and inclusivity in the pursuit of the SDGs within the EU context.
Green innovation has become a primary driver for the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems. While collective intelligence, corporate social responsibility, and green innovation have been studied individually, integrated theoretical models remain limited. This study has two main objectives. First, it examines the direct effect of collective intelligence on green innovation. Second, it also examines the indirect effect of collective intelligence on green innovation by focusing on the mediating role of corporate social responsibility in this relationship. The research adopted a quantitative research design via a survey conducted among 745 Tunisian firms. The data collected were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) by means of AMOS version 23 software to test the relationships between the integrated variables in the research conceptual model. A re-tested scale was adopted in the study based on a literature review. The convergent and discriminant validity as well as Cronbach’s alpha were tested and ensured that they met the requisite standard. A structural model was developed to confirm the abovementioned relationships. The quantitative results demonstrate that collective intelligence has a significant and positive effect on green innovation. Specifically, the study confirms that corporate social responsibility plays a partial mediating role in this relationship. Four key findings emerge: first, collective intelligence directly fosters innovative green practices; second, the interaction between collective intelligence and social responsibility strengthens firm outcomes; third, shared decision-making and knowledge exchange are vital capabilities; and fourth, the partial mediation highlights that social responsibility acts as a strategic bridge for sustainable initiatives. This study provides empirical evidence encouraging firms to invest in collective intelligence and capability development. The findings indicate that embedding corporate social responsibility into corporate strategy enhances the impact of green innovation. Ultimately, this integration supports genuinely sustainable decision-making processes within the Tunisian business context. Therefore, both theoretical and practical implications were suggested.
This research analyses the financial resilience of Polish textile and clothing firms listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW) during the period of the pandemic known as the “COVID-19 shock” and the subsequent recovery. A comparative, year-to-year analysis of ten firms’ net revenues, net profits, total assets, equity, and profitability ratios (ROA and ROE) was conducted using publicly available annual financial statements for 2017–2023, complemented by profitability heatmaps, a growth–profitability strategy map, and fixed-effects panel contrasts to assess post-pandemic recovery patterns. The findings indicate a widespread decline in performance in 2020, subsequently followed by a strong (but uneven) normalisation in 2021–2022 and a deceleration in 2023, with considerable variation among firms and business models. These patterns are consistent with the view that differences in firms’ strategic positioning, including the ability to sustain sales and operations under mobility restrictions, may be associated with faster recovery. In addition, the study operationalises digital/omnichannel orientation using public disclosures and online-sales intensity, finding that higher pre-pandemic online intensity is associated with stronger post-2020 performance in fixed-effects contrasts, while non-parametric “rebound” tests yield more mixed evidence, underscoring that the relationship is not automatic. The evidence suggests that listed firms were largely able to restore profitability after the initial shock, but financial outcomes diverged markedly across companies.
The success of lean manufacturing practices in Industry 4.0 is highly dependent on people and technology; therefore, an appropriate leadership style is essential when pursuing the implementation of lean manufacturing. This study explores whether digital leadership has direct and indirect effects on lean manufacturing practices via the mediation of the two dimensions of thriving at work; in parallel, the degree of its importance and respective performance is evaluated. The research design was quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and explanatory and was conducted in the Mexican border export manufacturing industry using a non-probabilistic sample of 1,123 people. The statistical techniques used were partial least squares structural equation modelling [PLS-SEM] and importance–performance mapping [IPMA]. The results reveal a direct effect of digital leadership on lean manufacturing practices and an indirect effect through the learning dimension of thriving at work; the vitality dimension has no significant effect on lean manufacturing practices. The importance–performance map highlights the significant effect of digital leadership on lean manufacturing; at the indicator level, it reveals that leaders need to improve their performance by seeking out and motivating employees to experience and use new technologies.
Fertility rates in many high- and upper-middle-income economies have fallen to historically low levels, especially in East Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Gulf. Countries such as Poland, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, and Singapore now record birth rates far below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman, with demographic ageing, shrinking workforces, and pressure on pay-as-you-go pension and health systems becoming central macroeconomic challenges. This study primarily seeks to address a specific research question: whether, and under what conditions, such housing support can be justified as pro-natalist fiscal policy rather than a purely redistributive transfer. Adopting a human-capital and public-finance perspective, the article treats each additional child as a future taxpayer whose lifetime net fiscal contribution creates a positive “fiscal externality” of fertility. The methodology employs stylised lifecycle fiscal calculations calibrated to Poland, using publicly available data from the World Bank, OECD, Eurostat, and the National Bank of Poland to compare the present value of lifetime tax contributions with the upfront cost of family housing. This research proposes a fiscally grounded response: near-free or free housing for families that raise three or more children, delivered through a phased scheme. The results suggest that, under conservative assumptions and a 3% real discount rate, the present value of an average future adult's lifetime taxes can exceed the cost of providing a modest family apartment, supporting the investment framing of the policy. The theoretical contribution lies in reframing pro-natalist housing support as a long-horizon public investment with measurable fiscal returns, bridging the literatures on low fertility, housing affordability and generational accounting. For policymakers, the research paper identifies practical design principles, including eligibility targeting, phased vesting, and place-based pilots, which can help translate the fiscal logic into implementable programmes in low-fertility economies.
This study explores the cognitive–affective foundations of trust in international e-commerce among 218 young adult Polish consumers under 35 years of age. Data was collected through a computer-assisted web interview (CAWI). Three composite indices were developed to capture cognitive trust (COG_INDEX), affective trust (AFF_INDEX), and overall trust (TRUST_SCORE). Descriptive statistics, quadrant segmentation, and hierarchical regression analysis were applied to examine the relative weight of cognitive and affective factors. The results show that cognitive trust explains nearly half of the variance in overall trust, while affective factors add only marginal predictive value. Quadrant analysis further revealed that frequent purchasing clustered among respondents with high cognitive trust, whereas affective cues mainly played a supportive role. These findings confirm a sequencing model of trust formation, where rational assurances provide the baseline and emotional features reinforce engagement and loyalty. The study was limited by a small and non-random sample size, while the focus on young adults in Poland restricts its generalisability.
The creation of business models reflects the transformation that retail is undergoing. The aim of the paper is to fill the gap in scientific discourse and practice with an orientation to the current state of business model creation in grocery retail based on a managerial perspective using a comprehensive approach to the perception of the micro- and macroenvironment. The results reflect the statements of 251 managerial retail grocery units in the capital of Slovakia. Using exploratory factor analysis, new elements of business models were identified, with the key ones being the retail ecosystem, strategic marketing, the economic and political situation, and cost orientation. The dimensions are interconnected and create a complex retail grocery business model. It can be stated that the method of applying these dimensions of business model creation is conditioned by the size of retail and the implementation of loyalty programmes. From an academic perspective, a shift in the theoretical basis of strategic management and business model innovation can be noted in terms of identifying the interrelatedness between business model components that not only capture the internal and external microenvironment but also reflect the dynamic macroenvironment. From a managerial practice perspective, the research creates a basis for supporting decision-making by top and middle management in the transformation of the retail business model.
This paper employs inductive and deductive methodologies to analyse 846 documents (1974–2024) from the Scopus scientific database using VOSviewer and PLS/SEM analysis. It focuses on understanding the interrelationships between organisational culture and management style in the context of Sustainable Development. This includes outlining the current state of knowledge in this area and identifying directions for future research, as well as aiding businesses in aligning their strategies with environmental objectives. The study reveals that the interrelationship between organisational culture and management style significantly impacts the implementation of sustainability principles and the well-being of employees. It highlights the critical role of leadership in fostering integrity between organisational culture and management style, which constitutes a central contribution of this research. The research is predominantly a literature review and may not fully capture the diversity of industry contexts. The paper suggests the need for empirical studies to further validate the interconnections between organisational culture and management style in the Sustainable Development context. The evidence is bibliometric and therefore non-causal. The proposed PLS/SEM should be estimated on primary data using bootstrap inference to test mediation and robustness. The findings assist business practitioners in harmonising organisational culture and management style, facilitating effective organisational management and the achievement of strategic goals. The paper offers insights into achieving business goals and competitive advantage in the modern business environment. This research underscores the importance of sustainable business practices for societal well-being and encourages ethical leadership and responsible management to create a positive social impact. A dual perspective integrates network structure (VOS) with a testable directional model (PLS/SEM) that positions leadership as the transmission belt between organisational culture and management style.
Over the past few decades, globalisation, digitalisation, and social transformation have fostered the emergence of the sharing economy as a new economic model. This article examines consumer behaviour in the Slovak sharing economy, with a particular emphasis on the accommodation sector. The main objective of the study is to map consumer behaviour in the area of the sharing economy in the Slovak Republic and to determine the factors influencing this consumer behaviour in the accommodation sector. A questionnaire survey of 385 respondents was used to conduct quantitative research, with statistical validation using Pearson's test and a proportional agreement test. According to the findings, the majority of consumers, particularly those in the younger and higher income groups, have positive experiences with shared accommodation platforms. The most influential elements in accommodation selection were found to be price, location, and user reviews. From a theoretical approach, the study contributes to the small body of research on sharing economy adoption in smaller European Union countries, highlighting the relevance of socioeconomic considerations in shaping consumer preferences. In managerial terms, the research underlines the need for platforms to improve trust, openness, and flexibility, particularly in terms of service quality and cancellation rules. Furthermore, the findings emphasise the need to increase public knowledge of the benefits of the sharing economy through focused media efforts and government backing. The study's novelty stems from its contextual focus on Slovakia and its integration of consumer satisfaction data with strategic recommendations for sustainable tourism development and regulatory legislation.
Despite existing research on student entrepreneurial potential, opportunities for further exploration persist. On the one hand, this paper is part of the current research on student entrepreneurship. On the other hand, the article attempts to provide an answer to the question of how entrepreneurial potential is shaped in the cross-section of different fields of study, in relation to Polish- and English-language studies as well as full-time and part-time students. The added value of this article is the development of a fully proprietary questionnaire form calibrated both in terms of its scale and psychometric properties. The results reveal the entrepreneurial potential of the surveyed students and show how it varies by field and mode of study, as well as between Polish- and English-language students. The study also offers recommendations for university policies to better support and promote student entrepreneurship.
Repeat visitation is a critical measure of success in tourism. While prior studies have examined service quality and staff behaviour separately, their combined effect on visitor loyalty remains underexplored. This study investigates how service offerings and selected employee soft skills influence repeat visits to tourism establishments in the Moravian–Silesian Region of the Czech Republic. The research was conducted under the auspices of two institutional projects on regional tourism trends (2017–2022). Primary data were collected from 698 residents of the region through a structured questionnaire across 73 tourism businesses. The survey was carried out between 2018 and 2021 to capture pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic trends. Respondents rated 10 service and behavioural attributes using a five-point Likert scale. Systematic random sampling ensured representativeness. The data were analysed using chi-square tests (SPSS), with two hypotheses tested regarding the moderating roles of gender (H1) and education (H2). The findings confirm that attractive service offerings combined with strong soft skills – such as communication, teamwork, and customer service – significantly affect repeat visitation. The statistical results show χ²(3) = 1.050 (p = 0.789) for H1, leading to rejection of the gender moderation hypothesis, and χ²(6) = 14.982 (p = 0.020) for H2, confirming education as a moderating factor. Thus, educational background influences the relationship between product knowledge and repurchasing behaviour, whereas gender does not. This study contributes to the literature by integrating service quality and human capital perspectives and emphasising the underexplored interaction between offerings, soft skills, and visitor loyalty. For practice, the results highlight the need for continuous staff development in soft skills and innovation in service design, which are vital for improving competitiveness and fostering sustainable tourism growth in the Moravian–Silesian Region and similar destinations.
This article investigates the impact of employees’ dynamic capabilities (EDCs) on job performance within organisations during the decline stage of the organisational life cycle (OLC), particularly as they approach organisational death. EDCs, which include an employee's ability to adapt, innovate, and solve problems, have been extensively studied in thriving organisations, but their role during organisational decline remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by examining whether EDCs positively influence job performance through mediators such as work motivation, job satisfaction, and work engagement in organisations nearing the end of their operations. For two-part empirical analysis, data were gathered from organisations in Italy, Poland, and the USA, some of which were at varying stages of decline due to the external crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicate that in organisations continuing operations, EDCs had a significant positive impact on job performance, mediated by work engagement, work motivation, and job satisfaction. However, in organisations heading toward death, EDCs failed to influence job performance significantly. The study concludes that EDCs' lack of impact on job performance may be a critical symptom of organisational death, suggesting that organisations unable to leverage their employees' capabilities during times of crisis may be doomed to failure. This research contributes to the OLC literature by identifying the absence of EDCs' influence on job performance as a key predictor of organisational demise, offering new insights for management practices during the decline phase of an organisation.
Consumer patriotism is an important trend, alongside consumer trends such as prioritising health, caring for the environment and animal welfare. For many consumers, it is important to feel a direct linkage to the producer and to support the local economy through their purchase decisions concerning food. The purpose of this article was to deepen the understanding of consumer preferences on the local food market. The article fills a research gap in a thorough understanding of consumers’ local food purchasing decisions which are based on economic considerations. Empirical research was conducted in March and April 2022 using the CAWI method. 1,009 questionnaires were analysed, with respondents from Poland stating that supporting the local economy is the main reason for purchasing local products. Descriptive statistics and the post hoc Dunn test with Kruskal–Wallis variance were used for the analyses. The results show that women are more likely to purchase local products. The purchase of these products is determined by "organoleptic qualities," the "opportunity to contact the producer directly," and "nutritional values." Dairy, bread, eggs, and groats are the most frequently chosen local foods. The vast majority of the surveyed sample is willing to accept a 10–15% premium on local products. Consumers of local products are often very loyal. This creates opportunities for the development of Internet sales. As ethnocentric consumers are more likely to buy regional food directly from the producer, facilitating the development of short supply chains and direct distribution by creating legislation that protects the consumer and the local producer/supplier is recommended.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly reshaping recruitment processes by automating candidate screening, interviews, and hiring decisions. Despite its growing adoption, AI-enabled recruitment tools raise significant ethical and psychological concerns among job candidates, particularly regarding fairness, transparency, risk, and trust. Addressing a notable research gap concerning candidate perspectives, this study aims to investigate job candidates’ acceptance of AI-enabled recruitment tools, examining how perceived usefulness, ease of use, fairness, transparency, and risk influence their attitudes, mediated by trust and moderated by AI experience. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and the Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Explainability (FATE) framework, the study introduces a socio-technical conceptual model to address the identified research gap. A quantitative survey was conducted with 143 job applicants in Jordan’s pharmaceutical sector. The data were analysed using SPSS multiple regression analysis to assess the relationships among the variables. The findings show that perceived fairness, transparency, usefulness, and trust significantly shape positive attitudes toward AI-enabled hiring. Whereas ease of use and risk perceptions are less influential, trust proved to be a vital mediator, particularly between job applicants' perceptions of fairness and transparency and their attitudes toward AI-enabled recruitment tools, while prior AI experience moderates the influence of transparency and risk perceptions. The study concludes that respondents placed greater importance on AI's ethical and relational characteristics than technical functionality, highlighting the importance of designing functionally efficient, but also ethically responsible, fair, trustworthy, and transparent AI-enabled recruitment tools to promote candidates’ acceptance and enhance responsible AI adoption in emerging labour markets.
Real convergence is a multidimensional process of drawing European Union (EU) member states closer together, which takes place in many aspects, including economic and social ones. In social terms, it means improving living conditions and reducing social inequalities. Real individual consumption in EUR per capita with purchasing power parity was used as the variable informing about the level of social development. The main objective of the article is to verify the existence of social convergence between EU member states (including the United Kingdom – UK) between 2004 and 2023. Two methods of convergence measurement were used to analyse convergence: beta and sigma types. Convergence calculations were based on data from Eurostat. In the case of missing data (UK), projections were made using growth rates from the previous period. The analysis was supplemented by the Shannon entropy index. The study's application objective was to assess whether the scale of the reduction in the gap in individual consumption (well-being and quality of life) is narrowing, including identifying periods when convergence has been slower. This can help guide future economic policy and measures to further narrow the gap. In addition, the authors distinguish countries that have managed to improve their position to the greatest extent in terms of the analysed measure of social development.
The article brings a novel perspective, integrating a comparative analysis of six countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, and Germany) with the impact of contemporary crises (the pandemic, the war in Ukraine) and the Green Deal on the role of migrants in construction. Its uniqueness lies in capturing the evolution of migrants from cheap labour to skilled professionals in a regional context. The goal of the study is to identify and compare the impact of foreign workers on employment in the construction sector between 2014 and 2024, to provide data for migration and integration policies and projections for the future of the region in the face of demographic and economic challenges. The methodology is based on a mixed approach: quantitative (statistical analysis of data from the CSO, Eurostat, OECD, and national offices) and predictive (extrapolation of trends to 2030). Data for 2024 were estimated based on trends from 2014–2023, considering migration, policies, and demand for skills in sustainable construction. The research sample covers the construction sector in six Central European countries, with a focus on migrants' employment (legal and illegal), their qualification structure, and migration policies. The results show a significant increase in the number of migrants: in Poland by 150% (47,000 to 140,000) and in Germany by 66.7% (278,000 to 504,000), driven by investment and the influx of Ukrainians. The employment structure is evolving – in Poland, the proportion of unskilled workers fell from 75% to 60%, while specialists rose from 5% to 10%. Projections show further growth (Poland: 160,000; Germany: 550,000 by 2030). Liberal policies (e.g. Poland +156%) are more effective in increasing migrant contributions than restrictive ones (Hungary +117%). Recommendations include simplification of procedures, training and integration, and strengthening the role of migrants in sector transformation.
Intensifying global environmental challenges have amplified the need for strategic ecological communication. With rapid digitalisation, public sentiment has become a key factor in shaping a country's green reputation, primarily through social platforms. These dynamics underscore the relevance of investigating the relationship between digital public sentiment and the effective promotion of a country's green brand. The aim of this study is to apply sentiment analysis to user-generated content to identify emotional trends in green brand promotion and determine the most effective digital channels for strategic ecological communication. To achieve this, the research applies sentiment analysis to user-generated content tagged with green-related hashtags (#GreenEconomy, #UkrainianBrand, #GreenUkraine, #SustainableUkraine) across various social media platforms. The methodology combines computational text analysis and content categorisation, focusing on the emotional polarity (positive, neutral, negative) and engagement levels of posts. Data were collected using digital monitoring tools, followed by a one-way ANOVA to assess differences in sentiment and user interaction across platform types. The findings indicate that #SustainableUkraine and #GreenEconomy are associated with the highest levels of positive sentiment, suggesting strong international receptiveness to sustainability narratives. In contrast, #UkrainianBrand often triggers more critical reactions, influenced by broader socio-political contexts. Visual platforms such as YouTube and Instagram generated the most positive emotional responses, while text-based platforms like X (Twitter) and Tumblr displayed more neutrality or criticism. LinkedIn emerged as a space for analytical and professional discussions. The study contributes to the field of green nation branding by offering a real-time, data-driven framework to assess public attitudes toward a country's environmental identity. Practically, the research provides evidence-based guidance for policy-makers and brand strategists on how to tailor green communication. It advocates for prioritising emotionally resonant visual content and platform-specific messaging to enhance a country’s environmental image and reinforce global trust in its sustainability trajectory.
The objective of this text is to facilitate a discourse on conventional performance appraisal systems and new solutions within these systems, grounded in continuous feedback. Additionally, the text aims to test selected factors that influence the favourable reception of such systems by employees. A survey of 137 Polish current employees revealed that their perceptions of traditional employee appraisal systems were more favourable than anticipated from American research. Despite acknowledging deficiencies in the operational effectiveness of these systems, the employees expressed a positive evaluation of their perceived effectiveness. The expected advantages of a continuous feedback-based performance appraisal system were also given a high rating, and its potential disadvantages a low rating. However, no correlation was found between the ratings of traditional and continuous feedback-based systems. The study demonstrated that anger towards an organisation exerts an influence on perceived advantages of continuous feedback-based systems, which is moderated by the presumed outcome of periodic assessment. Furthermore, younger respondents assigned significantly lower ratings to the anticipated disadvantages of this performance appraisal system in comparison to their older counterparts.
