In today’s competitive market, organizations must adapt to meet the needs of the emerging Generation Z (Gen Z) workforce, which values flexibility, meaningful work, and digital connectivity. Work-life balance (WLB) has therefore become an essential priority. Despite growing interest, research on Gen Z’s WLB – especially in the Polish context – remains limited, highlighting a clear gap for further study. The presented study is part of a broader research project on the WLB of Gen Z. The main objective is to analyze WLB among Gen Z. The study employed a cross-sectional quantitative survey study, collecting responses from a total of 402 Gen Z participants with professional work experience. The study found that Gen Z experiences a moderate level of WLB. Gender does not significantly affect the overall level of balance, but women value mental health support and caregiving-related practices more than men. Employer practices such as additional days off and reduced working hours are perceived as the most important for supporting WLB. Work experience influences perceptions of specific practices: early-career employees prioritize mental health support, whereas more experienced employees place greater importance on caregiving-related initiatives.
Article deals with the verification of the accuracy and limitations of analytical relations for predicting the fatigue life of selected structural materials. The objective is to compare experimentally obtained data with theoretical values calculated using the Basquin equation for the stress-based approach. The basic mechanical properties as input data (ultimate tensile strength – UTS and elongation – A) were also employed for fatigue life prediction. Four distinct material groups with differing micro-structures were selected for the application of these prediction models: a nickel-based superalloy (Inconel IN718), a titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V), an aluminium alloy (AlSi9Cu3), and selected types of nodular cast irons (with a ferritic-pearlitic matrix EN-GJS-X300SiCu4-1.5 and an austenitic matrix ENGJSA-XNiMn13-7). The predictive fatigue life models were verified using an experimental dataset compiled from conventional fatigue testing. The testing frequencies ranged from 85 Hz to 150 Hz, specifically adjusted according to the dynamic characteristics of the testing machines and the evaluated material groups (150 Hz for IN718, 100 Hz for Ti6Al4V, 85 Hz for AlSi9Cu3, and 120 Hz for the cast irons). The results exhibit varying degrees of deviation in prediction accuracy. While the empirically calibrated Basquin-Morrow model restricts relative stress errors below 4.0% for the alloys tested under symmetrical loading (R= -1), asymmetrical testing (1 < R < ∞) yields higher prediction errors up to 28.7% due to structural inhomogeneity and bending stress complexity. Globally, replacing generic literature data with experimentally determined fatigue parameters reduced the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) from 46.0% down to 5.8%.
The quality of components and structures is directly dependent on the choice of appropriate material, processing technology and resistance to degradation processes. In this study is presented an experimental investigation of tribological and corrosion properties of high-strength S960 steel after the plasma and gas nitriding. The experimental work included determination of chemical composition, plasma and gas nitriding deposition, microstructure evaluation, mechanical properties measurement, corrosion and tribological tests and wear resistance evaluation. The application of plasma and gas nitriding affects the useful properties of high-strength S960 steel, with a more positive effect observed when the gas nitriding is applied.
This study examines the interrelationships among Soft Total Quality Management (Soft TQM), innovative organizational culture, green innovation, and sustainability within Thailand’s logistics industry. The sector plays a crucial economic role while facing significant environmental chal-lenges, necessitating sustainable transformation. Using stratified random sampling, data were collected from 314 organizational members, including owners, shareholders, and operational-level employees of registered logistics companies. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test six hypotheses. The findings reveal that Soft TQM significantly influences innovative organizational culture (β = 0.558, p < 0.001) and green innovation (β = 0.191, p = 0.003), but does not directly impact sustainability (β = 0.139, p = 0.061). Innovative organizational culture positively affects both green innovation (β = 0.363, p < 0.001) and sustainability (β = 0.178, p = 0.009). Green innovation demonstrates a significant positive effect on sustainability (β = 0.308, p < 0.001). These results indicate that Soft TQM operates as a fundamental enabler rather than a direct driver of sustainability, requiring complementary mechanisms through innovative culture and green innovation. The study provides actionable insights for logistics managers to integrate soft management practices with innovation-oriented culture and environmental initiatives, supporting Thailand’s sustainable development objectives.
Evaporation is an important component of the water balance in many water-management, environmental and engineering applications. This study presents an observational comparison of daily GGI-3000 pan evaporation measurements with twelve common evaporation-estimation methods at the Tušimice station in the Czech Republic. The comparison shows that the measured pan evaporation is generally lower than the corresponding calculated estimates, although the magnitude of the difference varies among methods and from day to day. The relationship between measured and estimated evaporation also exhibits both meteorological and temporal structure. Serial-dependence-adjusted GLS analysis confirmed that meteorological conditions and time provide complementary information, while a moving-block bootstrap showed that the overall difference in level remained robust to short-term serial dependence. A temporal-resolution sensitivity analysis further showed that the daily application of methods commonly formulated using monthly or mean daily conditions did not materially affect the main comparison.
