Michał Żabiński

A new concept charting a new direction for regional socio -economic development in the early 2020s is the circular economy (CE). The novelty means that there is no empirically verified methodology for implementation, and therefore, the extent and scope of incorporating CE into regional declarations and actions will vary. For regions, structured activities should follow the adopted development strategy. Therefore, based on an analysis of the invocation of the CE concept in elements of the strategic management model, included in the regional development strategy (2018–2021), it is possible to determine the degree of its structuring. For this purpose, content analysis and correlation analysis were used. The study aims to explain differences in the institutionalisation of CE in voivodeship development strategies in Poland. The article hypothesises that a high level of CE structuring is correlated with its definition in the strategy and also the state of the environment in the region, and explains the variation in CE institutionalisation using adaptive governance theory. We conclude, based on the results, that regions with higher environmental pollution use CE in more detail in regional development strategies.

Literature research on cocreation in healthcare indicates the theoretical sophistication of research on collaboration between healthcare professionals and patients. Our research continues in the new area of Health 4.0. Cocreation has become an essential concept in the value creation process; by involving consumers in the creation process, better results are achieved regarding product quality and alignment with customer expectations and needs. In addition, consumer involvement in the creation process improves its efficiency. Cocreation allows for more efficient diagnosis and treatment of patients, as well as better and more effective use of the skills and experience of the health workforce. Our main objective is to determine the scope and depth of the cocreation of health services based on modern technological solutions (Health 4.0). We selected four cases involving Health 4.0 solutions, verified the scale and scope of cocreation using them as examples, and used the cocreation matrix. We used literature, case studies, and interviews in our research. Our analysis shows that patients can emerge as cocreators in the value creation process in Health 4.0. This can happen when they are genuinely involved in the process and when they feel responsible for the results. The article contributes to the existing theory of service cocreation by pointing out the limited scope of patient involvement in the service management process. For cocreation in Health 4.0 to increase the effectiveness of medical services, it is necessary to implement the full scope of cocreation and meaningfully empower the patient and medical workers in the creation process. This article verifies the theoretical analysis presented in our team’s previous article.

Previous research on co-creation in healthcare indicates that the use of co-creation in the design process of health solutions influences their greater acceptance and adaptation, resulting in greater efficiency of health services and higher usability of implemented health solutions. Analysis of adaptation and acceptance of new technologies reveals the problem of misunderstanding and the need for more trust in modern tools implemented in the healthcare system. The remedy may be the use of co-creation in the process of developing modern medical products and services. This article’s main purpose is to explore the co-creation process in Health 4.0, which is understood as the development of healthcare through the application of methods and tools of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The literature review provided insights for an analytical framework—the co-creation matrix. We analyzed the case of the Italian medical platform Paginemediche.it to reveal the actors’ engagement in co-creation. The results demonstrated different levels of engagement in improving the efficiency of implementing medical and technological solutions. Both theoretical and practical analysis proved that the co-creation matrix helps more precisely define the scale and scope of co-creation in Health 4.0.

Depopulation is a fundamental problem of the local governments in highly developed countries. The article presents the results of the research into the perception of this phenomenon in Poland. In the introduction, theoretical determinants of the problem of the “shrinking” of cities were indicated. Then, the process of depopulation in Poland was discussed, based on the analysis of strategic documents of the selected cities (64), particularly those at risk of depopulation. The text ends with the conclusions of the research. The added value of the article is presentation of the local government’s perspective.

Sustainable development is usually investigated from a global or national rather than a regional or local perspective. However, it is local communes that decide on the directions and dynamics of local development and on achieving the sustainable development goals. In the article, new insights are provided into how sustainable development can be further embedded into regional development practices by improving the management quality of local government units and through a contemporary approach to sustainable local development. The study attempts to show the relationship between the implementation of quality management methods by local governments, commune characteristics and sustainable development.

The purpose of the paper is to present innovation in telehealth home care services system applications for seniors, co-created by non-governmental organizations. On the example of the „Małopolski Tele-Angel” project, authors present the potential of third sector organizations to be used in the process of providing social services. Based on available project documentation we develop a descriptive case study analysis of telehealth home care services for seniors, co-provided by nongovernmental organizations and co-implemented by the local government. Based on the analysis of actions taken in this area in Poland using the funds available under the Regional Operational Programs for 2014-2020, one specific example was chosen, which stands out due to its scale. The issue of roles and tasks in the process of assessing this service for institutions representing various sectors, including NGO’s, was presented. This project is an argument in favour of extending the use of a non-governmental organization in the process of servicing social services.

The aim of this article is to identify and assess the development of ISO 9001 Quality Management System applications in Polish local government institutions in the years 1999–2015. We conduct our analysis on the basis of a questionnaire survey carried out among local government institutions in 2015 (with 77% rate of response). We prove that the ISO 9001 Quality Management System is dominant in Polish local government institutions and we show that its implementations were geographically concentrated and dependent on the size of the local government institution. Points for practitioners: Smaller local government institutions (especially from rural municipalities) require financial support and the proper preparation of employees and training in order to implement the ISO 9001 Quality Management System. The ISO 9001 Quality Management System is the first step in moving towards an integrated management system. The implementation of alternative management improvement solutions decreases interest in implementing the ISO 9001 Quality Management System and obtaining certification.

This chapter describes the social, political and economic changes, which may, but need not, lead to a paradigm shift in the coordination of collective action, an attempt is made to draw a general picture of the situation of a developed country. People always tend to perceive the times in which they live as tumultuous, while idealising the allegedly peaceful and stable past. What makes our age exceptional is the technical and technological progress and the changes in the ethical standards, as well as the political and economic processes. This is undoubtedly significant from the perspective of the shape of the modern society in the so-called developed countries, and from the point of view of the problems and social challenges facing the modern state. When discussing the role and functions of the state, it is particularly important to mention the fact that a significant negative impact on economic growth is exerted by wealth inequality resulting from politically motivated reasons.