Marta Brzozowska

Contemporaneity, in its complexity, brings progressive and degressive factors that shape the lives of organisations and individuals. Covid-19, as an unforeseen black swan event, was a massive challenge for universities in Poland and around the world. The education system has been transformed as digitisation of documentation and the use of online platforms during classes have become the only way to maintain the continuity of the education process. This article aims to evaluate the effectiveness of technology during the COVID-19 pandemic within the Polish context and to identify potential future opportunities for digital transformation in university teaching through the virtualisation of education. The hypothesis put forward in the paper is that the black swan of Covid-19 and the resulting technological boom have sparked the acceleration of change in higher education. The research data were obtained from secondary and primary sources, using qualitative and quantitative methodology. Using the Web of Science and Scopus databases, the desk research method was used. A diagnostic survey using the Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) technique was used to obtain the primary data. The research findings reveal opportunities for virtualising teaching processes in higher education through e-learning platforms beyond the pandemic.

Socio-technological multidimensionality requires new competencies among workers, both those entering the labour market and those already employed, i.e., middle and senior managers. The purpose of this article is to identify the educational potential and evaluate the benefits of simulation interaction games, using the example of the Marketplace simulacrum in improving the management skills and competencies of managers of multinational companies. Representatives of middle and upper management of multinational companies were surveyed using the CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview) technique. IBM SPSS Statistics software was used for data analysis. The research findings indicate that respondents with management experience identified the ability to redefine their adopted management paths as the main benefit of the game. Further, they highlighted the inclusiveness of the game, underlining the significance of communication and human relations in the processes of business management and the integration of technology, talent and tolerance, which are crucial to achieving success. Thus, the Marketplace simulacrum has proven to be a valuable support tool in improving the skills and management competencies of middle and senior management. These research findings can be of use to those responsible for the creation of curricula and the establishment of educational programmes, with a particular focus on lifelong learning and management competencies.

The modern world is socio-technological with a city-centric exemplification. Literature studies and reports have identified an empirical research gap. It relates to the poor identification of the relevant construct components pertaining to digital mobile technology solutions that support urban transport services from the users’ perspective. Filling this gap involved distinguishing a research problem related to insufficient identification of the desired application components as representations of mobile technology solutions in the context of the urban transport services’ uptake. The article mainly aims to diagnose and evaluate the use of mobile digital technologies to support the logistics of transport services from the perspective of Smart City residents in accordance with the concept of sustainable development. The specific objectives were a theoretical objective, defined as the development of a theoretical model for the creation and management of public transport services resulting from the needs of Smart City residents, and an empirical objective, defined as the verification of the impact made by components of the digital mobility solutions construct on the choice of urban transport services. A nomothetic approach was used based on triangulation of results obtained from mixed studies. The source basis for qualitative research was bibliographic data obtained from the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases, monographs, reports and other netographic sources. They were verified and analysed using the bibliometric technique of word occurrence and co-occurrence analysis (co-word analysis) based on critical content analysis. VOSviewer software was used to conduct the qualitative part of the study. In turn, the source base for quantitative research was city residents, who were surveyed using the CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview) online survey technique. IBM SPSS Statistics software was used to analyse the data. The research indicates the necessity to use mobile digital technologies for managing urban transport services’ logistics in the spirit of Society 5.0.

Rozwój techniczno-technologiczny jest stosunkowo krótki, lecz jego wpływ na środowisko jest ogromny. W ciągu dwóch stuleci świat przekształcił się z organicznego w technicystyczny, co doprowadziło do polikryzysu obejmującego ekstremalne temperatury, susze, pożary, huragany i powodzie. Dalszy rozwój społeczno-gospodarczy wymaga reorganizacji i zrównoważenia działań. Szczególne podejście do tej kwestii ma pokolenie Z. Artykuł ma na celu zbadanie powiązań między deklaracjami proekologicznymi a rzeczywistymi wyborami e-commerce przedstawicieli pokolenia Z w kontekście zrównoważonego rozwoju z polskiej perspektywy. Dążono do potwierdzenia tezy, że zrównoważony rozwój w e-commerce jest powiązany z proekologicznymi działaniami operacyjnymi i ekologicznymi narzędziami logistycznymi. Weryfikacja tej tezy opierała się na dwóch hipotezach: H1, że przedstawiciele pokolenia Z zwracają uwagę na zrównoważony rozwój podczas decyzji zakupowych, oraz H2, że koncepcja zrównoważonego rozwoju znajduje odzwierciedlenie w transakcjach e-commerce. Do zebrania i weryfikacji materiału badawczego zastosowano metodykę badań mieszanych w tym krytyczną analizę literatury oraz badanie ankietowe metodą CAWI. Artykuł składa się z prezentacji teoretycznych rozważań nad podejściem pokolenia Z do e-commerce i środowiska oraz omówienia wyników badań empirycznych.

Objective: The aim of the article is to identify and determine the importance of social capital markers relevant to logistics companies in the face of ecosystem challenges, as well as to recommend pro-competitive activities of the industry in the context of building a Society 5.0. The authors hypothesised that the identification of a set of social capital markers collected in the form of a model may become an instrument supporting the management of a logistics enterprise in line with the Society 5.0 trend. Research Design & Methods: In the research process, a nomothetic approach was used based on the mixed research strategy. The qualitative approach included the method of ethnomethodology with the analysis of available publications, reports and netographic sources. The technique of semantic analysis, the coexistence of terms and the publication suitability of sources were used. On the other hand, the quantitative approach was based on the diagnostic survey method with the CAWI online survey technique. Findings: The conducted research shows the need to ensure the well-being of employees and the development of their competences, especially digital ones in the context of work technologisation, implementation of innovative technological solutions in the logistics industry. Employees of logistics companies notice that digital competences are the element that affects the efficiency of their work, and this again translates into the company’s competitiveness. Implications / Recommendations: The authors recommend actions by the logistics industry that will be aimed at increasing the share of expenditure on the development of social capital by caring for the well-being of employees, developing their talents, competences and skills. A simplified model of the identification of social capital markers in logistics enterprises may be a helpful management instrument in this respect. Contribution: Social capital is of significant importance for the competitiveness of logistics companies in the post-pandemic era of Society 5.0. A high level of trust and cooperation among employees, suppliers, and customers can contribute to more efficient functioning of logistics companies. Social capital can be a key factor in enabling logistics companies to quickly adapt to changing market conditions. Building strong relationships with business partners can bring benefits such as better coordination of activities, greater flexibility, and faster responses to market changes. Investing in the development of social capital can contribute to increasing the competitiveness of logistics companies and lead to their success in the post-pandemic era of Society 5.0.

The complexity of the technologized socioeconomic reality poses a number of challenges for today's managers. Many times their actions are a test of their leadership. A particularly interesting area of research in this regard is the logistics sector, which so far has been regarded as typically male and which has been undergoing a transformation in favor of an increasing representation of women for some years now. The authors sought to answer questions such as: what qualities, skills and competences will enable women working in logistics to pursue their careers and achieve their goals in the face of the challenges of a 5.0 economy. The aim of the article is to identify those leadership skills and competences of women in logistics that predispose them to lead on their way to business success in enterprises. In the research process, mixed research methodologies were used, combining the results of secondary source analysis obtained from Scopus and Web of Science databases with information obtained from a quantitative survey based on the CAWI diagnostic survey method. The analyses resulted in a model of an exemplary image combining traits, skills and competencies, as well as attributes of effectiveness, which may be helpful for women in shaping their leadership position in the management structures of companies in the logistics industry. The resulting material complements the existing body of research on the role and importance of women in business including, in particular, the inclusion of women in logistics. The main strength of the work is to identify areas that women should improve in order to increase their participation in managerial positions in the logistics industry.

Objective: The article aims to show how people perceive future implications for logistics customer service resulting from the implementation of new technologies in the form of game-changer artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in the spirit of economy 4.0 and society 5.0. Research Design & Methods: The research process used a nomothetic approach based on the methodology of mixed research. The qualitative approach included a research study of monographs, publications, reports, and netographic sources. We used the technique of critical content analysis based on the co-occurrence of terms. In turn, we based the quantitative approach on the diagnostic survey method with the computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) technique. The sample size was 233. For further analysis, we used the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS). Findings: The research shows that customer service in logistics already uses different forms of AI-based solutions (like Chabtbots, Voicebots, and voice assistants). Even customers positively evaluate those solutions, among others, for efficiency, competence, and service quality. Moreover, customers are aware of AI-based solutions and know that their usage will deepen in the future, as it is a game changer for the competitiveness of customer service in logistics. Implications & Recommendations: The conducted research indicates the need to constantly improve the digital competences of the users of last-mile logistics services in the context of technologization of transaction processes. Different areas of business will widely use AI-based solutions, because there is a need to develop systems which will help with the human-machine communication. This technology should be constructed as safe for people and easy to use; both with regard to users and customers. As a result of these processes, there is a greater need to educate people about AI-based solutions to develop awareness and improve future outcomes. Contribution & Value Added: The article’s main advantage is determining new possibilities in the area of logistics customer service as a result of the dissemination of solutions in the AI field, which may be a helpful instrument for enterprises in managing the last-mile scenario in the future.

The present day is marked by the economic expansiveness of societies and the adoption and adaptation of intelligent technologies. In this hyper-world, customers expect a personalized offer enhanced with customized service, which results in the introduction of sustainable and intelligent solutions—among other services. What becomes important is not so much the “Primum non nocere” of creation as much as the “go smart to the future” in creating. The smart logistics concept is a representation of this trend. The subject of the article is an analysis of the impact of the application of the smart idea in the field of sustainable development on changes in logistics in customer service at the last-mile stage. The source of this article is exploratory research of secondary sources, including books, articles, and reports, which has been subjected to a critical content analysis. The obtained results made it possible to design and implement an explanatory study of online-buying habits of people based on the CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) methodology. The collected material has become the basis for the authors to indicate the applicability of smart logistics in the field of last-mile logistics, which can be used by researchers and training institutions in the field of professionalization of management of intelligent logistics processes in customer service at the last-mile stage. The last-mile service in logistics involves reaching the largest possible number of recipients, however, it has a negative impact on the natural environment, which, of course, contradicts the concept of sustainable development, including trends that are noticeable in the logistics market, customers, and in the law. Hence, it is important to look for solutions that allow us to achieve the appropriate level of customer service in the last mile, but at the same time, take care of the natural environment. The study was narrowed down to the Polish perspective due to the growing demand for last-mile logistics services. Moreover, Poland is still a country where the concept of sustainable development is not fully understood and used. The research allowed us to indicate the directions of development of the last-mile service processes by considering the technological innovations that may support the application of the concept of sustainable development.

The development of the e-commerce market worldwide, which was already dynamic, was accelerated by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Millions of incoming orders required analogue support from the CEP sector (courier-express-parcels sector) to provide the desired “customer experience”. In the context of whether the habit of shopping in virtual reality will become permanent, it is worth considering what shape the logistics services will take in the last mile after the pandemic? Or, will customers return to shopping in the real world? A subject for these considerations was an analysis of the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic on the technologization of last mile logistics services, resulting in an increase in the level of “customer experience”, with Poland as an example. The research methods used were participant observations and critical analysis of collected materials. The obtained results made it possible to conduct a descriptive and explanatory nomothetic study based on an Internet questionnaire. The authors formulated a diagnosis about the possibilities of using the potential of customer experience for the development of enterprises based on technologization of last mile deliveries. The recommendations can be used by scientists and managers in the CEP industry to redefine business models based on the technology of logistics customer service processes.

Purpose: The aim of the paper was the identification of 4.0 competences that should be characterized by logistics workers in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. Design/methodology/approach: First step was the desk research analysis of source material (monographic studies, publications and reports). The second step were primary (fragmentary) explanatory, descriptive and explanatory, focused on the implementation of one research goal. The method used in the course of the study was the "user-centric" CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview). Findings: Technologization and robotization require from employees to acquire new digital competences. Studies show that logistics workers are aware of the needed change. There is a need to acquire competences 4.0 which can consist of cognitive, informative and technical competences. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of the research was the availability of employees in logistics companies and the precise division of enterprises in which the respondents were employed. In the available statistical summaries and address databases, there is no division taking into account the place of logistics as an element of business activities in enterprises. Practical implications: Research can be also a signpost for employers of what kind of competences should be developed in the future in the face of upcoming economy 5.0 and society 5.0. Originality/value: The article can be a road-map for sustainable digital transformation taking into account not only machines but also human beings. Keywords: digitization, competences 4.0, sustainable economy, logistics.