Anna Walczyna

The article aims to determine the humanistic HRM status in Polish companies. The analysis is based on evaluating the humanistic management application in the surveyed companies by management staff and lower-level managers. The research method involves a diagnostic survey using a tool of a proprietary survey questionnaire directed to the management of enterprises representing various industries operating across Poland. The questionnaire includes questions from three management areas recognized as humanistic corporate responsibility operatives. These are a humanistic approach to the employee and his needs, the formation of socially responsible behavior, and the formation of relationships in the workplace. The results do not confirm the differentiation of humanistic management ratings in the surveyed enterprises by their size or the industry they represent. Instead, they indicate two other variables that significantly differentiate respondents' evaluations. These are the respondent's position and age. The survey's practical implications relate to identifying opportunities to improve activities characteristic of humanistic management in Polish enterprises.

The purpose of the study is to conduct an empirical assessment of how employees perceive sustainable business model practices within Polish companies operating across the manufacturing, trade, and service industries. The novelty of the study lies in incorporating the perspective of employees as key stakeholders and in comparing evaluations of sustainability practices across industries and enterprises of different sizes. The analysis is based on a three-dimensional model of sustainable development practices, encompassing the green economy, the social dimension, and employee development, whose structure was previously confirmed through factor analysis. The study involved 231 employees representing enterprises of various sizes, and the data was collected using a validated measurement instrument. Statistical analyses, including Kruskal–Wallis tests and linear regression models, revealed that employees rate initiatives related to employee development the highest, followed by social practices, while green economy initiatives receive the lowest evaluations. The perception of practices varies by industry and enterprise size, while seniority and position are of limited importance. The results highlight the differentiated perception of sustainability initiatives within organizations and indicate areas requiring strengthening, particularly regarding environmental actions. The article provides practical guidance for designing sustainability strategies and HR policies and serves as a foundation for further research on employees’ perceptions of sustainable development practices.

The study aims to empirically analyze employees' perceptions of sustainable business model practices in Polish enterprises operating in the manufacturing, trade, and service sectors. The study is based on a three-dimensional model of sustainable development practices, encompassing the green economy, the social dimension, and employee development, whose structure was previously confirmed through factor analysis. The study involved 231 employees representing enterprises of various sizes, and the data were collected using a validated measurement instrument. Statistical analyses, including Kruskal–Wallis tests and linear regression models, revealed that employees rate initiatives related to employee development the highest, followed by social practices, while green economy initiatives receive the lowest evaluations. The perception of practices varies by industry and enterprise size, while seniority and position are of limited importance. The results highlight the differentiated perception of sustainability initiatives within organizations and indicate areas requiring strengthening, particularly regarding environmental actions. The article provides practical guidance for designing sustainability strategies and HR policies and also serves as a foundation for further research on employees’ perceptions of sustainable development practices.

Objective: The research aimed to answer questions on how students evaluate the external conditions for starting a business in Poland, what variables differentiate their perceptions and whether these evaluations change over time. Research Design & Methods: The surveys were conducted in the years 2016–2017 (517 people) and 2022–2023 (382 people) on a sample of students at the Lublin University of Technology using the same survey questionnaire. The following statistical methods were used to develop the results: descriptive statistics, factor analysis and the Mann-Whitney U test. Findings: The research revealed the existence of four barriers to entrepreneurial development: legal, labour market, financial, and market. The barriers identified were rated higher in study one. Additionally, a pandemic barrier was diagnosed in group two. In the first study, work experience proved to be the variable that most differentiated the assessment of the barrier. The second is the area and level of study and entrepreneurial tradition. Implications / Recommendations: The research shows that both studies identified analogous categories of barriers but with a slightly different structure. The assessments of the perception of business conditions made by the surveyed student-potential entrepreneurs are complemented by the opinions of already operating entrepreneurs on the impact of the external environment on entrepreneurship development. Knowledge acquired through education and professional work proved to be an important feature influencing the way barriers were assessed. These results can be helpful when making changes to educational programmes concerning business knowledge, internships and work placements. Contribution: Expanding and completing the knowledge of the perception of the impact of external conditions on entrepreneurship development.

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in sustainable business models. Through their development, companies can increase their presence in the global market, contributing to a more responsible use of its resources. Sustainable business model development plays a significant role in motivating companies to innovate towards sustainability and is a powerful driver of market competitiveness. This article aims to present the concepts and elements of sustainable business models in the context of literature research and to analyze their implementation in Polish companies by defining the scope of activities for the economy, environment, and society. The research included a comparative analysis of the academic literature on sustainable business models and an analysis of empirical research conducted on a nationwide sample of 231 Polish small, medium, and large enterprises operating across the country. A diagnostic survey method using a survey questionnaire was used. They were most concerned with the ‘green economy’ area, followed by the social area and those related to staff personal development. Companies of different sizes have integrated the dimensions of TBL differently, depending on their perception and interpretation of economic, social, and environmental activities. This integration level determines the strategies that companies adopt, appropriate to the objectives set and the resources available.

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to determine the level of application of sustainable human resource management practices in Polish companies. Material and methods: The research was conducted on a nationwide sample of 231 companies using a survey questionnaire covering five...

This chapter presents an innovative self-assessment test for sustainable development competence and its innovative implementation in higher-level managerial education. The literature review identifies a set of competencies for sustainable development, which includes collaboration competency, critical thinking, self-awareness, anticipatory thinking, problem-solving, strategic thinking, systems thinking, and normative competence. A research tool constructed on the basis of these competencies and consisting of a self-assessment questionnaire was tested in a survey of 184 undergraduate students majoring in management at the Lublin University of Technology. Respondents gave the highest ratings to their competencies in collaboration competency, critical thinking, self-awareness, and anticipatory thinking, while problem-solving and strategic thinking were the lowest-scoring competencies. There is a statistically significant difference between the highest and lowest-rated competencies. As the results show, subject content and didactic methods can be modified/supplemented based on the results of the student self-assessment test. Together with teachers' assessments, these measurements provide insight into individual students' competencies, highlighting areas for improvement. The sustainability assessment test can be applied to other faculties of the same university or to other universities. It has a universal character, as the concept of sustainable development permeates every aspect of human knowledge and action.

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) permeates the curricula of various fields of study at many universities. The aim of the article is to present the assessment of the students at the Lublin University of Technology in the field of Electrical Engineering on the importance of individual dimensions of CSR, with particular emphasis on the environmental dimension. The method used in the study is a diagnostic survey conducted among students of full-time first- and second-cycle studies. The research was carried out using a questionnaire based on the four-dimensional model of CSR developed by Carroll and was extended to the environmental dimension. The tool consists of 60 statements divided into 12 groups. Each group contains five statements—one for each of the distinguished CSR components. The hierarchy of CSR dimensions in both surveyed groups is analogous (economic, legal, ethical, philanthropic, and environmental dimensions). The study groups differed, however, in their assessment of the importance of the legal and ethical dimensions. Bilateral comparisons of individual dimensions in the group of second-cycle students revealed fewer differences than in the group of first-cycle students, which proves that the links between different categories of the company’s stakeholders and obligations toward them are more clearly perceived by the group of second-cycle students. The conclusions from the research make it possible to recommend universities to include in their curricula content aimed at better preparing graduates to undertake CSR activities.

In 2021, the European Commission set out the direction of changes in the field of European enterprise activities by establishing the principles of Industry 5.0. One of the indicated directions was the implementation of sustainable development principles in European industry. The aim of this article is to examine the level and nature of competences in the field of sustainable development among students at two Lublin universities: the Lublin University of Technology and the University of Life Sciences in Lublin. This is to enable the assessment of students’ preparation for the implementation of sustainable development principles in their future professional activities. The research sought to determine the relationship between the type of university and the competences of students, through the self-assessment of competences. The conceptualization and operationalization of competences in the field of sustainable development was based on the de Haan and Cebrian models, respectively. The tool used was the author’s own questionnaire based on the self-assessment of 25 statements, grouped into five areas of competence: knowledge, action, values and ethics, emotions and systems thinking. The results of the study confirmed differences between students in the areas of knowledge and activity. However, a relationship between the type of university and self-esteem in areas related to systemic thinking, emotions, and ethics and values was not found. Various self-assessment patterns (clusters) were observed in individual areas among the respondents. Differences in the assessment of the statements indicated the existence of factors that influenced responses. The results of the study confirmed the usefulness of the tool in identifying competency gaps of students based on which the tool can be recommended for use in the design of study programs.