Anna Biniek-Poskart

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of contemporary demographic trends, such as population aging, generational diversity, and migration, on management practices within organizations, with particular emphasis on Poland and selected Central and Eastern European countries. Design/methodology/approach: The study combines a narrative literature review with a bibliometric analysis based on the Web of Science and Scopus databases (over 950 publications from 2000 to 2025), using VOSviewer software. The co-occurrence analysis of keywords enabled the identification of thematic clusters, dominant research directions, and existing research gaps. Findings: The results indicate a deepening process of population aging, especially in Central and Eastern European countries, and its implications for human resource management— particularly in the areas of leadership and knowledge transfer among employees of diverse age and cultural backgrounds. Additionally, the study identified a lack of connections between demographic research and management practice. Research limitations/implications: The study has a regional scope, focusing on selected countries in the CEE region and utilizing data from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. It is recommended that future research extend the analysis to other regions and include empirical studies. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the discussion on the relationship between demographic processes and organizational management by combining narrative and bibliometric approaches and by identifying research gaps that are crucial for further in-depth exploration of this topic.

Considering the rapid global shift towards electric mobility and the growing importance of life-cycle assessments (LCAs) in policy and investment decisions, a critical examination of the methodological challenges and broader implications of electric vehicle (EV) life-cycle assessments is both timely and necessary. While numerous studies have assessed the environmental impacts of EVs using LCA, there remains a lack of consolidated insight into how methodological inconsistencies, particularly in system boundaries, functional units, and data sources, affect the comparability and policy relevance of results. This article addresses this gap by presenting a narrative review of LCA applied to EVs, with a focus on methodological approaches and environmental impact categories. The review aims to synthesize current knowledge, identify prevailing research trends, and highlight key methodological challenges in the LCA of EVs. A structured search was conducted using the Scopus database, initially yielding 1926 publications through a broad search strategy. To improve relevance and reduce the number of marginally related articles, the search was refined to include only article titles, resulting in 187 studies selected for detailed analysis. The VOSviewer software was employed to perform bibliometric and co-occurrence analysis, revealing key clusters in the literature related to battery production, electricity mix, and recycling.

This article discusses the potential of using computer-simulation methods in processes such as thermal waste conversion, i.e., pyrolysis, gasification, combustion and torrefaction. These methods are gaining in importance, among others, due to the difficulties in execution and high costs associated with conducting experimental research in real conditions or the need to obtain detailed data on the phenomenon under study in a relatively short time. Computer simulation also allows for numerous errors to be avoided, such as those that may occur during optimization activities, the effects of which may have serious consequences, both economic and environmental. In addition to their many advantages, the limitations and disadvantages of using computer-simulation methods were also indicated, mainly related to the interpretation and validation of the results obtained using modelling. Owing to the complexity of the phenomena occurring during thermal conversion, special attention was focused on models based on chemical kinetics, thanks to which it is possible to predict the quantitative and qualitative composition of products in these processes. The aim of this research is to identify the research gap in the field of issues related to models of chemical kinetics of thermal waste conversion processes.

The appropriate localisation and mapping of knowledge resources in an enterprise is a necessary element for efficient knowledge management. This requires appropriate motivation on the part of employees and a number of actions on the part of managers. Looking to address this very issue, what follows presents an analysis of the process of mapping and locating knowledge resources in a selected company: one of the branches of an international company belonging to the automotive industry, located in Poland, was selected as the research object. The results of the research were used to develop proposals for solutions to improve the knowledge management system. Therefore, the aim of this publication is to diagnose the functioning of the knowledge transfer system on the example of the selected enterprise, based on an initial proprietary pilot study. Właściwa lokalizacja i mapowanie zasobów wiedzy w przedsiębiorstwie są niezbędnymi elementami efektywnego zarządzania wiedzą. Wymaga to odpowiedniej motywacji ze strony pracowników i szeregu działań ze strony menedżerów. W artykule przedstawiono analizę procesu mapowania i lokalizacji zasobów wiedzy na przykładzie wybranego przedsiębiorstwa. Jako obiekt badań wybrano jeden z oddziałów międzynarodowej firmy z branży motoryzacyjnej, zlokalizowany w Polsce. Wyniki badań posłużyły do opracowania propozycji rozwiązań usprawniających system zarządzania wiedzą. Celem publikacji jest diagnoza funkcjonowania systemu transferu wiedzy na przykładzie wybranego przedsiębiorstwa, w oparciu o wstępne, autorskie badanie pilotażowe.

The main goal of the study was to assess the possibility of practical use of products of pyrolysis of refuse-derived fuel (RDF), i.e., pyrolysis gas, biochar and pyrolysis oil, as an alternative to standard fossil fuels. The subject matter of the paper reaches out to the challenges faced by the global economy, not only in the context of the energy crisis, but also in the context of the energy transformation currently beginning in Europe. The increase in fuel and energy prices prompts countries to look for alternative solutions to Russian minerals. At the same time, the growing amount of municipal waste forces the implementation of solutions based on energy recovery (the amount of municipal waste per EU inhabitant in 2021 is 530 kg). One such solution is pyrolysis of RDF, i.e., fuels produced from the over-sieve fraction of municipal waste. In Poland, insufficient processing capacity of thermal waste conversion plants has led to significant surpluses of RDF (1.2 million Mg of undeveloped RDF in Poland in 2021). RDF, due to their high calorific value, can be a valuable energy resource (16–18 MJ/k). This issue is analyzed in this study.

This review presented a comprehensive analysis of recent developments in research regarding the use of lignocellulosic biomass products in the iron and steel industry. The role of lignocellulosic biomass used as a source of energy as well as reducing agents in iron and steel sector in the era of energy crisis served as the foundation for this review. Attention has been paid to different biomass characteristics as well as pretreatment methods and conversion products of biomass. The present review also included some issues of energy management system in the steel industry. Furthermore, the possibilities of replacing fossil energy carriers with lignocellulosic biomass in the steel and iron industry was reviewed focusing on advantages, challenges, and future prospects. The present process and product quality criteria, which biomass-derived fuels must also meet, was discussed. This paper compiled the most current developments in biomass metallurgical research to serve as a source for the theoretical foundation as well as for the development of practical applications. The novelty of this study lies in the comprehensive discussion of the lignocellulosic biomass application in the iron and steel industry that are so far unpublished.

The aim of the article is to analyse the impact of selected conditions on the use of municipal solid waste in energy production processes. The authors in this publication indicated that the factors determining the effective use of solid municipal waste may be, in particular, formal and legal conditions, methods used in the processes of thermal waste transformation, recovery logistics or emergency situations such as pandemics or armed conflicts. Their knowledge can be very useful in the processes of the effective use of municipal waste for the production of thermal energy, especially in the current period of the energy crisis faced by most EU countries. This paper also emphasizes the importance of RDF (refuse-derived fuel) for the thermal energy sector, which can be used both in large combustion plants and in less powerful facilities, including local heating and combined heat and power plants as an alternative to traditional fossil fuels. The article was prepared by means of the systematic literature review (SLR) method, utilising the Scopus database and secondary sources.

This paper presents an assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the waste management sector, and then, based on laboratory tests and computer calculations, indicates how to effectively manage selected waste generated during the pandemic. Elemental compositions—namely, C, H, N, S, Cl, and O—were determined as part of the laboratory tests, and the pyrolysis processes of the above wastes were analysed using the TGA technique. The calculations were performed for a pilot pyrolysis reactor with a continuous flow of 240 kg/h in the temperature range of 400–900 °C. The implemented calculation model was experimentally verified for the conditions of the refuse-derived fuel (RDF) pyrolysis process. As a result of the laboratory tests and computer simulations, comprehensive knowledge was obtained about the pyrolysis of protective masks, with particular emphasis on the gaseous products of this process. The high calorific value of the pyrolysis gas, amounting to approx. 47.7 MJ/m³, encourages the management of plastic waste towards energy recovery. The proposed approach may be helpful in the initial assessment of the possibility of using energy from waste, depending on its elemental composition, as well as in the assessment of the environmental effects.

The article presents the possibilities of effective management of lignocellulosic waste by including it in the circular economy. The pyrolysis process was chosen as the thermal conversion method. This approach, due to a high flexibility of the obtained products, better quality of the solid residue (char), and the lower emission of pollutants into the atmosphere, e.g., SO₂ and NO_x, is a competitive solution compared to combustion process. Wood waste from alder and pine were analyzed. As part of laboratory tests, the elementary composition was determined, i.e., C, H, N, S, and O. The pyrolysis process was carried out at a temperature of 600 °C on an experimental stand for the conversion of solid fuels in a stationary bed. For the obtained data, using the Ansys Chemkin-Pro calculation tool, the detailed chemical composition of gaseous products of the pyrolysis process was modeled for a varying temperature range and residence time in the reactor. The studies have shown that for certain process conditions it is possible to obtain a high calorific value of pyrolytic gas, up to 25 MJ/m³.

Przedstawiono rozważania teoretyczne w zakresie podejścia do gospodarki odpadami z tworzyw sztucznych powstałymi w czasie pandemii Covid-19. Jako najbardziej obiecującą metodę bezpiecznej utylizacji odpadów stanowiących środki ochrony indywidualnej (maseczki, rękawiczki jednorazowe) wskazano pirolizę, która w porównaniu ze spalaniem cechuje się mniejszą emisją zanieczyszczeń do atmosfery. Dodatkowym argumentem przemawiającym za stosowaniem pirolizy do unieszkodliwiania tego rodzaju odpadów (głównie maseczek chirurgicznych) jest powstawanie z nich dużych ilości paliw płynnych i gazowych, ze względu na dużą zawartość w nich polipropylenu.