Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Oeconomia

CROSS-BORDER ACTIVITY OF RESIDENTS OF BORDER REGIONS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION (A CASE STUDY OF LITHUANIANS IN THE POLISH BORDER MARKET)

Iwona Batyk — 2023-12-31

Aim: The study analyzes the cross-border activity of Lithuanians in the Polish border market and the sociodemographic factors determining such activity. Methods: A total of 328 respondents participated in interviews conducted from December 2022 to January 2023. Non-parametric tests were used to analyze the data. The research questions included in this study are as follows – Q1: What are the preferred areas of cross-border activity of Lithuanian residents in the Polish border market?; Q2: What socio-demographic factors determine the cross-border activity of Lithuanian residents in the Polish border market? Results: The results show that the respondents were most active in border trade, tourism, and social relations between regional residents. Age, place of residence, and household size had no significant effect on any of the analyzed areas of cross-border activity of Lithuanians in the Polish border market. Education, professional status, and monthly income had a statistically significant effect on cross-border trade activity, while tourism was significantly statistically affected by gender and education. Conclusions: Cross-border activity fosters the development of border trade and tourism, as well as the creation of links between local communities living in border areas that strengthen neighborly relations. Border trade should encourage entrepreneurs to seek innovative and socially responsible practices that support the sustainable economic development of a country or region. The study provides evidence in the context of realizing cross-border activity that supports residents of border regions in adapting to dynamically changing geopolitical conditions.

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN THE GREEN ATTITUDES OF CONSUMERS FROM DIFFERENT AGE GENERATIONS – INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS

Krzysztof Błoński — 2023-12-31

Aim: To aim of this paper is to identify similarities and differences in the pro-environmental attitudes of consumers from different countries, as well as being representatives of different age cohorts. Methods: The analyses are based on the results of surveys conducted in four European countries (Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Poland). An international quantitative survey using the author’s survey questionnaire was conducted using the CAWI technique on a sample of a total of 2,566 respondents. Association rules, which are among the data mining tools used to build descriptive models, were used in the data analysis. Results: The results presented in this study allow us to distinguish patterns of behavior in terms of pro-environmental attitudes and actions, as well as similarities and differences by age and place of residence in this respect. Respondents from older age groups (i.e., ‘Baby Boomers’ and ‘Generation X’) are significantly more likely to declare taking pro-environmental actions than respondents from younger age groups (i.e., ‘Generation Y’ and ‘Generation Z’). The opposite situation can be observed in the case of negative answers regarding taking pro-environmental actions. Conclusions: The authors of the study believe that the study should be repeated to check whether the declared attitudes and behaviors are the result of a specific situation that differs from other periods (the study was carried out during a pandemic) or whether they are of a constant nature, allowing us to see differences in consumer behavior between age groups and countries. Another possible direction under consideration for further research is to analyze the undecided group in more detail in order to determine the reasons for this.

A STUDY ON THE SPATIAL DIFFERENTIATION OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND TOURIST SITUATION OF SELECTED MUNICIPALITIES OF THE WEST POMERANIAN VOIVODESHIP

Agnieszka Brelik — 2023-12-31

Aim: The aim of the article was to develop an original classification of municipalities in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with particular emphasis on measuring local development, taking into account the development of health tourism. Methods: The research procedure consisted of the following stages: collection of data and assessment of their completeness for the West Pomeranian region, calculating the values of the indicators, constructing rankings of municipalities in a one-dimensional space of characteristics-indicators and distinguishing typological groups of municipalities similar in terms of the degree of development of the socio-economic and tourist situation. The classification of sub-regions was carried out using discriminant analysis. For this purpose, the indicators characterizing the socio-economic and tourist situation in the selected West Pomeranian Voivodeship municipalities were used, taking into account the division into municipalities: urban (1), rural (2), and urban-rural (3). The preliminary classification of the objects into groups, and thus the selection of the grouping variable, was carried out using the k-means method. The study used secondary data from the Local Data Base – GUS. Results: As a result of the survey, the analyzed local government units were divided into three groups. However, the presented results of the classification do not indicate the dependence of the improvement of socio-economic characteristics on the provision of tourism services in the municipality (including health tourism). Conclusions: Empirical studies show that the placement of municipalities in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship reveals clear relationships between the territorial distribution of health tourism units and the territorial distribution of natural assets and access to the Baltic Sea.

RELATIONS BETWEEN AGRICULTURAL BUDGET POLICY AND FISCAL POLICY IN POLAND AFTER ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION (2004–2022)

Andrzej Czyżewski — 2023-12-31

Aim: The paper evaluates Poland’s budget policy towards agriculture through the prism of agricultural budget expenditure under the conditions of Poland’s membership in the European Union (EU). The volume and real dynamics of agricultural budget expenditure in relation to state budget expenditure were analyzed. An answer was sought to the question of whether the active or passive nature of budget policy toward agriculture is consistent with the state fiscal policy option (expansive or restrictive). Methods: The relatively long period of analysis (covering 19 years, 2004–2022) allows us to see trends in the formation of the level and structure of agricultural budget expenditure and state budget expenditure, as well as to determine their mutual relations. Simple statistical methods – structure and dynamic analysis – were used. Results: It is shown that the budget policy towards agriculture is characterized by a peculiar difference and independence from the state fiscal policy, which is mainly due to the great importance of the funds of the Common Agricultural Policy for the level and structure of agricultural budget expenditure. Conclusions: It was found that the level of support for agriculture in Poland from public funds (domestic and EU) in 2004–2022 was not directly dependent on the state budget situation. During the period, there were numerous changes in the state’s fiscal policy options and changes in the budget policy options towards agriculture, with these changes going in different directions quite often.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMALL BUSINESS PERFORMANCE DURING COVID-19: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES

Marek Matejun — 2023-12-31

Aim: The aim of the study is to explore the role of dynamic capabilities as a factor mediating the impact of owner-manager entrepreneurial characteristics on small business performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the literature review, 3 hypotheses were formulated, and a research model was built. Methods: To achieve the aim of the study, survey research was conducted on a random sample of 564 micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises from Poland and the Czech Republic. Results: The results indicate that the entrepreneurial characteristics of owner-managers have a significant and positive impact on small business performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. This impact is also mediated by the development of dynamic capabilities of the surveyed SMEs. Within these characteristics, strategic thinking expressed in a coherent vision of business development and a strong motivation to achieve business success played a special role. Also important was courage and effectiveness in dealing with challenges and unforeseen market situations, as well as open-mindedness and creativity in developing and implementing new projects and ways of doing things. The results also provide in-depth insights for understanding the formation of a resource-based approach in small businesses. It significantly determines the strategic success, internationalization, and innovation of this category of businesses in dynamic and uncertain business environments. Conclusions: The conclusions from this study enrich the theory of entrepreneurship by explaining the complex role of entrepreneurs in small business resilience under crisis situations. They also provide important conclusions for understanding the development of the resource approach of SME sector companies in dynamic and uncertain business environments, as well as for the development of prospective entrepreneurial education programs.

FINANCIAL AND MATERIAL EFFECTS OF SME INVESTMENTS UNDER OPERATIONAL PROGRAMS IN 2014–2020 IN POLAND

Iwona Pomianek — 2023-12-31

Aim: The importance of SMEs for the Polish economy, their financial condition, and the rules of allocating EU funds to beneficiaries raise the question of the effects of SMEs’ participation in the EU regional policy support. As the matter has not been investigated from the financial perspective of 2014–2020 so far, the study aims to fill this gap. Method: The database included 5679 investments carried out by SMEs located in Mazovian Voivodeship, Poland. The qualitative data included inter alia, information on the main beneficiary type, the exact location and title of the project, the name of the operational program, and its priority and action. Quantitative data included the total value of the investment as well as the value of qualified costs and EU funding. Standard qualitative data analysis (QDA) was applied to analyze the textual information of the entries, while descriptive statistics and comparative analysis were used to make conclusions based on the quantitative data. Results: SMEs in Mazovian Voivodeship (Poland) were very active beneficiaries of operational programs in 2014–2020, which is confirmed by the main financial and quantitative effects of their investment activity. As of March 31, 2023, the total value generated in projects by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises equaled 10.5 billion PLN. The SMEs’ investments covered a wide range of topics, supporting both the development of enterprises themselves and, at the same time, the social, economic, and environmental development at the local and regional levels. However, some of the actions under operational programs supported this sector during COVID-19 to enable its survival and further functioning. Conclusions: All three subcategories of SMEs, i.e., micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Mazovian Voivodeship, benefitted from the EU support, carrying out projects of different values, scopes and thematic profiles, irrespective of their legal form.

STRATEGIC PROGRAMMING IN POLAND – CHANGES WITHIN HISTORICAL PERIODS

Janina Sawicka — 2023-12-31

Aim: The article aims to assess the dynamics and consequences of different periods on planning and development strategies as well as perturbation of the political system transformations, different governments, and the effect of election cycles. Methods: A review of the literature and the use of statistical analysis for synthesis and conclusions was conducted. The sources of materials were various: theoretical literature, legal acts, government documents, plans and strategies, and statistical data from GUS and Eurostat. Results: A comprehensive long-term period overview of changes in strategic programming in Poland was completed. The time frame of the study includes the period between 1918–1939, the centrally planned economy after World War II, the process of political transformation in 1989, and the economic and institutional transformation in the 1990s, up to the period after accession to the EU in 2004. Conclusions: Strategic programming in Poland within the EU is an important instrument for allocating public funds to directions and objectives adopted commonly by all member states and European Institutions. The last 8 years have shown how the policies of one government can affect the system in a state with unstable institutions guarding democratic values. Further reform of the economy is necessary both for the needs of developing strategic planning and, in the short term, primarily to meet the requirements necessary to unlock structural funds from the KPO.

DURABLE GOODS IN URBAN HOUSEHOLDS OF SILVER SINGLES IN POLAND

Tomasz Zalega — 2023-12-31

Aim: The purpose of this article is to provide some insight into what home infrastructure is present in single seniors’ households. It can be concluded that their home infrastructure is constantly improving, as directly reflected in a better satisfaction of their perceived needs. Methods: The research was conducted in two stages in 2018–2022. In the first of the planned stages, the survey was carried out on a sample of 3,167 silver singles in the period from 1 February to 30 October 2018 and from 1 May to 30 October 2019. The second stage lasted from 1 March to 30 September 2021 and then from 6 February to 30 September 2022 and covered a sample of 3,834 elderly people living alone. In accordance with the research assumptions, the sample included only single people aged 65 and older who took independent consumer decisions on the market. Results: In the analyzed period, the situation of single seniors’ households regarding the possession of almost all durable goods improved, which undoubtedly stems from the fact that these goods are more common and available, e.g., through easily obtainable loans and decreasing product prices. When analyzing home appliances present in silver singles’ households, it can be seen that households tend to replace the existing equipment with new appliances and purchase completely new, previously unknown products. The analysis of the infotainment equipment possessed by silver singles indicates a lower degree of its presence than that of home appliances. Conclusions: In the context of the obtained results, it can be stated that the surveyed households of single elderly people are increasingly better equipped with home appliances, infotainment equipment, and means of transport. This undoubtedly translates into the level at which the needs regarding durable goods are satisfied. The research findings indicate that in both stages, seniors actively attending U3A courses better assess the level of satisfaction of their needs regarding durable goods more frequently than members of parochial clubs.