Entrepreneurship is considered one of the key factors in facilitating a company’s pursuit of sustainable development. The findings of this study can help firms improve their entrepreneurial capacity and highlight its significance for sustainable development; therefore, the levels of entrepreneurship serve as indicators of the potentials of enterprises to achieve sustainable development goals. The existing literature has explored whether there are differences in the approaches between family and non-family firms as well as in their levels of entrepreneurship. Contributing to this ongoing debate, this article aims to compare the levels of entrepreneurship between these two types of companies in a selected small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. The analysis encompasses eight dimensions of entrepreneurship: risk-taking, innovativeness, proactiveness, inter-organizational cooperation, competitiveness, diversification, flexibility, and digitalization. This study was conducted on a sample of 145 small printing companies that operated in Poland in 2023. The results of the statistical analysis revealed that family firms exhibited a higher level of entrepreneurship when treated as a multidimensional construct. Moreover, family firms outperformed non-family firms across all of the analyzed dimensions, with statistically significant differences being observed in four dimensions: innovativeness, proactiveness, diversification, and competitiveness. This study confirmed the existing indications in the literature that family firms demonstrated higher levels of entrepreneurship, which may suggest their greater potential in pursuing sustainable development. The novelty of this research lies in its multidimensional approach, which offers a comprehensive analysis that integrates eight dimensions of entrepreneurship. This allowed for a deeper understanding of entrepreneurial behaviors and attitudes when highlighting the unique characteristics of family and non-family firms. The findings are particularly relevant for the owners and managers of family and non-family businesses; they provide tools for diagnosing entrepreneurship levels in a more comprehensive manner and applying tailored management practices for addressing areas that require improvement. One limitation of this study is its focus on a single sector; this may have affected the generalizability of the results. Future research could explore governance and ownership structures when analyzing entrepreneurial dimensions—particularly in the context of family firms.
This study analyzed 350 companies based in the Śląskie Province that received financial aid to avoid the negative impacts of COVID-19. This study focused on the structure of companies receiving public support due to their business being at risk of negative impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of the amount and type of support. It also classified industries by the amount of subsidy. When analyzing the available data, the Kruskal–Wallis test was applied, which is a nonparametric equivalent of the one-way analysis of variance. It was used to test whether the selected factors significantly affect the values of individual measures. Although the amounts of subsidies received vary, they have contributed to preserving at-risk jobs due to the public health crisis and maintaining the competitiveness of affected micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
30 June 2024 in International Entrepreneurship Review
Objective: The objective of the article is to compare the available digitalisation indexes in the EU (European Union) and Pacific Asia. The first step to tackling the between-country digital gap is to measure digital development. However, the available indexes differ substantially in terms of construction, metric used, and the areas they cover. Research Design & Methods: The first part of the study is a descriptive analysis of the scope and metrics used by three digitalisation indexes: digital economy and society index (DESI), ASEAN digital integration index (ADII) and digital intelligence index (DII). In the second part, we approach the problem from a quantitative perspective, using correlation coefficients and comparing countries’ rankings obtained using different indexes. Lastly, we performed clustering analysis with the use of an agglomerative algorithm with Euclidean distances and the Ward method. The data covers 13 countries from the Pacific Asia and 24 from the EU. Findings: We found that the specifications of indexes differ considerably, not only in the choice of particular metrics but in whole digitalisation areas. Some indexes include overall economic or social development measures that are not strictly related to the digital sphere. Despite that, for countries covered by two indexes, we found high correlations of scores: 0.932 between ADII and DII, and 0.883 between DII and DESI. Comparing rankings and using clustering analysis, we found that the indexes for Pacific Asia are more similar than for the EU, possibly because Asian countries are more heterogeneous both in digital and economic development. Implications & Recommendations: Any study of the digital divide and its causes is affected by the choice of digitalisation measure. We found that DII and ADII indexes include some socio-economic metrics that may interfere with the results in the studies of the links between economic and digital development. Although the indexes’ scores are quite highly correlated, in some cases, they can judge a country’s development very differently. This is a problem, especially in the EU, where countries are more similar in digital development than in Pacific Asia. Contribution & Value Added: The study compares digitalisation indexes from a quantitative perspective that has not yet been established in the literature. It shows how different indexes perform in ranking and clustering procedures. Researchers can use our article as a guide in choosing digitalisation indexes for the EU and ASEAN countries.
The effectiveness of national energy transitions increasingly depends on public support for state-led measures; yet little is known about societal expectations regarding government assistance for renewable energy-oriented businesses. This study examines public expectations regarding state support for renewable-energy-oriented enterprises in Poland. Using a nationwide survey of 1000 adults (N = 974 valid responses), we developed a latent construct measuring attitudes toward pro-RES business policies. Overall public support is high (M = 3.73; median = 3.86). Women express significantly stronger support than men (median 3.86 vs. 3.71), and Baby Boomers score higher than younger generations (median 4.00 vs. 3.57–3.71). The most notable differences relate to respondents’ experience with RES: Individuals already using renewable energy at home report substantially higher support (M = 4.03) than non-users (M = 3.67). Similarly, those planning to adopt RES within three years show stronger approval (M = 4.07) compared with those not planning adoption (M = 3.43). Education, income, and place of residence do not significantly differentiate attitudes. The findings indicate broadly favorable public sentiment toward state-led support for green entrepreneurship, especially among specific demographic groups and those personally engaged in RES. These insights provide actionable guidance for designing socially legitimate and politically robust sustainability policies.
Fruit production is a high environmental impact sector, requiring sustainable strategies that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improve resource efficiency, and maintain fruit quality. This study assessed the environmental performance of innovative substrates with biodegradable additives and organic binders in tunnel-grown raspberry production. The functional unit was 1 kg of marketable fruit, and the experiment was conducted in Karwia, Poland. GHG emissions were calculated for eight substrate variants following ISO 14040 and 14041 guidelines. The baseline was coconut fiber, while modified variants included the additions of sunflower husk biochar and/or a wood-industry isolate, representing sustainable strategies in soilless cultivation. Emissions ranged from 0.728 to 1.226 kg CO2 eq/kg of raspberries, with the control showing the highest values. All modified substrates (produced based on a mixture of biochar and isolate) reduced emissions, with the most efficient variant achieving nearly a 40% decrease. Water use efficiency was decisive, as consumption declined from 2744 m3/ha (control) to 1838 m3/ha in improved variants. Substrate air–water properties proved critical for both environmental and economic outcomes. The findings confirm that substrate modification constitutes an effective, sustainable strategy for raspberry production under high tunnels, supporting climate-smart horticulture and resource-efficient food systems.
Monografia Polacy w podróży po pandemii. Motywacje, uwarunkowania i wzorce aktywności turystycznej stanowi pogłębioną analizę międzynarodowej mobilności turystycznej mieszkańców Polski w momencie przełomu – pomiędzy okresem sprzed pandemii COVID-19 a fazą odbudowy sektora turystycznego. Celem opracowania jest nie tylko identyfikacja skali i kierunków zmian w uczestnictwie w wyjazdach zagranicznych, lecz przede wszystkim zrozumienie mechanizmów determinujących te zmiany. Analiza opiera się na reprezentatywnych, jednostkowych mikrodanych Głównego Urzędu Statystycznego pochodzących z badania „Uczestnictwo mieszkańców Polski (rezydentów) w podróżach (PKZ)”, dotąd niepublikowanych w tak szerokim ujęciu analitycznym. Zastosowanie zaawansowanych metod statystycznych – w tym regresji logistycznej, drzew decyzyjnych oraz modeli wielopoziomowych – umożliwiło wielowymiarową ocenę zróżnicowania aktywności turystycznej Polaków z uwzględnieniem cech społeczno-demograficznych, celu podróży, długości pobytu i sposobu organizacji wyjazdu. Szczególne miejsce w monografii zajmuje porównanie lat 2019 i 2023, symbolizujących odpowiednio „stary” i „nowy” porządek mobilności turystycznej, a także osadzenie wyników w szerszym kontekście Unii Europejskiej. Uzyskane rezultaty wskazują na wzrost selektywności wyjazdów zagranicznych oraz utrzymujące się nierówności mobilności w warunkach rosnącej niepewności społeczno-ekonomicznej. Monografia wnosi istotny wkład do badań nad transformacją turystyki po pandemii, dostarczając zarówno wartości poznawczej, jak i praktycznych rekomendacji dla polityki turystycznej i planowania rozwoju sektora.