Currently, companies in the energy sector are focus on sustainable growth, although they face many challenges, including the peculiarities of their operations. One of the features of companies in the energy sector is the need for effective communication with the media and the public. This is of paramount importance due to the current trends and challenges in the energy sector, the market requirements and the low level of development in such companies. The object of this study invovles the employees of the communication departments of energy sector companies, while the subject is the intensification of their activities based on the use of motivational tools. The authors chose the tools of the game theory, which is a game that the company and employees of the project team engage in when implementing information and communication projects. The study developed a method for motivating the employees of communication departments, which based on the game theory, allows the formation of many possible parameters of the optimal structure of fixed and commission remuneration payments for the employees to maximize their utility, depending on the propensity or unwillingness of these employees to take risks, which contributes to the development of staff motivation tools. This method was applied to the activities of several Ukrainian energy companies. The proposed approach differs from the existing ones based on the opportunity to intensify the activity of the employees of the communication departments, taking into account their willingness to take risks in each case, and will increase the interest of such personnel in the effective implementation of each stage of the information and communication project, better meet the needs of the end-users and ultimately affect the sustainable growth of energy companies.

Purpose. To study the impact of digital maturity of energy enterprises on achieving the effects of sustainable development in the conditions of the fourth industrial revolution. Methodology. The study on energy enterprises economic efficiency was based on the results of a statistical analysis of their activity economic indicators and a macroeconomic analysis of the prerequisites for the digitalization of Ukrainian energy companies, as well as considering the results of an analytical study of foreign companies digital transformation. The application of the benchmarking method made it possible to highlight the best examples of digital changes of energy companies in the field of sustainable development. The generalization method made it possible to point out the effects of digitization of sustainable development for energy companies. Findings. Effectiveness of energy enterprises due to the implementation of digital transformation is reasoned, which allows achieving the effect of sustainable development by ensuring environmental, economic, and social development. Based on the calculation of economic efficiency values, the most efficient energy enterprise was determined, whose activity is characterized by the highest level of digital transformations aimed at achieving the goals of sustainable development. Originality. The dependence between the level of digital maturity of energy enterprises and their economic efficiency is substantiated. The spheres of energy enterprises activity have been established, whose efficiency and importance increases with the level of digitalization. The technical characteristics of energy enterprises digitalization in the spheres of implementation of sustainable development goals, namely economic, social, and environmental ones, are highlighted. Practical value. The main directions of energy enterprises activity have been determined based on the selection of the effects of sustainable development, which are achieved thanks to digitalization. The efficiency of the enterprise because of digitalization is substantiated, considering the directions of sustainable development.

Circular Economy in the European Union: Organisational Practice and Future Directions in Germany, Poland and Spain presents the EU's journey towards a circular economy (CE), identifying significant organisational practices in this gradually adopted field among member countries. The book also aims to develop and propose innovative initiatives and practices for implementing CE across various economic sectors in selected EU countries, such as Poland, Spain and Germany. Covering topics which include the implementation of CE in the EU and worldwide, green employee behaviors, corporate social responsibility in creating pro-environmental attitudes and models of eco-digital factory transformation in SMEs, the book emphasises the importance of innovative, environmentally friendly, low-waste, and low-emission technologies. Consisting of thirteen interconnected chapters, it discusses the challenges and opportunities of CE, the importance of business engagement in addressing social and environmental problems, and provides practical examples of innovative solutions in various sectors. This volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of circular economy, corporate governance, business ethics and sustainable business, as well as entrepreneurs, managers, government representatives, and non-governmental organisations active in CE. <!----> <!----> <!----> <!---->

The functioning of Ukrainian national gas sector is directly dependent on the processes of fuel and energy resources consumption and trends in domestic and foreign markets. Nowadays, the majority of approaches and methods are formed with the obligatory use of expert assessment methods, which, in its turn, predetermines relatively subjective judgments and results. In the process of conducting a comprehensive analysis of financial and economic indicators and those reflecting the results of economic activity of gas distribution network operators functioning in the western region of Ukraine, the following approaches have been used in our study with the involvement of: Altman’s two-factor model; Altman’s five-factor model; Lis’s bankruptcy prediction model; Richard Taffler’s model; Beaver’s coefficient; Tereshchenko’s model and Matviychuk’s model; however, the existing models for diagnosing bankruptcy of enterprises are characterized by ambiguity; as for example, if Lis’s model indicates a low bankruptcy level, then other models prove the opposite situation; domestic diagnostic models need to be improved, as they were developed in the early 2000s and disregard current trends in functioning of enterprises. Since the existing models for diagnosing the bankruptcy of enterprises are characterized by ambiguity, the authors proposed and approbate their own approach to determining the level of competitiveness of gas distribution network operators. A feature of the proposed methodology is taking into account modern trends in the functioning of enterprises, taking into account the peculiarities of the activities of gas distribution network operators, and the market stage. A tangible advantage of this approach is the ability to identify the presence or likelihood of critical events at an early stage.