Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between organizational learning (OL) and business sustainability (BS) and to carry out its empirical examination. Design/methodology/approach: Extensive literature research was carried out. Then, an empirical study was conducted in 694 Polish and Danish companies. Two phenomena related to OL were adopted: OL processes and organizational learning capability (OLC). BS was examined through the concept of sustainable performance (SP). Research models were tested using structural equation modeling. Findings: The empirical studies have shown a positive, statistically significant relationship between OL and BS. The research supports the view that the intensification of the OL processes is substantial for BS, whereas the OLC concept is less relevant to the development of BS. The effect of OL on total SP was stronger than on any SP dimension. OL supports the synergies of the results obtained by the organization for the benefit of BS. Research limitations/implications: The model verification is based on the samples from two countries, and, therefore, the hypothesis requires further verification in different business contexts. In addition, there are different factors influencing BS, which have not been included in the research and should be analyzed in the future. Originality/value: An in-depth, critical literature analysis shows that the theoretical foundation of the role of OL in shaping BS is fragmented and poorly empirically verified. The value of this paper is the presentation of large-scale empirical studies comparing the relationship between BS and two phenomena: OLC and the OL processes. The results obtained in the course of the research open up new research directions with respect to both the relationship between OL and BS as well as between OL and organizational performance.

The paper aims to analyse the relationship between different types of corporate strategy and open innovation in the contexts of the age, size and the operational range of enterprises. The research targeted companies in Poland that were surveyed from January to April, using traditional and electronic forms of a questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed based on a 5-point Likert scale. The level of “openness” of innovation processes in an enterprise was determined according to a 3-point scale, namely, a closed innovator, a hybrid or semi-open innovator, and an open innovator. The strategy implemented by an enterprise was classed into main three types used to achieve a competitive advantage, i.e. cost leadership, differentiation or diversification. There is a strong correlation between open innovations, the cost leadership strategy and the differentiation strategy (negative correlation). The relationship between the age, size and the range of a company and the opening of innovative processes was also observed. The research aims to fill the knowledge gap existing in the literature regarding the links between a particular type of strategy and the opening of innovation processes.

The article contributes to the discussion on the validity and ways of simplifying modern organisations. There is an increasing focus on simplifying organisations, especially their organisational structures. However, the environment of contemporary organisations is increasingly complex, dynamic and uncertain. Therefore, the postulate of simplicity seems to question Ashby’s law stating that one kind of variety must be balanced by a different kind of variety. To cope with the indicated discrepancy, it is assumed that the simplification of some elements of an organisation is only possible due to the excessive complexity of others. The paper aims to verify the concept of organisational simplexity developed by e Cunha and Rego, which postulates the fit between simple structural solutions, complex workforce and complex environment. However, organisational performance is a factor verifying the legitimacy of the fit. The literature study explored the contradiction inherent in the postulate on the simplification of modern organisations. The contingency theory provided a major framework for the study. The research hypothesis was developed and empirically verified. The empirical study targeted 1142 organisations operating in Poland and Switzerland, different by their industry, size and the form of ownership. To verify the hypothesis, a statistical analysis was carried out, and the multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) method was used. The main result of the critical literature analysis is the finding that theoretical indications for simplifying modern organisations are fragmented, mainly focused on simplifying selected elements of an organisation, not considering the contradiction inherent in the postulate of simplicity related to environmental features and not verified empirically. The notion of the simplexity has been adopted, and it treats the simplicity and complexity as interrelated issues conditioned by situational factors. According to the empirical research results, the fit has been revealed between the degree of structure simplicity, the workforce complexity and the environment features.

The paper aims to investigate the correlation between knowledge management and business sustainability through sustainability-oriented projects. The role of projects in promoting sustainability is already recognized, with sustainability-oriented projects emerging as a pivotal mechanism for companies to actively contribute to sustainability goals. Theoretical arguments also suggest that the enhancement of knowledge management is crucial for the advancement of sustainable business. Still, assertions in both areas lack solid empirical verification. Simultaneously, there is a growing emphasis on exploring the connection between knowledge management and project management, as existing studies indicate that knowledge management enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of projects. However, the nexus between knowledge management, project management, and business sustainability remains largely unexplored. This study aims to address two questions: whether knowledge management has a positive effect on business sustainability, and whether it is mediated by sustainability-oriented projects. The research hypotheses are verified through a large-scale empirical study utilizing SEM.