The paper aims to identify how Industry 4.0 technologies affect the quality and speed of the managers’ decision-making process across the different stages of the value chain, based on the example of the manufacturing sector. The paper adopts qualitative research, based on nine in-depth interviews with key informants, to capture senior executives’ experiences with implementing Industry 4.0 technologies in their organisations. The research is focused on three manufacturing industries: the automotive, food and furniture industries. The research shows that depending on the stage of the value chain, different Industry 4.0 technologies are more suitable for the support of managers’ decisions. Various Industry 4.0 technologies support decision-making at different stages of the manufacturing value chain. In the Design stage, 3D printing and scanning technologies play a crucial role. In the case of Inbound Logistics, robotisation, automation, Big Data analysis, and Business Intelligence are most useful. During the Manufacturing stage, robotisation, automation, 3D printing, scanning, Business Intelligence, cloud computing, and machine-to-machine (M2M) integration enable quick decision-making and speed up production. Sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT) optimise distribution in the Outbound Logistics stage. And finally, Business Intelligence supports decisions within the Sales and Marketing stage. It is also the most versatile technology among all particular stages. The paper provides empirical evidence on the Industry 4.0 technology support in decision-making at different stages of the manufacturing value chain, which leads to more effective value chain management, ensuring faster and more accurate decisions at each value-chain stage. When using properly selected Industry 4.0 technologies, managers can optimise their production processes, reduce costs, avoid errors and improve customer satisfaction. Simultaneously, Industry 4.0 technologies facilitate predictive analytics to forecast and anticipate future demand, quality issues, and potential risks. This knowledge allows organisations to make better decisions and take proactive actions to prevent problems.

The aim of this paper is to show the consistency of an intuitive manager’s traits and skills and a strategic leader’s attributes. The paper consists of three main parts. The first one presents the nature and evolution of the concept of leadership and contrasts the role of strategic leaders with the operational requirements of modern organizations. In the second part, we attempt to define the concept of intuition and characterize an intuitive manager. In the last section of the paper, a strategic leader’s attributes and an intuitive manager’s skills and characteristics are analyzed in order to show how these two categories converge

Monografia powstała w wyniku projektu badawczego i stanowi interesującą poznawczo pracę podejmującą problematykę zwinności przedsiębiorstw w ujęciu strategicznym. Na podstawie szeroko zakrojonej analizy literatury przedmiotu autorka dokonała udanej konceptualizacji i operacjonalizacji konstruktu zwinności strategicznej wraz z opisem i empirycznym sprawdzeniem zmiennych oraz atrybutów opisujących badany konstrukt. Część empiryczna pracy pozwoliła wyłonić model zwinności strategicznej w powiązaniu z efektywnością funkcjonowania badanych przedsiębiorstw. Synteza wiedzy w dyscyplinie nauki o zarządzaniu, szczególnie w obszarze zarządzania strategicznego, interesujące poznawczo badania wykorzystujące modelowanie strukturalne oraz propozycja zwinności powiązanej z efektywnością to cenne rezultaty poznawcze, które powodują, że książka może stanowić punkt wyjścia do przyszłych zamierzeń badawczych podejmowanych przez przedstawicieli nauki, a także być źródłem rekomendacji dla kadry zarządzającej. Przeprowadzone w projekcie studia literaturowe oraz badania empiryczne na reprezentatywnej grupie przedsiębiorstw pozwalają na sformułowanie implikacji dla praktyki gospodarczej. Podstawową kwestią jest budowanie świadomości menedżerów w zakresie zdolności adaptacyjnych przedsiębiorstw ukierunkowanych na atrybuty zwinności strategicznej. Menedżerowie średnich i dużych przedsiębiorstw zdają sobie sprawę, jak ważna jest adaptacja oraz proaktywna orientacja strategiczna, tym niemniej nie wykorzystują w pełni potencjału szybkiego i efektywnego podejmowania zmian strategicznych. Książka stanowi wartościowy wkład w stan wiedzy oraz rozwój teorii nauk o zarządzaniu i pierwszą w Polsce pracę, która gruntownie przedstawia teoretyczną perspektywę podejścia opartego na zwinności strategicznej dla zrozumienia związków między wpływem otoczenia na kształtowanie strategicznego reagowania przedsiębiorstw oraz ich wynikami.

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to identify the necessary transformations required to evolve entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) into sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems (SEEs) and to explore the primary challenges involved. By addressing these aspects the study establishes a foundation for future research directions. Design/methodology/approach: The paper adopts a conceptual analysis based on the semi-systematic literature review of the concepts of EEs and SEEs. Findings: An SEE intentionally addresses all three dimensions of sustainability—social, ecological and economic. This requires, on the one hand, a genuine will and effort from individual actors to increase their sustainability, and, on the other, an establishment of systemic conditions that will make this transformation easier and allow for a fair distribution of its costs. Originality/value: The paper bridges the research concerning limited studies on SEEs by presenting a model that delineates the conditions for the development of SEE and identifies the requisite changes necessary to foster sustainability within the EE. Furthermore, the paper outlines potential avenues for future research to explore the conceptual advancement and practical implementation of the SEE concept.

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to answer the question of how entrepreneurs can take advantage of and exploit the conditions and opportunities resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: In the paper, we apply the conceptual review method in order to review extant knowledge, identifying important research gaps, and propose a conceptual framework for the research. Findings: We propose a conceptual framework of the recognition and exploitation of business opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The framework assumes the influence of specific dynamic capabilities (strategic foresight – at the strategic level and innovation, self-structured and relational capabilities – at the operational level) and the entrepreneur’s key characteristics (being intuitive, having the ability to learn – especially in the field of crisis management, being innovative, having leadership competencies and having the ability to use advanced digital technologies) on the identification, creation and exploitation of opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research limitations: The main limitation results from the dynamism of the pandemic situation. Therefore, our results need further empirical verification. Practical implications: The model provides managerial implications for entrepreneurs responsible for decisions and actions during the pandemic crisis. We underline the importance of the development of entrepreneurs’ own competencies as well as the development of the competencies of their employees in the context of crisis management. We especially suggest that managers develop leadership competencies which relate to the competence of how to delegate powers and build empowerment in order to take advantage of the opportunities resulting from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. To exploit opportunities effectively, they should be recognized early, and therefore entrepreneurs should consider the benefits of using intuition in this area. Value: The special value of the paper can be seen in the context of the analysis. There is a shortage of studies identifying the impact of dynamic capabilities and the entrepreneur’s characteristics on the exploitation of opportunities during the specific situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.