Currently, due to the growing dynamics of changes that take place in the environment of organizations, managers have to intensify their efforts to implement ‘solutions’ which will not only increase the efficiency of particular business activities, but will also strengthen the potential of the organization in the area of its sustainable development. One of the elements from a ‘wide set of potential solutions’ is risk culture. In spite of a number of studies dedicated to explaining its essence, dimensions and influence, the phenomenon of risk culture has not yet been fully explored. While the previous research and analyses have tended to focus on defining its role and learning about its effects, especially in the financial sector, this study was directed at explaining risk culture in the specific organizational context of implementing sustainable projects in business. This paper analyzes the manifestations of risk culture in sustainable projects, along with its dimensions and key determinants. The authors used the single case study method. In order to expose the Central European context, an innovative Polish enterprise with sustainable project management practices, implementing projects with a high degree of risk, was selected. The results of the study indicate that the main source of risk in the studied projects was the customer. Risk culture in this business entity is characterized by perceiving the variability of customer expectations as an important project risk factor. At the same time, sustainable project management ‘was accompanied’ by a more mature risk culture. The study confirmed that the beneficial impact of the risk culture on the project itself and the enterprise takes place under conditions of the convergence of the risk culture with the organizational culture. Conflicts between project participants, as well as conflicts between the project implementation team and the internal environment of the enterprise, increase the probability that risk culture poses a threat not only to particular projects, but also to the company.

Although family-owned businesses have been widely investigated, the question of consumers’ perceptions of family firms is still worth more in-depth study. Drawing on the theories of family businesses and consumer behavior, this paper investigates the relationship between the consumers’ perceptions of family-owned enterprises and their purchasing decisions. Using a questionnaire, we surveyed 1069 young Polish consumers. Our findings demonstrate that young consumers’ convictions about family businesses are well-formed, despite their quite modest knowledge of these business entities. The vast majority of the survey participants were not able to provide any family business names. This implies that young consumers’ views on family businesses result from speculation or adoption of opinions that are dominant in a given society. To raise the level of awareness of their brands and transform consumers’ intentions into real purchasing behavior, family business entities need to intensify the educational significance of their promotional activities to help counteract the stereotypes about family businesses. The analysis presented here has important implications for current debates on whether the development of emotional relationships with family business entities and their brands is a suitable strategy to shape the purchasing attitudes towards the products made by family companies. The research findings could also form the basis for an extended study exploring what strategies family companies can implement in order to effectively shape young consumers’ perceptions about these firms. The research results can also serve as an aid for family firm owners and managers in rebuilding their client-oriented activities. The aforementioned knowledge can support family firm owners and managers in establishing effective marketing strategies. It also opens interesting avenues for further research.

The aim of this study is to contribute to the understanding of internal communication in companies among employees. The authors wanted to check what characteristic elements of internal communication can be distinguished in organizational management in the post-pandemic period. A total of 816 employees participated in a large communications study that measured internal communication satisfaction and employee engagement. The results show that satisfaction with internal communication and employee engagement are important elements of organizational management. The pandemic has shown changes in the approach to internal communication, resulting in significant changes in the way we use technical solutions and implement technologies that best suit the generational profile and the nature of work. Transparent and two-way communication, eliminating the feeling of alienation and exclusion from the team, can have a positive impact on eliminating negative stereotypes that exist between genders and generations and interfere with mutual understanding. The study has some limitations, including the snowball method, which is simple and cheap, but the disadvantage of this method is that the researcher has little control over it and the small representativeness of the sample. An attempt to distribute the population generationally balanced could provide a better generalization of the results. <!----> <!----> <!----> <!---->

Theoretical background: The article delves into the domain of qualitative research applied to investigating the well-being of managers within family businesses. It situates its discussion within the broader context of brand identity in such enterprises. Theoretical underpinnings include insights into the formation of well-being in family-run companies, highlighting the interconnectedness between managerial well-being and the identity of the family business. Purpose of the article: Primarily methodological in nature, the article aims to delineate a systematic approach to conducting qualitative research specifically tailored to exploring the well-being of managers within the context of family business brand identity. It seeks to elucidate the process of uncovering the intricate links between managerial well-being and the identity of family-owned businesses, thus contributing to the understanding of how well-being manifests in such organisational settings. Research methods: The article outlines an algorithmic framework designed to guide qualitative research endeavours focused on manager well-being within family businesses. It underscores the importance of employing both inductive and deductive approaches in qualitative research, as evidenced by a pretest conducted to discern their differential applications in this context. Main findings: The key findings of the article revolve around the proposed algorithm for conducting qualitative research on the well-being of managers with respect to the brand identity of the family business brand. The study underscores the importance of qualitative methods in unraveling the complexities of well-being in the unique context of family-run enterprises. By elucidating the interrelationships between managerial well-being and brand identity, the research contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics at play within family businesses and offers valuable insights for both scholars and practitioners in this field.