The Industry 4.0 Revolution that is taking place nowadays means that organizations face not only new opportunities, but also challenges related to the identification of their role in creating a modern smart world. The economies of many countries are under the significant and growing influence of various types of organizations, not only strong international business corporations, but also, more and more often, smaller but intelligent ones called smart organizations IR 4.0. Due to their unique characteristics, intelligent organizations are better able than others to cope with technological breakthroughs, social, and cultural problems as well as to compete effectively and develop in an environmentally sustainable way. With their growing potential, they are strengthening the economies of their countries of origin and daily operation. Their growing role is also visible in the processes of shaping competitiveness and achieving the sustainable development objectives of the European Union (EU). The countries that are able to organize an environment on their territory that is conducive to the smart organization’s development are clear examples not only of a high market competitiveness, but also of a dynamically growing commitment to the effective implementation of the challenges associated with the 17 objectives of sustainable development of the contemporary EU, according to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This allows for a conclusion that the identification of the key factors for a smart organization’s development makes it possible to monitor and provide targeted support for the development not only of these organizations, but also for the competitiveness and sustainability of individual countries, both from the EU and other regions of the world. In light of the above, the aim of this article is therefore to propose an effective tool to monitor the use of power of smart organizations in the processes of building the competitiveness and sustainable development of countries, with particular reference to the EU. To achieve this objective, we constructed a synthetic power of smart organizations index (PSOI) based on previously collected data from EUROSTAT. This tool allows for the integration of micro (organization level) and macro (country level) economic aspects into a single construct. Based on the analysis of its results, countries wishing to actively engage in the development of their own and the EU’s smartness and sustainability can be offered several more or less intense navigation paths to market success, based on the development of smart organizations.

Deprywacja mieszkaniowa (ubóstwo mieszkaniowe) jest definiowana jako akumulacja niedostatków w podstawowych warunkach mieszkaniowych. Warunki mieszkaniowe w Polsce, mierzone m.in. za pomocą takich wskaźników, jak przeludnienie mieszkań, brak wyposażenia mieszkań w podstawową infrastrukturę techniczną czy ich walory funkcjonalne, są jednymi z najgorszych w Unii Europejskiej. Analiza zmian w poziomie ubóstwa mieszkaniowego w Polsce możliwa jest w oparciu o badanie warunków mieszkaniowych. Na potrzeby artykułu wybrano czynniki związane z brakiem podstawowej infrastruktury w mieszkaniach oraz czynniki ekonomiczne. Artykuł ma charakter teoretyczno-empiryczny. Jego celem jest analiza poziomu deprywacji mieszkaniowej w Polsce na podstawie wybranych czynników.

The social-economic and political transformation which took place in Poland in 1989 changed the way of shaping the housing policy, having transferred a considerable part of the responsibility for satisfying housing needs to local governments. The purpose of this article is to assess the housing policy conducted by the city of Łódź to address the housing needs of its inhabitants. The research carried out allows to evaluate the activities of the city authorities in this area negatively as it has not caused substantial improvement in housing situation in the city. The author also claims that bigger support is needed from the state for the implementation of local housing policies.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global threat to the survival of the human species, which can be described as a violation of the relative balance in the functioning of the societies and economies of all countries of the world. Its negative effects will be felt for many years and may lead to permanent changes in the functioning of economy and society. The aim of this chapter is to discuss social capital in the context of its role and importance in overcoming crisis situations. Moreover, the discussion focuses on the importance of non-governmental organizations in building this capital. An important thread is also the identification of activities of non-governmental organizations that could help in fighting the threats in the first months of the pandemic. The analysis of these activities leads to the conclusion that in Poland insufficient cooperation between public authorities and NGOs does not contribute to the growth of social capital. Therefore, there is a need to determine its level and assess the quality of its functioning.

Objective: This paper critically investigates the phenomenon of asymmetrical access to public data, a growing issue in our increasingly digitised society. Its objective is identify the root causes of asymmetry in access to public data and to propose solutions that would promote greater transparency and fairness, and foster citizen participation in public life.Research Design & Methods: The research section includes the analysis of the users of the Internet in the context of using government websites or applications by income group, age group, and place of residence. Then, the R-Pearson linear correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between the mentioned variables.Findings: The study shows the presence of a digital divide within Poland, attributing its existence to several factors including income, educational attainment, residential location, and age. This divide encompasses not merely the accessibility of digital networks but extends to the competence required to effectively utilize these resources. Furthermore, the research highlights a significant correlation between one’s level of education and their proficiency in utilizing digital tools and conducting information searches on the internet.Implications/Recommendations: To reduce asymmetry in access to public data, policymakers should focus on creating open, user-friendly data portals with standard formats and detailed metadata. Engaging in public consultations can tailor accessibility to community needs, while partnerships with educational and non-profit organisations can offer training to enhance data utilisation skills. Such strategies aim to democratise data access, ensuring it serves a broad and diverse audience effectively.Contribution/ Value Added: The research confirms the existence of a digital divide in Poland, and some of the factors are income level, education, place of residence, and age. The gap is not only about access to the network, but also about the ability to use it. In addition, familiarity with digital tools and the ability to search for information online are strongly related to education level. Analysing the accessibility of public data in the context of income, we note that the higher the income, the higher the percentage of people using public administration online. The analysis also shows that older citizens, despite being the group least likely to use the Internet, have seen the greatest increase in regular Internet use over the studied period, in contrast to teenagers and young adults.Article classification: research articleKeywords: public data; data asymmetry; data governanceJEL O38, O36, H4