The subject matter of the article relates to the assessment of the perception of selected types of risk in economic activities of the SME sector, which change their intensity as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current economic downturn is unprecedented and involves many companies and industries that have faced new, previously unknown challenges and threats. The objective of the article is to identify the most important risks and their resources based on the empirical research carried out in small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland. The formulated objective was accomplished using the data collection method, i.e., the survey and reports on the condition of the SME sector in Poland as well as statistical data analysis methods, i.e., structure index and the analysis of variance, using the SPSS system. The process of primary data collection was carried out by means of an electronic survey among selected enterprises of the SME sector, conducting business activities in Poland. In the study, the employment factor was taken into account as a determinant of the perception and assessment of the intensity of selected risks arising from the economic activity in the Polish market in the conditions of the current economic downturn. On the basis of the obtained results, the impact of market, economic, financial and operational risks, depending on their intensity, on the functioning of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises was identified. Based on the analysis of variance, the effect of the size of the company on the level of individual risks was also examined. As a result of the observations made, it was established that, during the pandemic, the level and type of risk is similar in all the surveyed enterprises. They are most often threatened by strong competition in the industry, an increase in energy prices and insufficient profit. The overall results of the empirical research indicate the importance and the need to manage the key threats to the Polish SME sector.

The sharing economy is treated as an alternative consumption model. Its aim is to increase the efficiency of the resources used and create a new value for society. In order to create a new value for business, attempts are being made to implement a shared economy model in the B2B (business-to-business) sector. While this model is effectively implemented in the case of B2C (business-to-consumer) relations, sharing resources is still a problem in the business environment. In the case of B2B relationships, the use of the sharing economy has a number of unresolved issues concerning legal regulations, responsibility, and security. The research presented in this article includes the analysis and assessment of the sharing economy between enterprises in order to identify whether, and in what way, the exchange of material resources between them is implemented. In order to indicate what factors motivate enterprises for sharing and using the resources of other companies, the selected methods of statistical testing were applied. The empirical research was preceded by the literature analysis in which the basic concepts and aspects of the concept of the sharing economy was referred to against the background of the fourth industrial revolution. The obtained results showed that enterprises which have fixed assets are willing to exchange them with other entities. At the same time, the lack of formal and technological solutions is the most important barrier in implementing the economy of sharing in B2B.

A health crisis caused by a pandemic tested the effectiveness of national healthcare systems by testing both financing and organizational and technical performance of patient care. At that time, the structural flaws in healthcare systems and inequalities in the level of healthcare in its different dimensions and countries due to resource constraints were highlighted. Therefore, the paper concentrates on investigating how the crisis in the health system affects the quality of healthcare services as a result of changes in the availability of financial, material, and human resources belonging to this system. The quantitative data, in terms of healthcare characterizing the OECD countries and selected non-member economies, treated as an example of economically developed regions, were chosen for the analysis. The study included five areas of resources, i.e., demographic, financial, human, technical, and the delivery of basic services in healthcare. T-test method for dependent samples, supplemented with Hedge’s g statistics, was applied to test the differences between the mean values of individual indicators. The results indicate the occurrence of changes in some areas of the healthcare system due to a crisis. Identifying areas that are particularly vulnerable to sudden changes in the healthcare system helps to understand which resource areas need to be strategically managed first, as shifts in levels respond to deteriorating healthcare quality outcomes.

The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive methodological approach to assess the sustainability of the e-commerce business model based on the integration of key performance indicators into a single vector of business model sustainability. The proposed vector approach allows for predicting and evaluating the effects of different kinds of measures, identifying and implementing the most effective tools for sustainable e-commerce business development. The methodology of this study is based on correlation, cluster and regression analysis. The scientific contribution of this study is the proposed methodological approach, which not only allows one to analyze business model sustainability, but also to compare companies in a competitive environment to determine the priorities of their functioning to achieve leadership positions on the background of sustainable development. The correlation analysis proved that in modern conditions, both economic and environmental components are significant for business model effectiveness in e-commerce. The clustering of the studied e-commerce companies provided an opportunity to take into account the peculiarities of the studied companies, to group them by similar performance indicators. This made it possible to develop more accurate regression models for each cluster. In this case, there is a correlation between the sustainability vector of the business model of a company and its assignment to a particular cluster. The conducted modeling and determination of the level of business model sustainability allowed for determining a relationship between it and the performance of e-commerce companies in the context of economic, environmental and social dimensions. At the same time, the results show that increasing the sustainability vector brings a company closer to the business sustainability benchmark.

The sector of SME is the major force for the national economic and social development. Financial risk is one of the key threats to the activity of small and medium enterprises. The most common manifestation of the financial risk of SMEs is difficulty in financing the business and lack of funds for development. Banks are unwilling to grant loans to such companies. Moreover, it is the rising operating costs that cause shrinking profits, which may result in corporate debt, difficulty in debt repayment, and consequently, high financial risk of these entities. Numerous differences in conducting the activity of small and large enterprises intensify this risk and mean that the model of credit financing for companies is not adjusted to the capabilities and principles of the operation of small enterprises. Therefore, risk management is one of the most important internal processes in small and medium enterprises. The identification of factors that affect the level of financial risk in these entities is therefore crucial. The main objective of this research was to analyze the impact of selected parametric characteristics of the SME sector on the intensity of financial risk they take. This objective was accomplished on the basis of the survey with the participation of Polish SMEs. In order to test the adopted research assumptions, the linear regression model was used with four continuous variables for each type of the identified financial risk. Based on the final research results, the logit model was obtained for the risk of insufficient profits. It was indicated that both the internationalization of the company and the ability to manage risk are the only factors that affect a high level of risk of low income. The article ends with the discussion and the comparison with some previous research in this area.

One of the ways to sustain development is striving for energy efficiency. This is the purpose of directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency, which aims at explaining and promoting energy–saving and ecological solutions that allow increasing the output of consumed energy. Several years after implementation, it is possible to assess the directive’s usefulness and completeness in a few areas of the economy, in particular in the operation of enterprises, which substantially contribute to the global energy consumption. Therefore, the purpose of the study was defined as an assessment of the execution of the concept of energy efficiency in business operations in EU countries, in accordance with the assumptions of directive 2012/27/EU. The collected raw data were derived from surveys gathered in the process of public consultations of the European Commission regard directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency. Resulting observations were analysed using the basic methods of descriptive statistics, along with a factor analysis. A logistic regression model was applied to identify the dependencies between the provisions of the directive and the motivation of enterprises to manage energy. As a result of conducted analyses, conclusions were drawn up concerning the assessment of the content of the directive in regard to activities undertaken by EU enterprises to the favour of effective energy management. Obtained results suggest that there is a need to introduce changes in the provisions of the directive, preceded by consultations with the EU business environment. The analysed literature concerning this issue demonstrates that the effectiveness of energy management is taken into consideration from this angle for the first time in our studies.