Evaluation Criteria of the Applications for Public Funding and Their Role in Increasing Innovative Potential of Enterprises: The Case of the Opolskie Voivodeship Regional Operational Programme 2014–2020

The aim of the study is to assess the innovative potential of the selected companies in Opolskie Voivodeship through comparing and contrasting meeting by them criteria used for the evaluation of projects of the Opolskie Voivodeship Regional Operational Programme (RPO WO) 2014–2020. The study process is focused around the following research questions: (1) What criteria are used for evaluation of projects in theOpolskie Voivodeship Regional Operational Programme (RPO WO) 2014–2020? (2) How has the innovation level of project outcomes i.e. products/ services/ technologies changed? (3) What is the level of cooperation with the R&D sector in the evaluated companies? (4) Are there any changes observed in regard to developing by companies their in-house R&D capabilities?

Intersections Between Diversity Management and Human Resources Management in Polish Enterprises

Purpose: The organisational environment enterprises operate in is constantly changing. Organisations and whole industries seek new ways of achieving competitive advantage and becoming innovative. Additionally socio-demographic changes like population ageing, migrations force organisations to adapt their management styles. One of the possible solutions for those challenges is diversity man-agement. The main goal of this paper is to identify the intersections between diversity management and human resources management in organisations and in consequence to determine where in the organisations’ structure and strategy diversity management is being implemented in the analysed organisations.Design/methodology/approach: For the purpose of this paper tele-phone-depth-interviews (TDIs) with representatives from companies implementing diversity management were conducted. The enterpris-es were chosen through purposive sampling. The organisations were firstly screened for implementing diversity management through an analysis of their websites and reports. The organisations imple-menting diversity management and informing stakeholders about it through their websites and reports were further included into the study. The respondents chosen for the TDIs were representatives of the organisations responsible for diversity management or indicated by the company itself as the most competent to give information about the diversity management related actions of organisations.Findings: The conducted research suggests that analysed organ-isations implement a wide range of possible HR approaches to diversity management from diversity enlargement, implemented by most of the organisations through a special diversity orient-ed recruitment process, diversity sensitivity achieved mostly through diversity trainings, diversity audit realized through social and diversity indicators and reporting to the strategy for achieving organisational outcomes implemented by single organ-isations through developing a horizontal approach to diversity management.Research and practical limitations/implications: For the pur-pose of this paper a qualitative research approach was chosen. Therefore, the presented results are not representative, but, due to the fact that only a few organisations in Poland implement diver-sity management, the entities interviewed for the purpose of this paper can be treated as flagships of this strategy in Poland and as a kind of good practices.Originality/value: The paper examines the intersections between diversity management and human resources management in select-ed Polish organisations. Due to the fact that diversity management is not a widespread approach in Polish organisations, the paper gives insight into the exiting solutions of implementing it and combining it with human resources management.Paper type: research paper

The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Eating Behavior among Adults Poles

Background: Due to the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many restrictions and temporary lockdown were carried out. As a result, previous lifestyle, including diet, were disrupted.Objectives: The aim of this review was to assess changes in eating behavior during the COVID-19 compared to the period before pandemic in Poland. Methods: In the review involved original studies concerning adults Poles (aged ≥ 18), including changes in their eating behavior.Results: The COVID-19 pandemic and the social isolation periods had ambiguous influence on diet in Poland. The changes were dependent on many factors e.g. age, sex, education, occupation, or body weight. In general, regular diet pattern was followed. In case of changes, positive and negative eating habits were observed. Improper eating behavior such as the increase of total food and junk food intake was noticed, however improvement of the diet also was observed. Consumption of healthy food, such as vegetables and fruit went up. The significant increase of home cooking also was noticed.Conclusions: The present review indicates the need for future strategies to assess nutrition in cases of alarming situations. Promoting healthy eating behavior appears to be essential, especially during the pandemic

Specialization integrated strategy of innovations : effective model for emerging regional economy development?

Purpose: The purpose of our work is to propose a strategic model of smart specialization identification around the concept of regional knowledge and cognitive transfer (Double Helix Matrix, DHM). Design/Methodology/Approach: While operationalization of smart specialization-oriented policy is still rather limited because of the lack of agreed development policy tools, we proposed the DHM model developed in order to provide the implementation of regional smart specialization oriented strategy. The model has been statistically verified by multidimensional comparative analysis on the example of a chosen weak innovative emerging region in Poland (Opolskie). Findings: The proposed methodology let us to find the need of redefining the smart specialization concept as a part of regional innovation strategy. Practical Implications: The new approach to the regional innovation policy has been proposed.. The findings have been used to construct the regional policy directives for potential smart specializations development within 2027 perspective. Originality/Value: The new model to conduct regional innovation strategy for smart specialization has been proposed and verified on the example of the weak innovation region.peer-reviewe

The 3rd International Scientific Conference on Positive Management and Leadership in Socially Responsible Organisations

The 3rd International Scientific Conference on Positive Management and Leadership in Socially Responsible Organisations was conducted on 13 September 2018 at the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Management (FESM), Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) in Toruń. The aim of the conference was to establish the discussion platform for the researchers dealing with the aspects of positive management traditionally cultivated by the research community of the FESM NCU (cf. Stankiewicz (Ed.), 2010; Stankiewicz (Ed.), 2013). In 2018, similarly to previous editions of the conference (cf. Lis, 2016; Lis, 2017), the focus was given to the issues associated with:–“positive management including: interpersonal relationships, intra-organisational communication, trust, organisational citizenship behaviours;–leadership including: contemporary concepts of leadership, roles played by top, middle and first line managers, challenges (both external and intra-organisational) faced by leaders in business organisations, the public sector, and non-profit organisations;– corporate responsibility to employees and other stakeholders, organisations in business environment, society and the natural environment”.

Understanding Rad51 function is a prerequisite for progress in cancer research

The human protein Rad51 is double-edged in cancer contexts: on one hand, preventing tumourigenesis by eliminating potentially carcinogenic DNA damage and, on the other, promoting tumours by introducing new mutations. Understanding mechanistic details of Rad51 in homologous recombination (HR) and repair could facilitate design of novel methods, including CRISPR, for Rad51-targeted cancer treatment. Despite extensive research, however, we do not yet understand the mechanism of HR in sufficient detail, partly due to complexity, a large number of Rad51 protein units being involved in the exchange of long DNA segments. Another reason for lack of understanding could be that current recognition models of DNA interactions focus only on hydrogen bond-directed base pair formation. A more complete model may need to include, for example, the kinetic effects of DNA base stacking and unstacking (\u27longitudinal breathing\u27). These might explain how Rad51 can recognize sequence identity of DNA over several bases long stretches with high accuracy, despite the fact that a single base mismatch could be tolerated if we consider only the hydrogen bond energy. We here propose that certain specific hydrophobic effects, recently discovered destabilizing stacking of nucleobases, may play a central role in this context for the function of Rad51

Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility Data Collection in Polish Enterprises

Purpose: Studies suggest that organisations tend to a selective dis-closure of non-financial information. Researchers have analysed many determinants of corporate social responsibility disclosure. However relatively little attention has been devoted to the topic of the sustainability reporting process and how the reports are developed, which includes also the question of data collection and its determinants. The paper tries to determine whether selected variables: the size of the organisation, financial performance, oper-ating on foreign markets, the issue of stakeholders mapping and preparing of non-financial reports influence the detail of collected non-financial information in Polish organisations.Design/methodology/approach: For this purpose CATI research with 102 companies listed on the Warsaw stock exchange has been conducted. The obtained results have been analysed using V Cramer contingency measure and the Kruskal-Wallis H test.Findings: The undertaken research shows there are statistical-ly significant differences between the detail of non -financial information collected by organisations mapping and not-map-ping stakeholders. In relation to the influence of the size of the organisation the obtained results were not statistically significant, yet showed a moderate correlation between those variables. Similar results were obtained for the other variables. Statistically relevant correlation has been determined in regard to the influence of operating on foreign markets and the detail of the collected data regarding respect for human rights, financial per-formance and the detail of collected information regarding respect for human rights and anti-corruption and bribery matters and the correlation between the fact of preparing non-financial reports and the detail of the collected environmental information.Research and practical limitations/implications: The limita-tions of the study result from the fact, that the questionnaire has been build using the Likert scale, for most of the questions, the quantitative nature of the presented answers imposed the choice of tools for the analysis of quantitative variables which allow for limited conclusions about the nature of the correlation.Originality/value: Based on the analysis of the existing state of art and to the best knowledge of the author the issue of determinants of collecting CSR data has not been analysed yet. Thus, this paper tries to start a discussion regarding a previously neglected issue.Paper type: research paper

Psycholinguistic Experiment as a Method of Investigating a Natural Category

У статті викладено методику проведення та результати психолінгвістичного експерименту, скерованого на виявлення вмісту, структури та прототипів категорії «музичні інструменти» в концептосфері носіїв польської лінгвокультури. Експеримент складався з трьох частин. При побудові експерименту ми виходили з того, що при збереженні образу музичних інструментів людина використовує різні способи кодування інформації (аудіальний, візуальний та вербальний). Відповідно, наш експеримент був зорієнтований на всі три форми фіксації інформації про музичні інструменти. Перший блок передбачав виявлення вербальної інформації, другий − візуальної та вербальної, третій − аудіальної та вербальної. Респондентами стали 77 польських студентів немузичних спеціальностей, які навчаються в Університеті Марії Склодовської-Кюрі (м. Люблін). Ми виявили, що ядро категорії складають гітара, скрипка та фортепіано, а на ближній периферії знаходяться орган, флейта і бубон. The article presents methodology and results of a psycholinguistic experiment. The experiment was conducted with the purpose to figure out the meanings, structure and prototypes of the category «musical instruments» in the conceptosphere of ordinary speakers of Polish language. The experiment consists of three parts. When designing the experiment we considered that when preserving the cognitive image of musical instruments humans use different ways of encoding information (audial, visual and verbal). Respectively, our experiment was directed onto the three abovementioned forms of fixation of information about musical instruments. The first part of the experiment was directed onto investigation of the verbal information, the second – onto visual and verbal and the third part was designed to find out about audial and verbal information that is connected with the images of musical instruments. There were 77 respondents, none of them studying music as their major; all the participants are the students of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland. The investigation shows that the nucleus of the category is made up by guitar, violin and piano, whilst organ, flute and tambourine are included into close periphery

Quality of life and nutritional status among 65-year-old or older patients with heart failure and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Wstęp. Występowanie chorób przewlekłych, jak niewydolność serca (NS), czy przewlekła obturacyjna choroba płuc (POChP), wpływa na stan odżywienia, jak i jakość życia seniorów. Cel. Określenie zależności między stanem odżywienia a jakością życia w grupie pacjentów po 65 roku życia z NS i/lub POChP. Materiał i metody. Badaną grupę stanowiło 120 pacjentów w wieku powyżej 65 lat, z NS i/lub POChP. W badaniach wykorzystano: kwestionariusz własnej konstrukcji, skalę MNA oraz kwestionariusz SF-36v2®Health Survey. Wyniki. Zagrożonych niedożywieniem było 55,8% badanych, a 10,0% - niedożywianych. Średnia wartość indeksu jakości życia wynosiła 62,54±13,15pkt., wymiaru fizycznego - 72±13,67 pkt., a mentalnego - 44,58±18,87 pkt. Indeks jakości życia, jej wymiar fizyczny i mentalny zależały istotnie od stanu odżywienia (p < 0,001). Wnioski. 1) Stan odżywienia większości badanych był niezadowalający. 2) Jakość życia badanych nie była wysoka. 3) Indeks jakości życia, a także jej wymiar fizyczny i psychiczny były znacząco różne w zależności od stanu odżywienia badanych.Introduction. The occurrence of chronic diseases, like heart failure (HF) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), significantly influences both seniors’ nutritional status and the quality of their life. Aim of the study. Determination of the relationship between a nutritional status and a life quality among patients with HF and/or patients with COPD aged over 65. Material and methods. The study group consisted of 120 hospitalized people aged over 65, suffering from NS and/or COPD. Tools used in the study: own construction questionnaire, MNA scale and SF-36v2®Health Survey. Results 55.8% of patients were in danger of malnutrition, 10.0% were undernourished. An average value of the quality of life index was62.54±13.15pt, physical dimension - 72±13.67 pt and mental - 44.58±18.87 pt. Quality of life index and its physical and mental dimensions dependedon nutritional status assessed by MNA scale (p<0.001). Conclusions. 1) The nutritional status of the majority of respondents was unsatisfactory. 2) The quality of life in the study group was not high. 3) The general level of lifequality, as well as its physical and mental dimensions, were significantly different depending on the nutritional status of the subjects

Structure of Corporate Responsibility Reporting in Polish Organisations

Purpose: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has a long history, dating back to the 1950s and undergoing since than many changes. Although environmental responsibility is one of its fundamental paradigms, there are also other dimensions, which constitute CSR: the social dimension, focusing on people and the economic dimension. Studies suggest that organisations tend to a selective disclosure of non-financial information. This may lead to disparities in the nature of non-financial information disclosed. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to determine the structure of CSR information disclosed by Polish organisations.Design/methodology/approach: The analysis has been conducted on organisations listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. For this purpose sustainability reports made available by the organisations have been analysed using the Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines. The data has been analysed using descriptive statistics.Findings: The analysis shows, that organisations disclose non-financial information most specific in the category General Standard Disclosure. Within the category Specific Standard Disclosure, organisations are most likely to disclose social information followed by environmental information and economic information. However, within social information the disclosure level is not even. Most specific information is being disclosed in regard to the Labour Practices and Decent Work categories, while only a few organisations disclose Human Rights information.Research and practical limitations/implications: Due to the low number of organisations disclosing non-financial information in general, the results presented in this paper must be treated with caution, especially inregard to the attempt to show the structure of CSR reporting in particular industries. The practical implications of the results include the presentation of existing disparities within CSR reporting and thus point towards reporting areas, which need to be approached with more attention.Originality/value: Previous research relating to the disclosure of non-financial information focused mainly on selected industries. This paper evaluates CSR reporting in regard to all organisations listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Furthermore, previous research analysed mostly the disclosure level in selected categories, without showing the relation between the disclosure levels in all categories.Paper type: Research paper