Tourist competitiveness of Polish rural areas

Purpose: The process of diversifying economic activity in rural areas and incorporating new non-agricultural and non-production functions into the rural space is currently one of the key determinants of development in these areas. A comparative assessment of Poland's competitiveness against selected European countries has been made in the study. The main objective was to present the conditions of international tourist competitiveness of rural areas in Poland in comparison to other European areas. Design/Methodology/Approach: An in-depth analysis of Poland's competitiveness as a tourist region against the European countries was carried out taking into consideration individual indicators of the second pillar. The study uses a synthetic tourist competitiveness index and panel regression to demonstrate the determinants of this phenomenon. Findings: On the basis of the conducted research, it has been shown that the natural and landscape value of Poland's agricultural areas is highly assessed on a European scale. Therefore, for many consumers in the European Union, Poland is increasingly seen as an attractive region for tourists. At the same time, the importance of these factors in the demand for tourist places has been demonstrated by distinguishing selected aspects of these conditions. Economic factors affecting internal demand as well as environmental and institutional conditions turned out to be the key ones. Practical Implications: The presented considerations are of great importance for practical reasons. They constitute an indicator which, under certain conditions can influence the increase of tourist competitive attractiveness of rural areas in an international perspective. Therefore, they allow to indicate the proper structure of investments and activities aimed at valuing public goods by both private and public entities. Originality/Value: The development of rural areas in the current conditions requires the development of non-agricultural and non-production functions. The article indicates the importance of individual resources and conditions in the proposed model. Not only was their role emphasized, but mutual relations between the factors considered were determined.peer-reviewe

Agro tourism as public good in rural areas : a case study

The paper presents the relationship between the variables of the attractiveness of communities of the West Pomeranian and economic, social and ecological variables as feature of agro tourism farms owners. The χ2 test of independence was used in order to identify the role of the public good provided by agritourism farms owners and the relationship between independence. The attention was drawn to the concept of multi-functionality of agriculture and the importance of the tourism activities.peer-reviewe

The relationship of managers with subordinates as a development enabler of enterprise in the SME sector

The theoretical part discusses the factors determining and limiting the development of enterprises in the SME sector. The significance of the relationship between the supervisor and the subordinates and their influence on selected aspects of the company's functioning was also presented. The aim of the research was to get acquainted with the opinion of managers and employees of SME enterprises on the importance of the relationship between their supervisor and subordinates and the influence of the level of relations on various aspects of the company's development. The research results indicate that high quality of relations between superiors and subordinates has a positive impact on the development of the surveyed enterprises.peer-reviewe

Analysis of using tools of strategic management in SMEs in South Bohemia Region

Strategic management plays an important role in making up the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. The aim of this article is to find how much SME includes principals and tools of the strategic management, especially how they are formulated strategy.In the research project was used secondary data (financial statements of SMEs who took part in the research) and primary data which were obtained primarily through quantitative methods questionnaire supplemented by qualitative method of in-depth interviews. Majority of examined small and medium enterprises had formulated strategy. They are aimed mainly at stability, further at quality, development and profit.The research is financed by: GAJU 068/2010/S, GAJU 039/2013S, GAJU 079/2013S.peer-reviewe

Implementation of the principles of sustainable development by agricultural producers in Poland

Purpose: The aim of the research is to identify and assess the opportunities and processes of implementing sustainable development in agricultural activities. It is also to assess farmers’ awareness and knowledge of the principles of sustainable development in agriculture. Design/Methodology/Approach: Research on the application of the principles of sustainable development in agricultural production was carried out in 2019. Data was collected in four voivodships using the interview questionnaire. The research area was chosen deliberately. They were voivodships with the largest share of sown crops. The collected material was analyzed in terms of farmers’ knowledge of the principles of sustainable development in agricultural production and the level of their application on the farm. Findings: Based on the collected information, it was found that the respondents had a high level of knowledge about the sustainable development of agriculture. The results show significant differences in the application of sustainable development principles. It was also found that there is a relationship between the level of education and age of farmers and the application of sustainable development principles among them. Knowing the principles of sustainable development has not always coincided with the application. Practical Implications: The results obtained may be used for development of the agricultural policy, aimed at agricultural farms, as well as in programming agricultural development and shaping farmers’ income. Originality/Value: The results are original because they can be used to develop future agricultural policy scenarios in terms of compensation for conducting agricultural production in a sustainable way.peer-reviewe

A model for measuring the international competitiveness of furniture industry in the European Union countries

PURPOSE: The main aim of the research was to assess the international competitiveness of the furniture industry in the EU Member States. The article deals with the interpretation and methods of measuring competitiveness at this level of economic analysis.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The study used the measurement model of the international competitiveness of an industry - the proposed methodology allowed for a broad assessment of competitive potential and competitive position. A set of competitiveness indicators and a multidimensional statistical analysis were presented.FINDINGS: The international competitiveness of the EU furniture industry is diversified. The furniture industries in Poland, Italy, and Germany had the most significant competitive advantage by far. These countries have exceptionally high production potential and big export share.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The research can inform furniture manufacturers about the factors that contribute to increase competitiveness. Some strengths and areas for improvement in the operation of the furniture industry from various countries were identified. These may be relevant for building a lasting competitive advantage in the international market.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Competitiveness is a category that is relatively rarely studied at the sector level. The present study performs a broad assessment of the furniture industry’s competitiveness, considering both the factor and the result dimensions. The empirical research presented herein has both theoretical and practical value. The employed methodology is universal and can be used to assess various industries and sectors of the economy.peer-reviewe

Use of tourism intensity indicators for delimitation in European Union countries

PURPOSE: This article aims to distinguish homogeneous groups of European Union countries by tourist intensity in 2000 and 2019.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: An econometric diagnostic process was used to create the EU country rankings. The empirical distribution of tourism intensity measures in the countries studied was taken as the observed regularity. The normative regularity was determined according to the shape of the distribution of the measures in the studied collective. On this basis, the remaining elements of the diagnosis process were determined, and a combined diagnosis of tourism intensity for the EU countries was formulated.FINDINGS: Analysis of the averages of the sub-diagnoses showed that in both 2000 and 2019, only two countries (Malta and Cyprus) were in group one – the best from the point of view of the phenomenon under study. In 2019, the number of countries in group two decreased and the group of countries that were at best average increased. There was also an emergence of group four, in which only Romania qualified.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The method presented in the article is useful in the process of diagnosis and discrimination of objects. It provides the possibility of unambiguous diagnosis in the case of one assessment criterion (indicator) at a given moment of time and combined diagnosis according to several assessment criteria (multiple indicators).ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This article contributes to recent European and global scientific discussions on the need for tourism research.peer-reviewe

Consumer’s behavior in a multi-attribute concept of a food product

Purpose: The main aim of the research is to identify and model the attributes of a food product which are regarded as important during the process of the consumers’ choice and to verify the methodology for the creation of the optimal market offer. Design/Methodology/Approach: The carried out analysis was based on the assumption that a food product may be viewed as a collection of directly noticeable and unnoticeable features that are regarded as attributes (values) of the offer. The applied model of a food product is composed of three levels, each of them presenting the characteristic features of product’s quality. Findings: A sensory evaluation of the products made it possible to diagnose how consistent the consumers are in their declared sensory preferences for brand and non-brand products. It was established that the intention of purchasing a product is determined by its quality and taste preferences. Practical Implications: The analysis may provide information for communicating with the market and promoting food products, especially when the intention of a producer is to change consumer’s habits. Originality/Value: The presented methodological approach may provide clues on what attributes should be constructed in the case of new food products.peer-reviewe

Workers’ free movement and competence management in the European Union : a case study

Purpose: The article deals with the important topic of recognizing professional competences within the European Union. Although the integration processes and the creation of the European credit transfer system, ECTS/ECVET, accelerated the process of validating learning outcomes, it did not significantly strengthen the knowledge of national education systems and recognition of learning outcomes achieved in individual countries. Design/Methodology/Approach: The case study method was used to present the issues on the example of a project implemented under the Erasmus plus Program. The assumptions and effects of the project Recognition of Professional Qualifications for Transfer Needs on the European Labour Market were discussed. Findings: Creating new tools supporting job mobility is of great importance for building a single labour market in the European Union. This applies, in particular, to jobs that are in short supply. We should continue to increase knowledge and recognition of national formal vocational training systems, which will contribute to the implementation of the idea of an open labour market and will allow especially young people, graduates of vocational schools, to undertake work in accordance with their education. Practical Implications: The presented tools developed under the project may facilitate job mobility within the EU. At the same time, they can be enhanced and expanded in the future to be used for all practical purposes in other professions. Originality/Value: The importance of job mobility is extremely important in both EU policies and economic development. The search for new tools supporting job mobility is implemented, among others, under EU programs. It is important to promote the developed tools and also provide them with critical evaluation in the context of scientific discussion.peer-reviewe

Economic importance of marinas on the Polish Baltic Sea coast

PURPOSE: This paper identifies the economic importance of the Polish Baltic Sea coast marinas. The investigated marinas are among the most prominent port structures and represent each section of the sea coast. In determining the economic impact of marinas, three effects were identified, i.e., direct, indirect and induced. These effects are discussed in terms of output, added value and employment.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The economic importance of marinas was determined using an input-output method, often referred to as the Leontief model. The extent of the economic impact of the port was referred to the coastal sub-regions, i.e., Koszaliński, Słupski and Gdański, which are NUTS 3 territorial units. The regionalisation of the national input-output table was carried out using the Flegg location coefficient (FLQ). A comparative analysis was carried out, taking marinas in Spain and Italy as the object of comparison. The research was based on local statistics and survey results.FINDINGS: The strength of the impact of the studied marinas is less than their initial economic impetus. The direct and induced effect had the most significant impact on the economy of the sub-regions, with the indirect effect being of minor importance. The greater strength of the impact of the Valencia Region's marinas may result from the input-output table regionalisation technique adopted and the greater self-sufficiency of port cities in Spain. The dominance of the direct effect should be linked to the extensive network of links created by nautical tourism. The minor importance of the indirect effect is due to the limited inter-sectoral linkages. On the other hand, the lower significance of the induced effect in the case of Polish marinas is related to the lower level of development of the national economy and the failure to include investment expenditures in the model.PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results of the study provide information for decision-makers on the economic importance of marinas. They allow investment funds to be concentrated on areas with the most significant impact on the local economy.ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The authors of this article were the first in the country to address the economic importance of marinas using the input-output method.peer-reviewe