The Perception of Queen Victoria in American Press of Her Times

Brytyjska królowa Wiktoria, która zdobyła tron w 1920 r. po śmierci swego dziadka i wuja, nie miała zbyt dużych szans na zostanie władczynią supermocarstwa. Urodzona jako jedyna córka czwartego syna króla Jerzego III, nie była kształcona do pełnienia takiej roli. Jednak udało jej się zbudować i umocniać imperium i rządzić Wielką Brytanią przez ponad 60 lat. Artykuł stanowi analizę wizerunku królowej w amerykańskiej prasie jej czasów, która wskazuje na obecność królowej w zaskakująco dużej liczbie artykułów prasowych. Badane materiały przedstawiają ją jako silnego i stanowczego polityka i symbol królestwa oraz przedmiot szerokiego zainteresowania amerykańskiej opinii publicznej

The Russian economy under Putin: Growth factors and impediments to economic development. OSW Study 20/2005

After a dramatic economic decline after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the financial breakdown of 1998, the Russian economy has begun to emerge from its deep crisis. The years 1999-2004 were a period of dynamic development in all sectors of Russian economy, and saw a rapid growth in GDP of over 7 per cent per year. Russia owed the excellent macroeconomic results of that period to a combination of favourable factors. The key factors were: high hydrocarbon prices on the global markets; an increase in Russia's international competitiveness thanks to the "rouble devaluation effect" (following the 1998 financial crash); and the market reforms carried out within that period. In 2004, despite very high oil and gas prices on world markets, a slowdown of the GDP growth took place. Even though the economy is still developing fairly rapidly, we are able to say that Russia is exhausting those traditional mechanisms (apart from oil and gas prices) which have hitherto stimulated GDP growth. Moreover, there are no new mechanisms which could replace the old ones. In the longer term, these unsolved structural problems may seriously impede Russia's economic growth

REPORTING CSR DATA – THE BENEFITS AND BARRIERS TO INVOLVEMENT IN THE IDEA OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the issue of benefits and barriers related to reporting CSR data as standalone reports. This work attempts to examine whether the benefits resulting from the fact that companies are perceived as socially responsible are more impactful for entities that issue standalone CSR reports, as well as whether a standalone report can be a better tool for communicating with internal and external stakeholders. In addition, the study seeks to find out whether there is any difference in the perception of the barriers related to obtaining and publishing non-financial data between companies that are developing standalone reports and those that present this type of data in a different way. Methodology: The study employed the subject literature critical review method and a questionnaire survey. The survey was conducted among companies from the RESPECT index portfolio of the Warsaw Stock Exchange as well as among entities listed in various rankings of socially responsible companies. Findings: The respondents belonging to both groups (issuing and not issuing standalone CSR reports) generally pointed to a similar hierarchy of importance of specific benefits resulting from following CSR policies by the business. However, within the group of entities issuing standalone CSR reports, most of the benefits received a high evaluation. Most of the barriers studied received high indications in the group of companies without standalone reports. The results obtained may indicate that companies that are seen as socially responsible but do not publish a standalone report gain fewer benefits resulting from communication with stakeholders. Research limitation: The work may be affected by the inherent weaknesses associated with survey research which examines rather opinions and views than 'hard data'. Originality: The issue of reporting data in a form of standalone reports and the resulting benefits as well as the barriers faced by companies over the course of preparing CSR reporting is very significant, however, it is still insufficiently researched with regard to the emerging markets. The results obtained can be used for comparative studies of the Polish market and other financial markets since the benefits and barriers to reporting non-financial data as standalone reports are also being identified in other countries

Big business in the Russian economy and politics under Putin's rule; The Russian power industry shortly before reforms; Ukrainian metallurgy: the economic link in the oligarchical system. OSW Study 5/2002

Big business in Russia: The pace of ownership transfer in the Russian economy has speeded up considerably over the last year. There has been a significant rise in the number of acquisitions of whole enterprises, and large blocks of shares in individual firms and plants. Similarly the number of mergers, bankruptcies and take-overs of failing firms by their strongest competitors has grown. The Russian power industry: This study is an overview of the current condition and principles on which the Russian power sector has been functioning so far. This analysis has been carried out against the background of the changes that have been taking place in the sector since the beginning of the 1990s. This text also contains a description of guidelines and progress made so far in implementing the reform of the Russian power industry, the draft of which was adopted by the government of the Russian Federation in summer 2001. However, the purpose of this study is not an economic analysis of the draft, but an attempt to present the political conditions and possible consequences of the transformations carried out in the Russian power sector. The final part attempts to evaluate the possibilities and threats related to the implementation of the reform in its present shape. Ukrainian metallurgy: The metallurgic sector, like the east-west transit of energy raw materials, is a strategic source of revenue for Ukraine. Over the last ten years, this sector has become Kiev's most important source of foreign currency inflows, accounting for over 40 per cent of its total export revenues. The growth of metallurgic production, which has continued almost without interruption since the mid-1990s, has contributed considerably to the increase in GDP which Ukraine showed in 2000, for the first time in its independent history

Prasa amerykańska wobec Konstytucji 3 maja

Artykuł opisuje sposób przedstawienia Konstytucji 3 maja 1791 r. przez ówczesną prasę amerykańską. Mimo ogromnego dystansu terytorialnego i ograniczeń narzucanych możliwościami technicznymi, treść tego aktu prawnego była szeroko komentowana i spotkała się z pozytywną oceną. Ustawa rządowa obowiązywała od dnia wydania do 17 czerwca 1793 r., kiedy rozpoczęły się obrady ostatniego sejmu I RP, który uznał drugi rozbiór Polski. Została ona bardzo doceniona i entuzjastycznie przyjęta w prasie amerykańskiej, która rozumiała Konstytucję jako naturalną kontynuację procesu demokratyzacji. Jednak artykuły prasowe opisujące ten akt prawny były dość ogólnikowe i zbyt daleko idące w swoim optymizmie. Wynikało z nich, że Konstytucja wprowadzała demokrację oraz przyczyniała się do zmian społecznych i politycznych w Europie. Analizując artykuły prasowe, można pochopnie dojść do wniosku, że król Stanisław August Poniatowski był reformatorem, którego głównym celem było zrównanie wszystkich poddanych, co niekoniecznie było prawdą. Co więcej, Konstytucja nie została dokładnie przetłumaczona, co uprościło i wyidealizowało jej znaczenie w relacjach prasowych.The paper investigates the ways the American press of the times portrayed the Constitution of 3rd May 1791. Despite the great distance and the limitations imposed by the technological possibilities of the times, the topic was nonetheless widely commented on at the time and positively received. The Governance Act was valid from the date it was issued, May 3rd 1791, until June 17th, 1793, when the last Sejm, the one which acknowledged the second partition of Poland, was held. It was much appreciated and enthusiastically welcomed in American press, which understood the Constitution as a natural continuation of the process of democratization. However, the articles depicting the document were rather general and far-fetched in their optimism towards introducing democracy, accusing the Constitution of causing social and political changes in Europe. Analyzing press articles, one may jump into hasty conclusion that the king, Stanislaw August Poniatowski, was a reformer whose main goal was to make all his subjects equal, which was not necessarily true. The Constitution was not thoroughly translated, which simplifi ed and idealized its meaning. In the Polish historical and legal literature, the Constitution is regarded as a document of the era in which it was created, focusing on the one hand on introducing minor changes to the social system, and on the other – on much larger reforms in the organization of state power. The authors emphasize that the provisions of this basic law express a clash of different views, both related to the still prevailing feudal relations and the formation of new social and economic conditions. It shows not only the political currents of the time and the postulates of reformist parties, but also the views of the noble masses, who did not agree to too far-reaching system reforms

Self-Control in Weight Loss Process

Classical motivation theories assumed that the probability of success in goal striving process (including weight loss) depended on two factors: likelihood of success and attractiveness of the result. However, research referring to obesity showed that motivational factors are not sufficient in effective weight loss. In other words, obese people value anticipated weight loss but still do not succeed in this process. It is implied by the fact that effectiveness and persistence of this process depend also on volitional factor. This factor refers to self-control mechanisms, which mediate between intention to reach the goal and its enactment. The current empirical data suggest that implementation intentions and mental simulations are especially beneficial techniques of self-control enhancement. This chapter will unveil main theories and research concerning self-control mechanisms and influence of various mental simulations and implementation intentions in weight loss process and weight-related behaviors. Moreover, our empirical data concerning individual differences in self-control of weight loss process are presented

ZWIĄZEK POLIMORFIZMU KAPPA-KAZEINY (CSN3) Z UŻYTKOWOŚCIĄ MLECZNĄ KRÓW PIERWIASTEK

The undertaken study aimed at determining relations between kappa-casein polymorphism and milk performance traits in population of 304 Holstein-Friesian heifer cows bred in fi ve herds in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian region. Numerical data were fi rst verifi ed statistically with the GLM procedure, incorporating the effect of basic factors (herd, date of birth, calving season, share of hf breed in the cows genotype and genotype of kappa-casein gene) on milk performance traits. The effect of some factors on traits was highly signifi cant. Genotype of CASK gene was highly signifi cant on almost all verifi ed milk performance traits. Based on the kappa-casein gene polymorphism, the investigated population was divided into three groups: AA, AB, BB with the share in population of 216, 70 and 18, respectively. The allele A and B frequency was 0,83 and 0,17 respectively. Cows with the AA genotype of kappa-casein were characterized by the highest milk (6414kg), fat (217kg) and protein (209kg) yield, while the lowest fat and protein contents were observed in milk of cows with the BB genotype.Przeprowadzone badania dotyczyły ustalenia zależności między polimorfi zmem kappa-kazeiny a cechami użytkowości mlecznej 304 krów pierwiastek rasy holsztyńsko-fryzyjskiej odmiany czarno-białej użytkowanych w pięciu stadach położonych w województwie kujawsko-pomorskim. Za pomocą wieloczynnikowej analizy wariancji GLM zbadano wpływ podstawowych czynników (stada, daty urodzenia krowy, sezony wycielenia, udziału genów rasy h-f, genotypu pod względem kappa-kazeiny) na cechy związane z użytkowością mleczną pierwiastek. Efekt niektórych czynników okazał się wysoko istotny statystycznie. Wpływ genotypu kappa-kazeiny okazał się wysoko istotny statystycznie na większość badanych cech mleczności w czasie laktacji. Pod względem polimorfi zmu genu kappakazeiny wyodrębniono trzy grupy krów: AA, AB, BB, których udział w populacji wynosił odpowiednio: 216, 70 i 18. Frekwencja allelu A została oszacowana na 0,83, a genu B na 0,17. Krowy o genotypie κ-Cn AA charakteryzowały się najwyższą wydajnością mleka (6414 kg), tłuszczu (271 kg) i białka (209 kg), natomiast najniższą zawartość tłuszczu i białka w mleku stwierdzono w mleku krów o genotypie κ-Cn BB

Selected problems concerning measurement, valuation and accounting for intellectual capital. A discussion paper

The purpose of this study is to confront certain propositions presented in Lesław Niemczyk’s publication Rachunkowość finansowa aktywów kompetencyjnych i kapitału intelektualnego. Nowy dział rachunkowości(Accounting for Competence Assets and Intellectual Capital. A New Area in Accounting) with ideas published in other studies. The authors discuss issues concerning firm value, selected definitions of intellectual capital, as well as certain methods of intellectual capital measurement and valuation. Other problems analysed include accounting for and reporting of intellectual capital and similarities and differences between the way those issues are presented in Polish and in international studies as well as in existing legal regulations and standards