INTRODUCTION TO A METHODOLOGY OF COST MANAGEMENT IN A COLLIERY FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF LONGWALL LIFE CYCLE

The main objective of the article is to present the basic assumptions of the methodology of cost management adjusted to the specificity of underground mining production. In order to achieve the stated objective, the article begins with the characteristics of mining production conducted by a longwall system. Next, there is cost analysis and assessment of the longwall life cycle with the inclusion of the launch, exploitation, and liquidation phases. The phases creating the cycle indicate the course of the basic production process of hard coal. On the basis of the conclusions drawn from the research conducted and the diagnosis of the cost management condition in Polish mining enterprises, the basic requirements are there to formulate the cost management for an underground hard coal mining plant (colliery). These became the grounds for elaborating the basic assumptions of methodology of cost management in the context of longwall life cycle. The present cost accounts were an inspiration for examining the methodology; notably the most useful accounts for hard coal mining are: the cost account in the longwall life cycle, an activity-based cost account, a target-cost account, and a continuous-improvement cost account. It is assumed that particularization and development of the presented assumptions will determine: total and unit costs of particular longwalls’ functioning, costs for longer perspectives than in a balance sheet year, in a depiction of particular longwalls as well as the whole colliery, total and unit costs in a process depiction, the excavation effectiveness from particular longwalls, and the effectiveness of particular processes that are a part of mining production.Currently, the methodology is being tested and developed in the largest Polish mining enterprise, which consists of 15 collieries

Risk, profitability and value of the leading steel producers on the world capital markets

The purpose of the article is an assessment of risk, profitability and value as well as the relationships between these parameters for fifteen leading steel producers in the world. The research methodology uses return on assets, beta coefficient and price/book value ratio (P/BV). The research results allow us to verify negatively two research hypotheses: H1 – The largest steel producers in the world achieve a high level of return on assets and are specific for a lower risk level than the branch one; and H2 – Market value of the leading steel producers with high return on assets is higher than the book value of these enterprises

Profitability of corporate social responsibility activities from the perspective of corporate social managers

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to determine the intensity of CSR activities undertaken by enterprises in Poland and to assess their profitability in terms of stakeholder groups. Design/Methodology/Approach: Questionnaire surveys were conducted on a representative group (by size and sectors of the economy) of 722 large and medium-sized enterprises in Poland in 2019. Respondents were CSR managers, among which three groups of people were identified for whom managing CSR is the only responsibility, is one of the basic responsibilities, CSR activities are one of the many responsibilities. The research hypotheses set out in the article regarding the intensity and profitability of CSR activities directed at individual stakeholders, as well as the complementarity of these activities and the characteristics of the respondents that differentiate their responses, were verified using arithmetic means, Pearson correlation coefficients and Chi-squared test. Findings: Research results indicate that enterprises direct CSR activities to primary stakeholders in the first place. Also, the profitability of CSR activities is usually higher valued in the case of primary stakeholders, while activities directed to the local community and the natural environment received higher ratings than activities directed at public authorities and capital providers. Respondents treat CSR activities directed at all stakeholders as complementary. The respondents' strongest opinions about the orientation of CSR activities and their profitability differentiate the workplace next is sector of the economy and the size of the enterprise has the least difference in assessment. Practical Implications: The results obtained encourage corrections of strategic directions of CSR activities, in the form of an increase in the importance (intensity) of CSR activities directed to local communities and the natural environment. Originality/Value: The research presented is so innovative that CSR managers were selected as the group of respondents. Assuming that the directions (intensity) of CSR activities are adopted (imposed) at the strategic level, the profitability of these activities determined at the operational level verifies the correctness of their orientation.peer-reviewe

Possibilities of Improving the Efficiency of Mining Companies

Polish hard coal mining has been struggling with numerous problems for many years. Currently, the main challenge for the industry is the need to improve efficiency. It is the prerequisite for survival of mining industry. Considering the importance and topicality of the issue there are threats and opportunities regarding efficiency improvement in Polish mining enterprises in terms of production costs presented in the article. Main thesis states that the analysis and evaluation of production costs connected with monitoring the branch and economic environment allows to specify procedures aimed at improving the efficiency in mining companies.In the first stage of the research the costs of coal production in 2006-2009 are analyzed and evaluated. Then, based on the results of the previous stage and review of internal and external conditions of mining enterprises performance, a catalogue of opportunities and threats for efficiency improvement is established. In the first stage of the research following methods are used: analysis of financial records, analysis of the structure and dynamics of the unit cost of production, comparative analysis and case study. In the second part of the research the SWOT analysis is adapted for the purpose of verifying the potential area of efficiency.

Instytucjonalna ochrona dziedzictwa przemysłowego w perspektywie strategicznej w Polsce na przykładzie regionu górnośląskiego

The main objective of the article is to define the concept and fundamental strategic assumptions for the International Documentation and Research Centre on Industrial Heritage for Tourism. To accomplish this objective, the paper presents the results of in-depth interviews conducted among internal and external stakeholders of the International Documentation and Research Centre on Industrial Heritage for Tourism concerning the expectations for future directions of the Centre’s development and the effects of its activity. Then, based on the conducted consultations and the diagnosis of the Centre’s activity to date, the fundamental assumptions of the Centre’s strategy were specified and the key areas of activity were identified. They included: (1) archiving and research actions, and (2) educational and promotional actions.Celem głównym artykułu jest określenie koncepcji i podstawowych założeń strategicznych dla Międzynarodowego Centrum Dokumentacji i Badań nad Dziedzictwem Przemysłowym dla Turystyki. By tak przedstawiony cel zrealizować, przedstawiono wyniki pogłębionych wywiadów przeprowadzonych wśród interesariuszy wewnętrznych i zewnętrznych Międzynarodowego Centrum Dokumentacji i Badań nad Dziedzictwem Przemysłowym dla Turystyki dotyczące oczekiwań w zakresie przyszłych kierunków rozwoju Centrum oraz efektów jego działalności. Następnie, na podstawie przeprowadzonych konsultacji oraz diagnozy dotychczasowego działania Centrum, określono podstawowe założenia jego strategii oraz wytyczono główne obszary działalności obejmujące działania: (1) archiwizacyjno-badawcze oraz (2) edukacyjno-promocyjne

Finansowanie podmiotów ekonomii społecznej a rozwój przedsiębiorczości społecznej w Polsce. Wnioski sprzed kryzysu wywołanego przez COVID-19 i refleksje pokryzysowe

Rozwój przedsiębiorczości społecznej wiąże się z wieloma barierami o zróżnicowanym charakterze. Jedną z najpoważniejszych jest brak środków finansowych, co staje się szczególnie odczuwalne i dokuczliwe w okresie kryzysu gospodarczego. Mając na uwadze powyższe okoliczności, głównym celem prowadzonych rozważań i badań jest analiza źródeł finansowania podmiotów ekonomii społecznej w Polsce z perspektywy historycznej i prognostycznej (w kontekście kryzysu gospodarczego wywołanego pandemią COVID-19) oraz ocena możliwości rozwojowych tych podmiotów w fazie pokryzysowej. Do zrealizowania tak postawionego celu w artykule wykorzystano analizę statystyczną danych na temat źródeł finansowania podmiotów ekonomii społecznej w Polsce. Z przeprowadzonych analiz wynika, że w ujęciu historycznym przedsiębiorczość społeczna w Polsce rozwijała się systematyczne, aczkolwiek wolno. Świadczy o tym rosnąca liczba podmiotów działających w sferze ekonomii społecznej, w tym przede wszystkim stowarzyszeń i fundacji. Rozwój ten jest jednak aktualnie zagrożony z uwagi na zmniejszenie dochodów w sferze publicznej stanowiących główne źródło utrzymania badanych organizacji. Problemem w najbliższej przyszłości może być także pozyskiwanie składek członkowskich będących uzupełniającym źródłem finansowania przedsiębiorczości społecznej. ABSTRACT The development of social entrepreneurship is associated with many barriers of various nature. One of the most serious is the lack of financial resources, which becomes particularly acute and troublesome in times of economic crisis. Considering the above circumstances, the main goal of the considerations and research conducted in this article is to identify the directions of development of social economy entities in Poland and to analyze the sources of financing their activities from a historical and forecasting perspective (in the context of the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic). In order to achieve this goal, the article uses a statistical analysis of data on the sources of financing of social economy entities in Poland. The conducted analyzes show that, historically, social entrepreneurship in Poland was systematically, but slowly, developing. This is evidenced by the growing number of entities operating in the field of the social economy, including primarily associations and foundations. However, this development is currently threatened due to the reduction of revenues in the public sphere, which are the main source of income for the surveyed organizations. In the near future the problem may also be obtaining membership fees which are a supplementary source of financing for social entrepreneurship

Exposure of Polish enterprises to risk within business cycle

In economies with relatively short free-market traditions, enterprises are highly exposed to general economic risk, including fluctuations in the business cycle, which may result in the limitation of their development opportunities and discourage them from undertaking business activity. Having regard to the aforementioned circumstances, the main goal of this article is to assess the exposure of Polish enterprises to the risk related to changes in the economic situa-tion. To achieve the goal set in such a manner, the first part of the article covers the grounds for the undertaken research along with an overview of the literature concerning the presented issues. In the second part of the article, the results of the risk assessment and the relationships of its level to the course of the business cycle in Poland during the years of 2000 to 2015 are shown. In the process of risk measurement, the statistical measures of variability and dynamics indices regarding the financial results of Polish enterprises are used. Whereas, in the course of determining the changes in the business cycle, the author makes use of the changes in the level of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The Effects of Evolutionary Employment Restructuring in the Polish Mining Enterprises in the Context of Sector Risk

Background. Enterprise and industry restructuring is a multi-aspect and complex issue. Considering a large number of decisions accompanying restructuring and the variety of structural transformations, it is also a process burdened with numerous, often conjugate risk sources. The difficult situation of the Polish hard coal mining industry constitutes an additional application premise to undertake the subject study of the effects of employment restructuring in mining enterprises. Research aims. The main purpose of this article is to determine the scale of achievement of the basic goals of employment restructuring in the two largest mining enterprises that consist of 24 hard coal mines. Method. The research period includes the years 2005-2012 and encompasses the time when two subsequent government industrial restructuring programs were introduced: Reforms in the hard coal mining industry in the years 2003-2006 as well as Activity strategy of the hard coal mining industry in Poland in the years 2007-2015. Research concerning the level and efficiency changes was conducted individually for each mine that was part of the particular mining enterprises. When identifying the effects of the completed employment restructuring, a comparison was made related to the unit production costs in the individual mines, with the average purchase price of 1 GJ by the commercial power industry in the years 2005-2012, determining at the same time a group of mines that are periodically or permanently economically ineffective. Key findings. The effects of evolutionary employment restructuring, in the form of efficiency and increased effectiveness, were obtained only in a few of the 24 hard coal mines examined. A failure of restructuring was induced by an ignorance of sector risk, connected with an inflow of cheaper and better quality imported coal under the European Union’s, decarbonization policy, as well as a lack of flexibility in adjusting to changes in the environment, caused by a lack of understanding and acceptance of the necessity for employment restructuring among employees and trade unions

The Effects of Evolutionary Employment Restructuring in the Polish Mining Enterprises in the Context of Sector Risk

Background. Enterprise and industry restructuring is a multi-aspect and complex issue. Considering a large number of decisions accompanying restructuring and the variety of structural transformations, it is also a process burdened with numerous, often conjugate risk sources. The difficult situation of the Polish hard coal mining industry constitutes an additional application premise to undertake the subject study of the effects of employment restructuring in mining enterprises. Research aims. The main purpose of this article is to determine the scale of achievement of the basic goals of employment restructuring in the two largest mining enterprises that consist of 24 hard coal mines. Method. The research period includes the years 2005-2012 and encompasses the time when two subsequent government industrial restructuring programs were introduced: Reforms in the hard coal mining industry in the years 2003-2006 as well as Activity strategy of the hard coal mining industry in Poland in the years 2007-2015. Research concerning the level and efficiency changes was conducted individually for each mine that was part of the particular mining enterprises. When identifying the effects of the completed employment restructuring, a comparison was made related to the unit production costs in the individual mines, with the average purchase price of 1 GJ by the commercial power industry in the years 2005-2012, determining at the same time a group of mines that are periodically or permanently economically ineffective. Key findings. The effects of evolutionary employment restructuring, in the form of efficiency and increased effectiveness, were obtained only in a few of the 24 hard coal mines examined. A failure of restructuring was induced by an ignorance of sector risk, connected with an inflow of cheaper and better quality imported coal under the European Union’s, decarbonization policy, as well as a lack of flexibility in adjusting to changes in the environment, caused by a lack of understanding and acceptance of the necessity for employment restructuring among employees and trade unions

Behawioralne aspekty zarządzania ryzykiem w polskich przedsiębiorstwach w świetle badań ankietowych

Głównym celem artykułu jest identyfikacja i charakterystyka czynników behawioralnych w zarządzaniu ryzykiem w polskich przedsiębiorstwach, przeprowadzona na podstawie badań ankietowych na reprezentatywnej, losowo wybranej próbie średnich i dużych przedsiębiorstw (łącznie 722 podmioty) w 2019 roku. Analizie poddaje się kolejno postrzeganie ryzyka, skłonność do podejmowania ryzyka oraz postawy wobec ryzyka charakteryzujące zarządzających badanymi przedsiębiorstwami. Z badań wynika, że polskie średnie i duże firmy postrzegają ryzyko głownie jako zagrożenie. Charakteryzuje je także wysoka deklaratywna skłonność do podejmowania ryzyka, która nie znajduje jednak bezpośredniego odzwierciedlenia w postawach wobec ryzyka (dominuje unikanie ryzyka)