Crucial factors for improving the ISO 14001 environmental management system

The practice of using environmental management systems (EMS) ISO 14001 at the organisational level indicates that the efficacy of such solutions depends on many factors, both endogenous and exogenous in nature. This article aims to identify the fac- tors that determine the opportunities for the improvement of EMS in organisations, the analysis of the relationship between the factors and the classification of the factors due to their role in the system improvement. The structural analysis was used to classify and identify the key factors and then to categorize these factors into five groups. Finally, the role of these key factors in improving environmental management systems was exam- ined. Based on the findings, guidelines can be offered to both scholars and practitioners regarding the factors crucial for the improvement of the EMS. Aiming to add value to the existing literature, the structural analysis was adapted to classification and identification of the key factors. From the point of view of practitioners, it seems to be very profitable to concentrate on the crucial factors during the process of EMS improvement

Effectiveness and Benefits of the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme: Evidence from Polish Organisations

Climate change and environmental pollution are considered to be among the main challenges faced by the modern world. The growth of environmental awareness and the adoption of a pro-environmental approach are considered to be the key megatrends with the greatest impact on the global economy in the upcoming years. According to Eurobarometer, EU citizens are particularly aware of the importance of protecting the environment. Although the negative environmental impact of European industry has improved over the past decades, EU citizens believe that there is further scope in terms of helping companies transition towards adopting more sustainable models. One of the factors contributing to the reduction in negative environmental impact is the participation of enterprises in voluntary programs such as the Environmental Management System (EMS), according to ISO 14001, or the Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). The whole population of Polish companies registered under the EMAS was included in the study and although the sample size was small, it was a full study, and for that reason allows for the generalisation and conclusion regarding the whole population of EMAS-registered companies in Poland. The results of the study conducted on EMAS-registered organisations in Poland in 2015 suggest that the average effectiveness of the EMAS observed between 2007 and 2014 was 66.4%. The aim of this study was to review the changes in EMAS effectiveness and benefits obtained by participating organisations after five years. The results indicate that the average effectiveness during the period of 2015–2020 increased to 79.1%; nevertheless, registered organisations recognise fewer benefits for participation in the scheme. The study has shown that as EMAS matures in organisations, it becomes more effective. It influences a lot of factors, such as environmental awareness and management commitment, the use of SRDs (including BEMPs), environmental performance indicators for specific sectors, the criteria for the excellence of assessing the level of environmental performance, and the skilful use of indicators in organisations

Development of the functionality of mobile applications in crisis situations: the case of Polish commercial banks

Purpose: This paper aims to contribute to the field by exploring the development of the functionality of mobile applications in crises using commercial banks as an example. Design/methodology/approach: This research was conducted between 2020 and 2022 in 13 commercial banks, performing a total of 390 complete tests of mobile applications by 30 clients (respondents). Findings: It was found that mobile applications are becoming a significant customer service channel in some banks. In addition, the mobile application is helpful for the client since it can replace personal contact with the bank in terms of service without needing additional support from an advisor in other contact channels. It was also found that crises significantly accelerate the development of mobile applications to meet customers' needs and expectations. Research limitations/implications: The research was conducted as part of the Institution of the Year project in 2020, 2021, and 2022. The study was carried out in 13 commercial banks, performing 390 complete tests of mobile applications by 30 clients (respondents). Practical implications: Crises, which have occurred frequently in recent years, force managers to take measures to respond quickly to the needs and expectations of customers. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic made it impossible for many customers to contact direct sales field personnel directly. The banking sector has also been affected by this problem. Although banks had used mobile applications for some time, customers could only use a limited set of functions. They had to go to a bank branch to open an account or take a loan. Social implications: To meet customer requirements, bank managers make strategic decisions to improve mobile applications to meet the needs and expectations of customers and achieve a high level of satisfaction. There are many studies on responding to crises in various sectors. The research results will positively influence the improvement of the quality of services as well as the progress of the quality of life of society. Originality/value: No research has been conducted on customers' role in creating new mobile application improvements. Therefore, the article presents the research results in this field, and the appropriate conclusions were drawn

Naujos valdymo sistemos kaip instrumentai įgyvendinant darnios plėtros koncepciją organizaciniu lygmeniu

Diversity of contemporary management concepts, short life duration of some of them, fashion of implementing popular solutions, indiscriminate adoption of management systems in companies simultaneously with a long period of waiting for positive effects of implemented changes and decreasing involvement of employees lead to the situation in which many companies still face unresolved dilemma of choosing the right strategy of acting that ensures sustainable development of a unit. Therefore, new solutions should be treated as one of the elements of organization improvement, not as an objective as such, and as the way of solving the existing problems. One of the ways of realizing sustainable development principles at the level of an organizational unit is implementation of normalized systems elaborated by International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The article presents a proposal of the way of implementing sustainable development concept at organizational level using three systems: quality, environmental, occupational health and safety managemen

New management systems as an instrument of implementation sustainable development concept at organizational level / Naujos valdymo sistemos kaip instrumentai įgyvendinant darnios plėtros koncepciją organizaciniu lygmeniu

Diversity of contemporary management concepts, short life duration of some of them, fashion of implementing popular solutions, indiscriminate adoption of management systems in companies simultaneously with a long period of waiting for positive effects of implemented changes and decreasing involvement of employees lead to the situation in which many companies still face unresolved dilemma of choosing the right strategy of acting that ensures sustainable development of a unit. Therefore, new solutions should be treated as one of the elements of organization improvement, not as an objective as such, and as the way of solving the existing problems. One of the ways of realizing sustainable development principles at the level of an organizational unit is implementation of normalized systems elaborated by International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The article presents a proposal of the way of implementing sustainable development concept at organizational level using three systems: quality, environmental, occupational health and safety management. Santrauka Šiuolaikinių valdymo koncepcijų įvairovė ir jų trumpalaikiškumas (kai kurių), polinkis įgyvendinti populiarius sprendimus, beatodairiškas valdymo sistemų diegimas ilgai laukiant teigiamų pokyčių, taip pat darbuotoju dalyvavimo, priimant sprendimus, mažinimas sukuria situaciją, kai daugelis bendrovių vis dar susiduria su neišspręsta dilema - pasirinkti tinkama strategiją darniam organizacijos vystymuisi užtikrinti. Todėl nauji sprendimai turėtų būti traktuojami kaip organizacijos tobulinimo elementai, o ne kaip panacėja esamoms problemoms išspręsti. Vienas darnaus vystymosi principų įgyvendinimo būdų ‐ diegti standartizuotas sistemas, parengtas Tarptautines standartizacijos organizacijos (ISO) įmonėse. Straipsnyje siūloma darnaus vystymosi koncepcija organizacijos lygmeniu įgyvendinti naudojant tris valdymo sistemas: kokybės, aplinkos apsaugos, darbuotojų saugos ir sveikatos valdymo. First published online: 09 Jun 2011 Reikšminiai žodžiai: darnus vystymasis, aplinkos valdymas, kokybės valdymas, saugos valdyma

Możliwości wykorzystania wymagań EMAS w zakresie sprawozdawczości środowiskowej w ramach raportowania ESG w wybranych koncernach branży motoryzacyjnej

The lack of uniform guidelines on how ESG measures are calculated leads to a lack of trans-parency and problems while comparing them over time and between different entities. It can be noted that EMAS, may help in the implementation of ESG reporting. The aim of the article is to analyse the possibility of using environmental reporting required under Regulation in the field of ESG reporting and to indicate the possibilities of using existing solutions to ensure comparability of results between individual areas regarding environmental impact and organisations. This article presents the latest guidelines in the field of sustainability reporting, assesses the possibility of using the existing reporting under EMAS to report environmental indicators, and presents the current approach of selected automotive concerns to ESG reporting. The article contributes to the utilisation of existing reporting systems in order not to impose an excessive administrative burden on enterprises and to maximise synergies.Brak jednolitych wytycznych dotyczących sposobu obliczania mierników ESG pro-wadzi do braku transparentności oraz problemów z porównywaniem ich na przestrzeni czasu oraz pomiędzy różnymi podmiotami. Można zauważyć, że pomocne we wdrażaniu raportowania ESG będą systemy zarządzania środowiskowego, a w szczególności wymagania EMAS. Celem artykułu jest analiza możliwości wykorzystania raportowania środowiskowego wymaganego w ramach rozporządzenia 2018/2026 w zakresie raportowania ESG oraz wskazanie możliwości wykorzystania dotychczasowych rozwiązań w celu zapewnienia porównywalności wyników pomiędzy poszczególnymi obszarami dotyczącymi wpływu na środowisko oraz organizacjami. W niniejszej publikacji przedstawiono najnowsze wytyczne w zakresie sprawozdawczości dotyczącej zrównoważonego rozwoju, poddano ocenie możliwość wykorzystania dotychczasowej sprawozdawczości stosowanej w ramach EMAS do raportowania wskaźników środowiskowych oraz zaprezentowano obecne podejście wybranych koncernów motoryzacyjnych do raportowania ESG. Artykuł przyczynia się do wykorzystania istniejących systemów raportowania, aby nie nakładać nadmiernego obciążenia administracyjnego na przedsiębiorstwa i maksymalnie wykorzystać efekt synergii

The influence of information about food safety management system on purchase decisions of individual consumers Wpływ informacji o systemie zapewnienia bezpieczeństwa żywności na decyzje nabywcze konsumentów indywidualnych

The article presents the result of research on the influence of information about food safety management system on purchase decisions of consumers

LCA as an element in environmental management systems—comparison of conditions in selected organisations in Poland, Sweden and Germany. Part 2: Results of survey research

Purpose In this two-part paper (Background and Initial Assumptions (Part 1) and Results of Survey Research (Part 2)), we present surveys whose main objective is to determine, whether and to what extent the life cycle assessment (LCA) technique is used for the identification and assessment of environmental aspects in environmental management systems (EMS) and whether there are any differences in this respect between the companies and countries analysed.Methods The survey research was carried out using the computer assisted self-administered interviewing (CASI) method among selected Polish, German and Swedish organisations which implement EMS in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14001 and/or the EMAS regulation.Results The organisations investigated, regardless of their country, are dominated by qualitative and semi-quantitative techniques of assessment and identification of environmental aspects. LCA was used sporadically, although some differences can be observed between the countries analysed.Conclusions The environmental managers accustomed to traditional qualitative and semi-quantitative solutions, have not been given preparation to enable them to understand and adopt the different approaches such as LCA. On the other hand, representatives of the organisations investigated declared that they were ready to accept an even longer timescale for the identification and assessment processes relating to environmental aspects, which represents a potential opportunity for LCA. The more precise understanding and definition of environmental problems that are precisely defined in LCA would represent a novelty for environmental managers. In practice, environmental problems are defined in a general sense and rather ambiguously, as this level of detail is sufficient in the context of qualitative and semi-quantitative techniques commonly used for the identification and assessment of environmental aspects