Covid-19 as a source of failure or a catalyst for positive changes in business?

Theoretical background: Beyond doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a series of perturbations in the economies of almost every country in the world. This global crisis has contributed to the business turmoil and has been seen in services in particular. Due to restrictions on economic activity introduced by governments of countries, which were aimed at slowing down the scale of virus infections, many enterprises faced a severe dilemma, i.e. how to continue their activities, how to survive the crisis, and maybe end this activity, or change it into another. For many companies, the pandemic crisis turned out to cause multi-faceted losses and even bankruptcy. But also, some companies saw the crisis as an opportunity to introduce positive changes and gain new sales markets and customers. For these companies, the coronavirus pandemic has become a growth catalyst.Purpose of the article: The theoretical part of the article is devoted to analyzing the literature resources on the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on business. In the practical part, the author explores the results of the quantitative research conducted in 2021 to find out how the coronavirus influenced the functioning of the SME sector in Poland. The author posed the following research questions: How did coronavirus impact the functioning of enterprises? How did companies cope with this crisis? Was the pandemic crisis a source of financial failure or collapse of Polish enterprises? Was it an opportunity for market success? Did the pandemic initiate new business strategies, cause or accelerate changes in the business model?Research methods: The literature review was made using the database of scientific articles in Google Scholar and ResearchGate. The author searched for relevant articles using the following keywords: “COVID-19”, “coronavirus”, “pandemic”, “pandemic crisis”, and “lockdown”. The quantitative study covered 500 Polish business entities operating in production, trade, and services in domestic and foreign markets. There were no limitations regarding the area of activity (according to the Polish Classification of Activities) or the number of years of firms’ presence on the market. The study did not cover large enterprises, i.e. 250 or more employees.Main findings: In general, the coronavirus pandemic caused problems in the market but did not contribute to the drastic collapse of the SME sector, nor was it a catalyst for their spectacular development. The conducted study showed that most companies dealt moderately well with the pandemic crisis. They took remedial action to avoid a complete loss of liquidity, going out of business, and bankruptcy risk. A small percentage saw an opportunity in the crisis or used this time to improve their situation.Theoretical background: It can be said without a doubt that the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has caused a series of perturbations in the economies of almost every country in the world. This global crisis has contributed to the business turmoil and has been seen in services in particular. Due to restrictions on economic activity introduced by governments of countries, which were aimed at slowing down the scale of virus infections, many enterprises faced a severe dilemma, i.e., how to continue their activities, how to survive the crisis, and maybe end this activity, or change it into another. For many companies, the pandemic crisis turned out to cause multi-faceted losses and even bankruptcy. But also, some companies saw the crisis as an opportunity to introduce positive changes, and gain new sales markets and customers. For these companies, the coronavirus pandemic has become a growth catalyst.Purpose of the article: The article presents the collected results of the study, discusses the conclusions drawn, and compares with other results of the research conducted so far available in the literature on the subject. The theoretical part of the article is devoted to the analysis of the literature resources on the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on business in the country and abroad, with particular emphasis on the SME sector. In the practical part, the author analyzes the results of her research conducted in 2021 to learn about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the functioning of Polish micro, small and medium-sized enterprises throughout Poland. The author tries to answer the questions: To what extent did the coronavirus pandemic affect the functioning of enterprises, and how did companies cope with this crisis? For how many companies the pandemic crisis was a source of economic failure or collapse? For how many, it was an opportunity for reorganization, a chance for market success, a stimulus for new business strategies, or a reason for introducing changes in the business model? Research methods: The quantitative study covered 500 Polish business entities operating in the domestic and foreign markets in production, trade, and services. There were no limitations on the area of activity (according to the Polish Classification of Activities), nor the number of years of firms’ presence on the market. The study did not cover large enterprises, i.e., 250 or more employees. It was assumed that the introduced prohibitions and constraints in trade and services in 2020-2021 had many effects on economic activity and forced entrepreneurs to take appropriate measures to keep the company on the market and survive the pandemic crisis.Main findings: In general, it can be stated, taking into account other studies conducted so far in this field, that the coronavirus pandemic caused perturbations on the market but did not contribute to the drastic collapse of the SME sector, nor was it a catalyst for their spectacular development. The results of the conducted study showed that most companies dealt moderately well with the pandemic crisis. They took remedial action to avoid a complete loss of liquidity, going out of business and the risk of bankruptcy. A small percentage saw an opportunity in the crisis or used this time to improve their situation

Etyka a pedagogika. Myśl pedagogiczna Jacka Woronieckiego w odniesieniu do współczesnej edukacji

The article addresses the pedagogical achievements of Jacek Woroniecki. Reference is made to his works, in which he made ethics and the moral aspect the basic manifestation of educational activity. Guided by a concern for the proper moral level of people in all manifestations of their lives, Woroniecki created a body of work and thinking from which we can draw, regardless of the current conditions. The reflections resulting from them, prompting the reader to build morally good relationships between educators and pupil, make the subjectivity of a human being the basic paradigm of education, which is so important and inalienable in today’s reality as well. The subject of this article is therefore the topicality of Woroniecki’s views in relation to the contemporary space of educational influence. It points to the very important aspect of the integrity of ethics and pedagogy, which the thinker raises to constitute a pillar of his pedagogy, or more precisely, of aretology, a synthesis of the humanism of Greek paideia and Christian pedagogy. A separate section is devoted to epistemological references to the idea of paedagogia perennis, pointing to the cognitive inseparability of philosophy and pedagogy and – in relation to pedagogical practice – of upbringing and education. Taking into consideration the need for contemporary educators to constantly search for new educational paths, to take sometimes difficult directions in their professional practice, Woroniecki’s classic thought in the world of relativized values may turn out to be “the path leading man to moral maturity.” Woroniecki’s achievements in this respect definitely have a great, timeless pedagogical value.W artykule zaprezentowano rozważania nad dorobkiem pedagogicznym Jacka Woronieckiego. Odwołano się do prac autora, w których etykę i aspekt moralny uczynił podstawowym przejawem szeroko rozumianej działalności edukacyjno-wychowawczej. Kierowany troską o właściwy poziom moralny człowieka we wszelkich przejawach jego życia, zbudował katalog refleksji i podpowiedzi, z których możemy czerpać niezależnie od aktualnych uwarunkowań. Przemyślenia z nich płynące, skłaniające czytelnika do budowania moralnie prawidłowych relacji między osobą wychowawcy i wychowanka, czynią z podmiotowości człowieka podstawowy paradygmat edukacji, tak istotny i niezbywalny również w dzisiejszych realiach. Przedmiotem dociekań niniejszego artykułu uczyniono zatem kwestię aktualności poglądów Woronieckiego w odniesieniu do współczesnej przestrzeni oddziaływań edukacyjnych. Wskazano tu na podnoszony przez myśliciela istotny aspekt integralności etyki z pedagogiką, stanowiący filar jego pedagogiki, a ściślej aretologii, będącej syntezą humanizmu greckiej paidei oraz chrześcijańskiej pedagogiki. Osobne miejsce poświęcono epistemologicznym odniesieniom idei paedagogiae perennis wskazującej na nierozłączność poznawczą filozofii i pedagogiki oraz – w wymiarze praktyki pedagogicznej – wychowania i edukacji. Biorąc pod uwagę konieczność nieustannych poszukiwań przez współczesnych pedagogów nowych edukacyjnych ścieżek, obierania nieraz trudnych kierunków w swojej praktyce zawodowej, klasyczna myśl Woronieckiego w świecie zrelatywizowanych wartości może się okazać ścieżką wiodącą „człowieka do moralnej dojrzałości”. Dorobek Woronieckiego posiada w tym zakresie ogromny, ponadczasowy walor pedagogiczny

A comparative analysis of drinking water quality management systems in Poland

Purpose: The article aims to present and discuss the results of comparative analysis of applied methods in water treatment processes, and to assess whether they belong to the group of advanced and strategic methods used in the treatment and improvement of drinking water quality. Design/Approach/Methodology: The theoretical part of the article discusses the state of drinking water regions of Poland in terms of its chemical, physical, and biological properties, considering the level of pollution. Next, the drinking water quality management scheme in Poland is presented from the organizational point of view, then, Poland's drinking water quality regulations, both national and EU, have been characterized, as well as a few legal norms and programs supporting the ecological campaign in Poland "I drink tap water". In the succeeding part of the article, attention was paid to a detailed analysis of the methods used in Poland in the processes of drinking water treatment and improvement. Findings: Based on the comparative analysis, final conclusions have been drawn up indicating the most effective and ecologically sound methods used in water treatment processes to improve drinking water status in the regions of Poland in such a way that it not only meets legal and environmental standards but is also an essential factor in improving the quality of health, life and economic situation of a given social group. Practical Implications: The article brings a number of valuable information that can be the base material and reference to further research, programs and studies for local governments, practitioners and scientific specialists dealing with issues of improving the quality of drinking water, effective management of water resources, ecology or aspects of environmental protection. Originality/Value: The results of the comparative analysis and theoretical considerations in this article complement the current research in the field of drinking water quality management, and may become a valuable resource of knowledge and a set of specimens that can be useful in developing dissertations in the field of management, environment and ecology.peer-reviewe

Activity coefficient at infinite dilution of aqueous solutions of nonionic hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon surfactants as well as their ternary mixtures

Activity coefficients at infinite dilution of the aqueous solutions of nonionic hydrocarbon surfactants, p-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl) phenoxypoly(ethylene glycols), Triton X-100 (TX100) and Triton X-165 (TX165), fluorocarbon surfactants, Zonyl FSN-100 (FSN100) and Zonyl FSO-100 (FSO100) and their ternary mixtures were determined from the Gracia-Fadrique et al. method for non-volatile compounds. The values of activity coefficients were calculated taking into account the surface tension data of the studied systems at 293K and compared to those determined on the basis of the values of the contact angle of solutions on the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) surfaces and the solid-liquid interface tension

A review on physicochemical measurements by headspace gas chromatography. Studies of vapour-liquid equilibria.

Headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC) is a powerful technique for the analysis of volatile compounds. It has found broad applications for quantitative and qualitative analyses of various samples as well as for physicochemical measurements. This paper briefly reviews the basic physicochemical applications of HS-GC including vapour pressure measurements and studies of vapour-liquid equilibria in multicomponent systems. A special attention is paid to methodological aspects of these measurements. The advantages and limitations of HS-GC in this field as well as typical applications are also pointed out

Study of the influence of the binary mixtures of fluorocarbon surfactants on the surface tension of water

Influence of the binary mixtures of fluorocarbon surfactants Zonyl FSO-100  (FSO100) and Zonyl FSN-100 (FSN100) on the surface tension of the water was studied. The effectiveness of adsorption process of the surfactant at the water-air interface was calculated from the obtained values of the surface tension of studied mixtures. Also the maximum surface area per molecule of surfactant in the interfacial area  and the free energy at the water-air interface  were determined. Moreover, the existence of synergetizm or antagonism effect, which reduces the surface tension of the water was examined. On the basis of the Rosen's model parameter the values of intermolecular interactions in the mixed monolayer adsorption were calculated

Pokolenie wypalonych, pokolenie straconych, czyli obraz społeczno-obyczajowy młodego pokolenia Irańczyków na przestrzeni lat 1997-2014

This paper touches the phenomenon of "burned generation " in Iran that due to return to the path of Islam after 2005 during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lost hope for pro-democratic changes in the daily lives of citizens, loosening the shackles of the regime of the church, the improvement of economic situation in the country and Iran's economic walking out of isolation zone in the international arena in contrary to the years of perspectives and hopes of Rafsanjani's and Khatami's governanceNiniejsze opracowanie dotyka zjawiska „wypalonego pokolenia” w Iranie, które na skutek powrotu na drogę wartości islamskich po 2005 za czasów prezydentury Mahmuda Ahmadineżada utraciło nadzieje na prodemokratyczne zmiany w codziennym życiu obywateli, rozluźnienie kajdan reżimu kościoła, poprawę sytuacji ekonomiczno-gospodarczej w kraju i wyprowadzenie Iranu ze strefy izolacji na arenie międzynarodowej w odróżnieniu od pełnych perspektyw lat rządów Rafsandżaniego i Chatamiego

Początki praktyki opiekuńczo-wychowawczej i kształtowania się publiczno-prawnego systemu opieki nad dzieckiem w Piotrkowie Trybunalskim do 1918 roku

Caring for children deprived of parental care is one of the oldest responsibilities of the community towards their weakest representatives. Over the ages it was the abandoned and orphaned children who were first placed in the aid. For the centuries its forms were also developed and improved. Supposedly the oldest of them had the character of  spontaneous individual or social initiatives, yet unorganized, often occasional, caused by human empathy or heart reflexes, sometimes bearing a mark of  biological rescue. Above all, it concerns alimentation and shelter. Further forms were associated with charitable activity of the Catholic Church and other organizations, most often of religious nature, that took over the responsibility for the most needy. It seemed common to them to understand care as a social activity of charitable and self-help nature. Help for children was mostly linked to philanthropic or educational activities. However, the fundamentals of properly understood systemic care over the youngest in Poland can only be traced after the First World War. The following article  is an exemplification of the activities of the oldest organizations and institutions in Piotrków Trybunalski, a city of  rich philanthropic tradition, directed to its youngest inhabitants. It is also an attestation to the words of Henryk Sienkiewicz said   about  Polska Macierz Szkolna in a year 1905 that "the sacrifice of the Polish society is simply inexhaustible. Many can be imputed to our national character and we are aware of our faults and shortcomings but when it comes to sacrificing a penny for public affairs few nations surpass us and even foreigners do justice to us in this respect". One may think these words have not lost their relevance today.Troska o dzieci pozbawione opieki rodzicielskiej jest jednym z najstarszych obowiązków społeczności wobec swych najsłabszych przedstawicieli. Na przestrzeni wieków to do dzieci opuszczonych i sierocych w pierwszej kolejności kierowano działania pomocowe. Od wieków również rozwijano i doskonalono formy niesionej pomocy. Bodaj najstarsze z nich miały charakter samorzutnych inicjatyw indywidualnych bądź społecznych, jeszcze niezorganizowanych, często okazjonalnych, powodowanych ludzką empatią, niekiedy noszących znamiona biologicznego ratownictwa. Mowa tu przede wszystkim o akcjach dożywiania lub zapewnienia schronienia. Kolejne formy były związane z dobroczynną działalnością Kościoła katolickiego oraz innych organizacji najczęściej o charakterze wyznaniowym, które przejęły odpowiedzialność za najbardziej potrzebujących. Wspólne dla nich zdawało się rozumienie opieki jako aktywności społecznej o charakterze dobroczynnym i samopomocowym. Pomoc dzieciom przeważnie łączono z działalnością filantropijną bądź oświatowo-wychowawczą. Jednakże podwalin właściwie pojmowanej opieki systemowej nad najmłodszymi w Polsce możemy odnaleźć dopiero po I wojnie światowej. Niniejszy artykuł jest egzemplifikacją działalności istniejących w Piotrkowie Trybunalskim – mieście o bogatej tradycji filantropijnej – najstarszych organizacji i instytucji kierujących swą pomoc do najmłodszych mieszkańców. Jest zarazem poświadczaniem słów Henryka Sienkiewicza wypowiedzianych w sprawie Macierzy Szkolnej z 1905 roku, że „[…] ofiarność polskiego społeczeństwa jest wprost niewyczerpana. Wielu przyganom może podlegać nasz narodowy charakter i sami zdajemy sobie sprawę z naszych wad i braków, gdy chodzi jednak o poświęcenie grosza dla sprawy publicznej, mało narodów nas przewyższa, a i nawet cudzoziemcy oddają nam pod tym względem sprawiedliwość”. Można sądzić, że współcześnie słowa te nie straciły aktualności

Development of technology for creating an augmented reality application for business purposes

The scientific novelty of this work is the development of technology for creating an augmented reality application for managing to advertise. The use of augmented reality is becoming a standard format in advertising. The main difference between augmented reality advertising is the ability to present consumer goods or services and involve them in their use. This article aims to develop technology for creating a mobile AR application for Android devices. The article develops a mental map of the distribution of AR systems. The technology of generating an AR mobile application with elements of interactive interaction for a device running Android OS is proposed. An information scheme of the AR application development process has been created, which reflects the relationship between external and internal development factors