Social Sciences

Perceived Fairness of Online Price Differentiation: In Search of Symmetry

Ilona Bondos — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0200

This study investigates the issue of pricing with a focus on potential asymmetric effects of positive and negative price deviations –

deviations from the internal reference price – price paid the other buyers of durable good (car navigation system). The results indicate that the hypothesized asymmetric effects between positive and negative price deviations exist in buyers’ judgments of price fairness, although this is not the case in overall price perceptions.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ss.90.4.14247

The Concept and the Level of Virtualization in Contemporary Companies (Based on the Example of Polish Firms)

Tomasz Janicki, Wojciech Popławski, Urszula Słupska — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0200

This article addresses the phenomenon of virtualization of economic activity. It is considered in the article in the context of the concept of virtual organizations that is already recognised in the subject literature. The theoretical basis of the publication is therefore a reflection on the essence of a virtual organization, its characteristics and the ability to analyse the profile and the level of the virtualization of today’s companies. A virtual organization is seen here as a specific form of organizing cooperation among independent companies in the contemporary business world. The practical part of the article is based on the results of research that allowed empirical verification of the theoretical considerations. The study covered companies operating within the territory of the Republic of Poland. The outcome of the research conducted allowed determining the level of virtualization in the surveyed companies. The characteristics of the virtualization process of the surveyed companies was created.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ss.90.4.14248

From Readers to Users and Creators. Migration of Printed Media Readers to the Internet: Research Results of 2007 - 2015

Jan Kreft — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0200

A decrease in the interest in traditional media andthe choice of social network media as the main sources of information come as the essential conclusions formulated after the research on the evolution of media usage. Such migratory behaviour presented by users of printed media and television can be defined as an integral element of media convergence. The article aims at the presentation of the research results and the analysis of the research on changes in media consumption, with a particular consideration of printed media, carried out in Poland in the years 2007 – 2015. The survey was cyclically carried out over the period of eight years. It involved a group of 720 respondents aged 20 – 21, who were students of three faculties at Gdansk University. The research suggests that traditional paper printed newspapers are less and less read, whereas there has been a significant increase in the number of the Internet editions of printed media readers. The decreasing interest in traditional media does not proceed evenly. The decline in the interest in television appears to be much more noticeable than the decrease in the interest in reading daily printed media. The significance of weekly and monthly periodicals has been also decreased. The position of the radio, however, maintains at a stable level. The media platforms of the first choice are social networking websites such as Facebook and, to some lesser extent, information internet portals. The research of printed media consumption indicates a slight decrease in the level of meeting newspaper readers’ expectations. The group of people who have stopped buying newspapers has considerably increased. The trends listed above come as the elements of a discussion concerning the relations between the new and the old media. Media users’ migratory behaviour does not only apply to the reader market but to the advertisement market as well. Publishers and advertisers are facing the decline of their audience who has been one of the most attractive.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ss.90.4.14250

Notes on Contributors

Editorial Board — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0200

The Innovative Forms of Rural Entrepreneurship: Care Farms

Anna J. Parzonko — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0200

The term ‘social farming’ comprises all activities which use agricultural resources in order to provide various services in the field of care, social reintegration, training, social and vocational rehabilitation of the disadvantaged and training of people with particular needs.

This paper is an attempt to present the most important preconditions for social farming in Poland with particular emphasis put on population projections. It has been assumed that the phenomenon of population ageing may play a key role in the development of social farming.

The paper explores the new opportunities emerging for rural entrepreneurship and presents care farms as the example of an innovative solution in this area.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ss.90.4.14254

Relationship between Knowledge Management and Innovation

Katarzyna Walecka-Jankowska — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0200

The article presents the results of empirical research related to determinants of innovation. Both practitioners and theoreticians deal with the problems of managing innovation, seeking its determinants which can emerge by minimizing barriers to the creation and implementation of innovations The author concentrate on one of the most important determinant: knowledge management. The purpose of this article is to present which knowledge process is the most important for supporting business innovation in comparison to other variables

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ss.90.4.14260

Guest Editor’s Note

Editorial Board — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0200

Establishing Relations Between Enterprises and Non-Governmental Organizations: Selected Aspects

Edyta Rudawska, Marta Bloch — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0200

Mutual cooperation has become a mechanism that businesses and non-government organizations have adopted in order to address complex social problems that neither sector alone has the ability, resources and knowledge to deal with appropriately. By integrating two different perspectives these relations can create an added value in the long run for both parties as well as for the society. The present work focuses on the identification of conditions of establishing relations with local enterprises by non-government organizations in peripheral areas, as well as identification of local enterprises leaders’ opinions and attitude in relation to the creation of relations with entities of the third sector.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ss.90.4.14255

Exploring Governance Among Social Co-Operatives: Three Models From Poland

Marzena Starnawska — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0200

There has been overly interest regarding social enterprise and social entrepreneurship in theory and practice. In this paper the author introduces the workings of governance of small social enterprises i.e. social co-operatives, acting in most cases for the purpose of work and social integration of the marginalized, at the bottom of the pyramid of socio-economic system. The aim of this paper is to provide insights into under researched topic of governance among social co-operatives, which have become a unique breed in social enterprise and co-operative landscape in Poland since 2007. Having collected vast amount of data through in-depth interviews with social co-operative members and founders, observation, and participation to the meetings in organizations supporting social enterprise in Pomeranian province[1], the author employs descriptive and exploratory case analysis of 5 social co-operatives. Because of the space constraints only selected data are presented in the paper. The author proposes three models of social co-operative governance types: ‘small democratic community’, ‘business providing jobs’ and ‘integrated family like’.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ss.90.4.14257

The Use of Financial Information by Polish Donors

Halina Waniak-Michalak, Zarzycka Ewelina — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0200

The aim of this article is to examine whether the financial information predominant in the statements drawn up for donors by Public Benefit Organisations (PBO) are used by the former when choosing the organisation to transfer 1% of their income tax too. The objective is implemented by conducting a survey among individual donors in Poland.

The obtained results show that donors take the decision to support a given organisation with 1% of their income tax to little extent relying on financial information. However, one of the greatest limitation of the study was the structure of the sample that consisted of only 236 persons.

The results of studies can help the legislator to develop reporting standards for PBOs and can help PBOs to create achievement measurement systems. The research is trying to identify the information and financial indicators that would be understandable to the majority of Polish taxpayers and whose publication would make it possible to compare those organisations with each other. It is important because, in majority of post-communist countries, there are currently no clearly defined rules and indicators according to which one could evaluate PBOs.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ss.90.4.14261