Regional Barometer. Analyses & Prognoses

Potential Changes in Land Use and Plant Production in Poland in the Context of Implementing the European Green Deal

2024-02-02T15:07:33+01:00

The purpose of this paper is to identify the potential changes in agricultural land use in Poland as a consequence of implementing the European Green Deal, including its potential economic effects. The study covered crops of key importance to Polish agriculture, cultivated in a total area of 8.2 million ha, which accounts for more than 60% of land in good agricultural condition. The analyses were based on average values for 2016–2020 and used three scenarios for EGD implementation by 2030 (no EGD; partial implementation of the EGD; full implementation of the EGD). Each analysis took account of changes in the area of land under conventional, organic and precision farming systems. The study found that EGD requirements can be met by implementing the precision farming system, especially for intensive farming schemes like rape and sugar beet. Organic farming should be used either for extensively farmed cereals like oat or for fruits which are sold at higher prices when farmed organically. Another finding is that the full implementation of the EGD could decrease the production volume of key Polish crops by 13%, which can have important social impacts, such as increased prices of food products or a deterioration of food security.

Regional Smart Specializations and Sustainability: The Challenges of the European Green Deal

2024-02-02T15:07:28+01:00

The announcement of the European Green Deal in 2019 was an important milestone in the European Union in terms of implementing the basic principles of sustainable development. Since then, most strategic documents in the community, but also in countries and regions, have referred to the concept. An important development from the previous Europe 2020 strategy, announced in 2010, was the reliance on place-based policy, which was reflected in the establishment of smart specializations at national and regional levels. Although the previous strategy had also referred to sustainable development, the specializations did not explicitly address this concept. The purpose of the article is to review the Regional Smart Specializations (RS3) in the Polish regions in the context of the concept of sustainable development and recommendations for modifying these specializations to bring them in line with the basic areas indicated in the European Green Deal. The article uses an analysis of relevant data, provides a review of the literature on the subject, and refers to key strategic documents of the European Union.

Time to Rethink Energy: An Initiative towards Renewable and Smart Energy. A Comparative Analysis of Poland and Germany and Conclusions for Cross-Border Cooperation and Improving Resilience

2024-02-02T15:07:39+01:00

By analyzing the regional disparities in energy production and consumption between Poland and Germany, and precisely defining the concept of smart energy (SE), we contribute to the discussion on the challenges related to “territorially oriented energy management” policy. On the basis of our research, we take the position that cooperation between border communes in terms of energy challenges is becoming extremely relevant. This study draws on quantitative and qualitative data. We undertook a comparative study of energy production and consumption in Poland and Germany, thus presenting a regional and local perspective. The main research outcomes are conclusions resulting from the comparison of different strategies in the energy areas of Poland and Germany, a definition of the term SE, and solutions concerning interregional, and especially cross-border, cooperation. One of the key conclusions of this study is that in practice regional asymmetry in the Polish-German borderland may stimulate wider cross-border cooperation based on the SE concept.

Energy Security in National Security Strategies: A Multiple Case Study

2024-02-02T15:07:42+01:00

The aim of the study is to identify energy security issues in the assumptions of national security strategic documents. The study seeks responses to the following research questions: (1) What aspects of energy security are included in national security strategies? (2) Are national security strategies oriented to a comprehensive approach combining the issue of energy security with economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability or to a narrow view of energy security as continuity of energy supplies? A multiple case study analysis of national strategic documents of selected NATO Member States — i.e., the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland, was employed to achieve the research aim.

Dignity in Gainful Employment: A Young Employee’s Perspective. A Pilot Study

2024-02-02T15:07:50+01:00

Each generation has its own experiences of paid work and its dignity. The aim of this article is to identify the opinions of representatives of generation Z on the tangible and intangible values related to dignity in paid work from the point of view of a young employee — a working student. This objective was achieved by literature review and a pilot study among a purposefully selected group of management students at the Faculty of Management and Quality Sciences of the Gdynia Maritime University. The study used an auditory survey as a data collection method. The respondents, who are representatives of Generation Z, look for more than just material values in work (a decent salary adequate to the hardship incurred). According to them, work is also a source of intangible values (personal development, mutual respect, meaning, work-life balance). Thanks to such a composition of values obtained through paid work, this work acquires the dimension of dignified work.

The European Union’s Policy in the Field of the Consumer Right to Representation

2024-02-02T15:08:01+01:00

The purpose of this article is to analyze the European Union’s consumer policy in the context of the consumer right to representation. In particular, the discussion focuses on the analysis of individual European Union consumer policy programs and strategies in the context of the abovementioned right. The development of the consumer right to representation is synonymous with enabling consumers to participate in the formulation and implementation of consumer policy. It involves financial, organizational and educational support for consumer organizations in the European Union at national and international levels.

Between Comfort and Challenge: Entrepreneurial Attitudes and Behaviors of Students from Poland and Ukraine on the Example of Students of Economics and Management from Rzeszów and Lviv

2024-02-02T15:07:55+01:00

Running your own business involves a certain amount of effort. Young people studying economics and management are taught to do so. However, only some of them take this step. Working in-house is associated with risk and challenge. What makes them take them and step out of their comfort zone? Are there certain determining factors in this respect? The objective of the article is to identify the characteristics of entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviors of students in Poland and Ukraine, as well as to analyze the potential differences in this field. The article consists of a literature review and an analysis of the own research, conducted among students from Poland and Ukraine (N = 293). The study concerns, among other things, the positive and negative aspects of young people setting up and running their own business and their motivations. To verify the potential differences between surveyed groups the statistical analysis was used. The authors used descriptive statistics and the chi-square test of independence (? = 0.05, p < ?). The conducted research allowed for the verification of five hypotheses and showed the existence of statistically significant differences between young people in the countries analyzed in terms of: starting their own business, self-assessment of their entrepreneurial abilities, and taking a job while studying. Profit is not the most significant factor which could affect the decision to start a business. Similarly, conducting business by the nearest family is not an important factor for starting their own business by students.

The Professional Identity of Police Officers

2024-02-02T15:07:52+01:00

The research results presented in the article concern several aspects of the professional identity of police officers. The concept of professional identity includes such aspects as the mission, basic goals and values of a given organization and its organizational culture. The main objective was to identify the key elements of the identity of Polish police officers that contribute to the effectiveness of the organization. The article discusses the factors in the workplace that affect the formation of a police officer’s professional identity. The authors assumed that a mere reflection on the professional identity of a police officer is enough to extract those elements or features that testify to its specificity and distinctiveness in relation to other professions. The research began in January 2021 and was completed in July 2021. The (anonymous) survey covered 1,054 police officers. The research confirmed that the competence of Polish police officers acquired during their service shapes their personal, relational and professional identity and that their interpersonal relations are focused primarily on the tasks assigned rather than on building their professional identity. Factors such as specific working conditions in the police (stress, pressure, changes) affect the formation of police officers’ professional identity, both in individual and collective terms. The results are of supra-regional importance, as the indicated aspects concern most police services in Europe and in the world.

Challenges in Containment: Assessing the Ineffectiveness of US Sanctions on Iran’s Regional Ambitions

2024-02-02T15:07:36+01:00

The objective of this article is to delve into the topic of sanctions in international relations, with a primary focus on the case of Iran, from a theoretical standpoint. The aim is to showcase that sanctions did not diminish Iran’s regional importance but rather fostered increased cooperation between Iran and Russia. This article critically examines the efficacy of sanctions as a tool in US foreign policy, shedding light on the significant costs incurred due to the exclusion of Western businesses from the sanctioned Iranian market. By doing so, the article challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding sanctions and offers a nuanced perspective on their impact in the realm of international diplomacy.

Spatial Diversity of the Network of Cooperative Banks in Poland in Relation to the Voivodships’ Socio-Economic Development in the years 2010–2022

2024-02-02T15:07:48+01:00

The purpose of the following study is to identify the most important socio-economic conditions of the distribution of cooperative bank branches in Poland in the years 2010–2022. The scope of the analysis shall include the identification of differences in the location of cooperative bank branches in individual voivodships and their determining factors. The selection criterion was based on the available temporal and spatial detailed data on cooperative bank establishments as well as variables referring to the socio-economic development published by the Statistics Poland (GUS), the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF), and the Bank Guarantee Fund (BFG). The period under analysis included the years 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022. The empirical basis for the issues addressed in the article is the review of the reference literature and the analysis of the findings of the research conducted by means of the following methods: structure and dynamics indicators and regression analysis using a selection of variables. Theoretical and empirical analyses indicate that, in the period in question, the network of cooperative bank branches decreased by 18.9%. The largest decrease was recorded in the Podkarpackie and Śląskie voivodships, while an increase was observed only in the Lubelskie Voivodship. The factors that shaped the spatial distribution of the cooperative bank branches to the largest extent were the total population number, GDP per capita and the level of nominal household income per capita. The higher the value of those variables could be observed, the more extensive the branch network was.

Suburbanization in Poland and Its Consequences: A Research and Analytical Perspective on the Phenomenon

2024-02-02T15:07:45+01:00

On the basis of their own research, observations and an extensive review of the literature on the subject, the authors underline the complexity and multidimensionality of suburbanization and the diversity of its forms across the world. The effects of suburbanization form one of the key challenges to be faced by Polish cities, for which the post-1989 political and social transformations have been a time of destabilized spatial development. This has been largely a consequence of the far-reaching deregulation of spatial planning and changes in the lifestyle of city residents. The voluminous foreign literature on the subject identifies an array of costs associated with urban sprawl. The alarming scale of its adverse effects also emerges from a number of domestic studies. The authors of this paper focus on highlighting the actual challenges of uncontrolled suburbanization in Poland. Following this, drawing on the most seminal US studies on suburbanization and estimates of Polish researchers, they attempt to systematize knowledge about the economic, social and environmental impacts of suburban spatial chaos. They shed new light on the phenomenon of suburbanization and identify — sometimes contrary to what may be expected — non-obvious beneficiaries and victims of the process.

State Policy towards the Shipbuilding Industry: The Case of Ferry Construction for Polish Shipowners

2024-02-02T15:07:58+01:00

The Polish state’s policy towards the shipbuilding industry after 2015 was aimed at its reconstruction, among other things, through the implementation of the “Batory” program. The purpose of the article is to examine the assumptions and implementation of one of the government projects, namely “Batory,” which assumed, among other things, innovation in the shipbuilding sector and stimulation of the construction of Polish vessels (passenger-car ferries for Polish shipowners — Polska Żegluga Morska (PŻM) and Polska Żegluga Bałtycka SA (PŻB SA)). In pursuit of the above research objective, answers to the following research questions were sought: (1) What was the condition of the shipbuilding industry in terms of ship production and the number of people employed? (2) What decisions did the government take with regard to the construction of ferries for Polish shipowners? (3) What factors influenced the failure of the “Batory” Project? In the research, the decision-analysis, comparative, dogmatic, and statistical methods were used. The article is based on legal acts, transcripts of the sittings of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, reports of the Supreme Chamber of Control (NIK), and the situation in the shipbuilding industry in Poland as described on the gospodarkamorska.pl website. It is therefore an analysis grounded in political science.

Disparities in Net Income Growth of Russian Companies Facing Crisis and Heightened Exchange Rate Volatility

2024-02-02T15:07:30+01:00

This paper aims to compare net income growth per employee in exporting and non-exporting Russian companies, addressing a gap in understanding this issue during crisis periods. Binary treatment models were applied to 1,600 Russian firms, utilizing data from EFIGE (European Firms in a Global Economy) and Amadeus databases. We used an estimation approach that permits a heterogeneous average treatment effect under the assumption of the endogeneity of the treatment variable. Since exporting and profitability can be caused by firms’ unobserved characteristics, we employed instrumental-variables estimators and a generalized two-step regression fitted by probit and two-stage least squares methods to obtain consistent estimation of average treatment effects. Our research found that exporters, in general, do not achieve higher productivity. The practical outcomes of the research could be beneficial, especially considering the impact of crisis outbreaks and changes in the trade directions of Russian exporting firms due to Western sanctions.

Bridging Disciplinary Divides: Exploring the Synergy of Punctuated Equilibrium Theory and Artificial Neural Networks in Policy Change Analysis

2024-02-02T15:08:03+01:00

This article explores the conceptual and theoretical intersections between Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) and artificial neural networks (NNs) within the context of policy change analysis. Despite some similarities between PET and NNs, limited systematic research has been conducted to bridge the gap between political science and computer science. The paper addresses this conceptual gap by presenting a theory-oriented, explorative examination, focusing on the commonalities in their principles, such as information processing, dynamic modeling, and adaptation. The study contributes to methodology- and theory-oriented research on policy agendas by extending PET through the incorporation of NNs. The article employs a conceptual lens to establish parallels between PET and NNs, emphasizing their shared features in dealing with complex, dynamic, and adaptive systems. The exploration of anomalies and outliers in policy time-series data serves as a case study to illustrate the potential synergy between political science and STEM sciences (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The paper concludes by proposing avenues for future research that can further integrate these allegedly separate disciplines and enhance our understanding of policy dynamics.