Humanities and Social Sciences

EXPLORING THE CONCEPT OF LEADERSHIP

2024-05-08T19:15:03+00:00

In today's complex global environment, exploring leadership has become paramount in academia and practice. Despite extensive research and discussion, lingering questions underscore a fragmented comprehension of its essence. This conceptual paper aims to address this gap by unravelling the intricate nature of leadership, providing clarity on its definition and various styles. Based on the tendency to oversimplify or misinterpret leadership, this paper meets the rising demand for a comprehensive analysis that acknowledges its multifaceted dimensions. By delineating the disparities between leadership and management, elucidating diverse theories, and scrutinising organisational leadership styles, this paper strives to offer a holistic understanding of leadership's pivotal role in organisational development and effectiveness.

IN SEARCH OF THE FACTORS FOSTERING GREEN PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: RESEARCH RESULTS FROM POLAND

2024-05-08T19:26:55+00:00

This article addresses the insufficiently researched topic of Green Project Management (GPM) in nonprofit organizations (NPOs). Factors supporting the application of GPM in NPOs can be identified among both external conditions (e.g., environmental policy, funder requirements) and internal conditions related to the specificity of the functioning of the NPO (e.g., size, forms of employment, sources of financing, project management solutions). This article aims to contribute to the discussion on the factors facilitating GPM in NPOs. The focus is specifically on the frequency of GPM practices in the areas of People, Planet, and Prosperity during project implementation. The study employed a quantitative survey using the CAWI technique; the respondents were individuals representing NPOs in Poland with project experience.

DETERMINANTS AND PROSPECTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OPIATE ECONOMY IN AFGHANISTAN

2024-05-08T19:45:06+00:00

Drug production and trafficking, and the related development of criminal groups, are among the most serious problems of the modern world. Issues related to the drug business appear when the institutions and the economic and social systems of the state disintegrate. An example of this is Afghanistan, which has recently become the world’s largest producer of opiates. The growing production of opiates has had negative consequences for Afghan society, causing various social problems, and for the international community, strengthening organized criminal groups involved in drug trafficking around the world. The aim of this study is to look for the most important factors causing the rapid increase in opiate cultivation in Afghanistan, and to assess how the Taliban’s return to power will affect the drug business. The study was carried out through an analysis of available scientific literature, including statistical studies, as well as various compilation documents.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PROCESSES FOR BUSINESS SUSTIANABILITY: THE ROLE OF SUSTAINABILITY-ORIENTED PROJECTS

2024-05-08T20:18:01+00:00

The paper aims to investigate the correlation between knowledge management and business sustainability through sustainability-oriented projects. The role of projects in promoting sustainability is already recognized, with sustainability-oriented projects emerging as a pivotal mechanism for companies to actively contribute to sustainability goals. Theoretical arguments also suggest that the enhancement of knowledge management is crucial for the advancement of sustainable business. Still, assertions in both areas lack solid empirical verification. Simultaneously, there is a growing emphasis on exploring the connection between knowledge management and project management, as existing studies indicate that knowledge management enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of projects. However, the nexus between knowledge management, project management, and business sustainability remains largely unexplored. This study aims to address two questions: whether knowledge management has a positive effect on business sustainability, and whether it is mediated by sustainability-oriented projects. The research hypotheses are verified through
a large-scale empirical study utilizing SEM.

CONSUMERS’ OPINIONS ON THE USEFULNESS, UNDERSTANDABILITY, AND RELIABILITY OF PRODUCT CLAIMS ON NATURAL COSMETICS PACKAGING

2024-05-09T10:32:45+00:00

Packaging and its integral elements can be among the carriers of product claims, which often encourage consumers to purchase cosmetics, and many make purchasing decisions based on them. There is, therefore, a tendency to put an increasing number of claims on packaging; these, according to requirements, should be useful, understandable, and reliable. This article aims to determine the importance of information placed on packaging during the purchase of natural cosmetics in comparison with other packaging elements, and to assess the usefulness, understandability, and reliability of selected groups of product claims placed on natural cosmetics packaging. The results confirm that the information placed on the packaging of natural cosmetics is an important element to which consumers pay attention. The most useful, understandable, and reliable claims are performance claims, ingredient-related claims, and environmental claims.

THE ADMINISTRATIVE-LEGAL POSITION OF THE COMMISSION FOR SECURITY AND ORDER

2024-05-09T12:22:37+00:00

Public safety and order are special goods, being of interest to both national and local government administrations. In local government, a special role is played by the intermediate level of public affairs management; that is, the county (poviat). Tasks in the field of security and order at the county level are carried out mainly by the commission for security and order, which, under current legislation, appears as a multi-member specialized auxiliary body of the head of the county. The purpose of this article is to present the administrative-legal position of the commission for security and order, and to explore its competencies and tasks, as defined in both constitutional law and substantive laws. It also discusses the personnel structure of the commission, the procedure and rules for appointing its members, and the principles of financing its work.

FORMS OF PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION OF HISTORICAL CULTURAL HERITAGE (CASE STUDY)

2024-05-09T12:45:51+00:00

A major problem associated with material cultural heritage is the ability to protect and preserve historic movable objects, such as sculptures, paintings, and various works of art. The traditional way has been to amass them in state or private collections, aiming to systematically record, catalog, describe, and photograph them. Due to various circumstances, including acts of theft and warfare, either paper inventories or the artworks themselves have often been lost. The lack of actual catalogs has made it impossible to reconstruct lists of museum objects, including those with significant historical and artistic value, making it difficult to search for and identify them in the future. With technological advances, a variety of media, including modern methods of digitization, have been used to enable universal access to cultural heritage. This article identifies stages in the evolution of the need for preserving and presenting cultural heritage, taking into account the advanced creation of three-dimensional reproduction.

CONFLICTS AND VIOLENCE: THE CHALLENGES OF PROTECTING REFUGEES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

2024-05-13T13:19:59+00:00

This paper examines the challenges of protecting refugees in sub-Saharan Africa. Reviewing available and relevant literature on refugees and their displacement in this region, it argues that people are compelled to flee their homes and seek refuge across international borders due to poverty, instability, conflict, and climate-related emergencies. They are then placed in overcrowded camps, frequently for extended periods. In theory, African refugees can access one of the most progressive protection schemes in the world. In practice, they confront insurmountable obstacles to their human rights, including coerced return, prejudice, arbitrary detention and arrest, limitations on their freedoms of speech and movement, and violations of their social and economic rights. Refugee law, which was created in the language of human rights and applies to people who are already highly vulnerable, disappears from view amid the poor human rights records of many African countries. From an in-depth argument and reflection on the literature, considering the differing voices and arguments, this paper communicates how, given the rise in extremism and political instability in sub-Saharan Africa, regional security is at risk if the inadequate protection given to refugee camps is not addressed.

IMBALANCE IN EU TRADE WITH SELECTED ASIAN ECONOMIES – A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BASED ON GROSS EXPORTS AND DOMESTIC VALUE-ADDED

2024-05-09T13:38:06+00:00

The European Union has a chronic trade deficit with Asia, the majority of which is with certain countries in East and South-East Asia. This conclusion is based on traditional international trade statistics. However, the international fragmentation of production processes and the new method of measuring trade by value-added are now making trade analysis closer to reality, allowing for more accurate conclusions to be drawn.This article’s main aim is to analyze and evaluate the EU’s trade imbalance with Asia and selected Asian economies, which is found in both traditional (gross) and new (value-added) international trade statistics. The analysis shows that the degree of trade imbalances concerning partners and groups of goods differs depending on the method of analysis. In the case of EU-Asian trade relations, imbalances do exist, but they generally show smaller deficits or surpluses when measured in value-added terms. The availability of statistical data determined the time and geographical scope of the study. The analysis covers the EU28’s trade with 15 Asian countries from 1995 to 2018, with a particular focus on China, Japan, and South Korea. The study applies a critical literature review, the descriptive-analytical method, and the method of inference based on statistical data obtained from international databases (Eurostat, OECD-WTO, and UNCTAD).

THE VOIVODE'S RECOMMENDATION AS A SPECIFIC TOOL FOR SECURITY PROTECTION IN A DUALISTIC MODEL OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN POLAND

2024-05-09T14:06:33+00:00

This paper aims to analyze the problems resulting from the voivode’s use of a recommendation tool issued for local government administration bodies, as well as recommendations issued for local government bodies. It investigates the characteristics of the dualistic system of local administration, along with a discussion of its structure and the importance of the connections resulting from centralization or decentralization. It explores problems related to determining the final nature of orders issued by the voivode for government administrative bodies and local government bodies. The study also encompasses the premises enabling the voivode to issue a recommendation and the positions of representatives of the doctrine on how to understand the concepts of protection of public security and order.

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

2024-05-09T14:17:43+00:00

Recent years have seen an increase in interest in the circular economy (CE) in science and practice. In both cases, the benchmark for an activity is the degree of environmental degradation. CE is a concept based on sustainable development, taking into account the balance of three areas: environmental, economic, and social. While the first two are relatively well described and measurable by quantitative indicators, the third is still not satisfactorily represented in science and practice. To embed CE in scientific discourse, it seems appropriate to use the umbrella concept, which implies the integration of different fields and disciplines into new research areas. This article focuses on the social aspect, emphasizing the role of management sciences, which, with the selection of appropriate methods, can be the key to studying and describing this area. The purpose of this article is to try to select a research paradigm for the social aspect of CE, so that the concept fits more fully into the assumptions of sustainable development.

RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION IN THE PURCHASING DECISIONS OF YOUNG CONSUMERS

2024-05-09T14:36:54+00:00

This article aims to identify the importance of responsible consumption in the purchasing decisions of young consumers. For this purpose, an online survey and individual in-depth interviews were conducted among Polish students; a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods provided insights into consumers’ views and buying habits. The results show that the most important factor in purchasing decisions is economic rationality. Students demonstrate responsible behaviors that are also economically rational: purchasing fewer and longer-lasting products, only buying what they need, using products for as long as they remain functional, repairing them, and purchasing second-hand goods. On the other hand, the results of the qualitative research provide an understanding of consumers’ doubts about responsible consumption. Such findings will enrich the portrait of the Polish consumer already known from previous research.

THE SUPERVISING RIGHTS OF THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE OVER THE PROFESSIONAL SELF-GOVERNMENT OF ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW AS AN EXAMPLE OF PARTICULAR FORMS OF PUBLIC MANAGEMENT

2024-05-09T19:04:53+00:00

Public management is a discipline of science derived from management, legal, and political sciences. It addresses activities that ensure effective management of organized action of people aimed at creating public value and realizing the public interest in the process of rendering public services. One form of public management is ministry supervision over the professional self-government of attorneys-at-law, ensuring legality and serving the public good. One essential means of supervision in this area is opposition by the Ministry of Justice to a resolution of the council of a district chamber of attorneys-at-law on registration on the list of attorneys. Using the methods of dogmatic analysis and a jurisprudence survey, the author presents the ways of interpreting the legal provisions concerning the subject-matter opposition and the evolution of opinions formulated in this respect over the last few dozen years. The article aims to show how a strict interpretation of the concrete rights of a supervising organ influences the restrictions on supervising interference in the sphere reserved for the competencies of professional self-government – an entity of its essence autonomous and independent.