Factors Impacting Consumer Choices From the Perspective of Owners and Managers of Beauty Parlors Located in Kraków and the Neighborhood

Purpose: The studies on consumer behavior on the market should take into account not only the criteria of product choices, but also the factors determining the choice of the place of purchase. The purpose of the paper is to assess the knowledge about the factors influencing the consumer choices with respect to a beauty parlor on the part of owners and managers offering cosmetic services in parlors located in Kraków and in other cities of the Małopolska Province. The significance of individual factors was assessed. Methodology: A diagnostic survey method was used for the study. An interview questionnaire comprising 51 questions was used as the research tool. The research was carried out with the use of PAPI (Paper and Pen Interview). 298 correctly completed questionnaire were qualified for statistical analyses. The choice of companies was non-random, purposeful and depended on their location in the area of Kraków and the Małopolska Province. Findings: The received results show which factors – according to the owners and managers – guide consumers in their choices of a beauty parlor. Research limitations: When analyzing the generalizing conclusions, caution should be exercised as to uncertainty with respect to the validity of the population list in the address database purchased for the study purposes from an external company. However, attempts were made to make the study representative, yet certain caution should be exercised during the generalization of the findings with respect to the entire population. Implications: Identification of factors determining the choice of a place of purchase of services is valid especially from the point of view of companies operating at a competitive market. Skillful use of knowledge on the consumer behavior often determines the efficiency of actions and the success of an enterprise. Originality: The paper presents a fragment of analysis of data procured as part of broad research of the market of beauty services in the area of Kraków and the neighborhood. At the present moment, a limited number of scientific publications about the market of beauty services is available, both in the national and regional approach.

Evolution of Consumption Behavior of Silver Singles in Poland

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to analyze, based on the author’s own research, the relationship between lifestyle and selected consumer trends reflected in specific consumption behavior of silver singles. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on a survey questionnaire administered between 1 February and 30 October 2019 in a sample of 2476 elderly people living alone in ten Polish cities of various populations and sizes. In accordance with the research assumptions, the sample included persons over 65 years of age who took independent consumption decisions in the market. This research method was chosen in view of the older age of respondents whose openness to new media often used in direct research is limited. Findings: The research shows that among the surveyed silver singles, men more often than women act in line with the cocooning and consumer ethnocentrism trends. It also reveals a strong correlation between cocooning and consumer ethnocentrism on the one hand and the level of education and monthly disposable income of silver singles on the other. As regards sustainable consumption, the proportion of silver singles who declared that they acted in line with that idea was much higher among women than men as well as among university graduates, those earning a monthly income of more than PLN 3000.00, and actively attending UTA courses. Research limitations/implications: Given the limited financial capacity, the study of consumer behavior matching the idea of cocooning, consumer ethnocentrism and sustainable consumption among silver singles was confined to a survey conducted in the biggest Polish cities. It was not possible to carry out research among single seniors living in rural areas. Following the conclusions made, they should not be treated as representative of the population of Polish silver singles. They only provide some insight into actual consumer behaviors of this consumer segment. Originality/value: This article is one of first publications in Poland that seek to provide some insight into consumption behaviors of Polish silver singles that are in line with the idea of selected alternative consumer trends.

Social Responsibility of Healthcare Entities in the Conditions of the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Literature Review

Purpose: This article aims to present the concept of corporate social responsibility as applied by healthcare entities in the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic. Design/methodology: The article is a literature review on corporate social responsibility, healthcare, management, and health economics. A critical analysis was performed based on the desk research method, using professional, scientific databases. The article consists of the following parts: introduction; research methodology; issues of corporate social responsibility in the current epidemic conditions, taking into account the areas and tools of CSR as applied by healthcare entities; literature study; limitations; conclusions, and practical implications. Findings: Running medical entities in a socially responsible manner is, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, perceived as a key and strategic action on the global market, contributing to the competitiveness of a given entity while caring for and shaping its image in the local environment. Research limitations/implications: A critical analysis identified several barriers to the study that could have influenced the overall picture of the considerations. Therefore, this article can be treated as a preliminary diagnosis of the topic under discussion. Subsequently, future analyses should extend to other entities and healthcare institutions to have a complete picture of their implementation of the CSR concept in pandemic conditions. Original value: The approach to the social responsibility of healthcare entities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic based on the latest scientific studies, taking into account current reports in this regard by Polish and foreign authors, enriching the recent scientific achievements on social responsibility of the health sector and signaling the author’s contribution to the development of the discipline of management and quality sciences.

Participation of Women and Men in Entrepreneurship in Various Countries

Purpose: The paper is devoted to the actual problem of the existing differences in women’s and men’s entrepreneurship. The aim of the research is to assess the prevailing levels of women’s and men’s participation in entrepreneurial activity in modern national economies. Methodology: The study dealt with the problem of determining indicator values characterizing the early stage of entrepreneurship; mature (sustainable) entrepreneurship, as well as quitting business activities. The results of the surveys conducted in 59 countries throughout the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Project were used as initial information. Findings: In the course of the research, nine indicators characterizing such stages as start-up and sustainable entrepreneurship along with the cessation of this activity were examined. The study developed the functions that show the distribution of the indicators in 59 countries describing women’s and men’s proportions at three main stages of entrepreneurship. Research limitations: The study had limitations on empirical data due to the fact that only 59 countries were considered. Originality: The attained results have indicated that there is a gender gap among the indicators of entrepreneurship in most countries, which means that women participate in it to a smaller extent than men. The methodological approach to assessing gender differences in entrepreneurship presented in the article can be applied in further research.

Young Consumers’ Concerns About Meeting Their Food Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose: The aim of the study was to identify young consumers’ concerns about the increase in food prices and its consequences for young consumers’ eating habits and meeting food needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey of 702 young consumers – students – was carried out in October and November 2020. The questionnaire was available to respondents as a Google form. The obtained data was processed using a standard qualitative analysis and selected quantitative methods, including descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation coefficient and Pearson’s chi-square test. Findings: Nearly 63% of respondents agreed or rather agreed that the food needs of their household are fully met. Almost 44% of respondents stated that they are afraid of the lack of money to meet their food needs during the pandemic, and quite a similar share of respondents (47.3%) stated that they have no concerns in this regard. Although as many as 72% of the surveyed young consumers are concerned about rising food prices, only 22% are concerned that they will have to change their eating habits during the pandemic. The vast majority of respondents (92%) pay attention to the price when buying food and 83% agree that food is wasted in households. Research limitations/implications: Due to the limited possibilities during COVID-19, the research was conducted among 702 respondents, who were mainly students of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW). Such a number of respondents and the sample selection do not fully authorize the generalization of the results. Consequently, the conclusions should not be treated as representative for the whole population of Polish young consumers. Moreover, the questionnaire survey is related to the subjective interpretation of questions and the declarativeness of respondents, which may influence the obtained results. However, despite these limitations, the findings allow for approximating the concerns of this consumer group during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originality/value: As COVID-19 is a new social and economic challenge, young consumers’ concerns in such conditions have not been investigated so far and this study is to fill this gap. Moreover, this research may be a basis for further research as the pandemic situation evolves and may change both young consumers’ economic situation and their concerns about meeting their food needs.

Virtual Environment as a Space of Shopping Center Customer Engagement

Purpose: The aim of the article is to identify online customer engagement in shopping centers (SC). Design/methodology/approach: The research was based on secondary and primary sources. The secondary sources are the subject literature, while the primary sources were obtained through netnographic research carried out on the basis of the analysis of affiliate pages of the Facebook social platform and the Google review platform of the 25 largest Polish shopping centers. Findings: The frequency of publishing posts by shopping malls and areas of customer engagement were identified. The research results show large differences between shopping centers in terms of customer engagement in a virtual environment and identify areas of customer engagement in shopping centers on the internet. Research limitations/implications: The authors of the article are aware of the limitations of their research: the analysis of statements in social media does not have to overlap with oral statements in an offline real environment. Moreover, the research results presented should only be referred to the environment of Facebook and Google. However, the variety of social media is very large, and according to the literature on the subject, the type of medium can have a large impact on the CE phenomenon. The research could be expanded by making the analysis of the type of content published by shopping centers (e.g. news, entertainment posts, shopping posts, etc.), by dividing them into categories and drawing attention to the relationships between the type of content published and the level of engagement. It could also be interesting to identify the relationship between the level and areas of customer engagement and the generation of the shopping center. Originality/value: The analysis presented in the article is of great cognitive importance. As far as the authors of the article know, this is the first publication on the engagement of a shopping center customer. The obtained results may be helpful for managers of shopping centers: they draw attention to the scale and particular areas of this phenomenon

Valuation of Livestock in Farms

Purpose: The aim of this article is to assess the possibility of applying the industry livestock valuation index as proposed by Karolina Pasula during the public defense of the doctoral dissertation “Directions and conditions for the standardization of accounting in agricultural enterprises” as an alternative method of valuation, taking into account sources of information and risk assessment on a farm. Methodology: The research process was divided into three main stages: (1) examining the possibility of applying the industry indicator for measuring biological assets proposed by K. Pasula for the valuation of livestock, i.e. pigs, as exemplified by a selected farm whose undertakings are known to the authors; (2) repeating the study from stage 1 on the valuation of dairy cattle as exemplified by the farm the activities of which are known to the authors; (3) on the basis of the conclusions of stage 1 and stage 2 studies, possible modification of the industry indicator for measuring biological assets, conducting research on a larger group of farms breeding livestock. Findings & value added: The conducted research confirmed the possibility of applying the analyzed ratio in the practice of entities that do not keep accounting books. The obtained results are characterized by high cognitive value as a measure of biological assets in relation to pigs. The valuation based on the industry measurement index in farms takes into account the risk which, as shown in the research, is an important factor influencing the value from the valuation.

Whistleblowing in Health Care Organizations: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Purpose: To receive the answers to the following research problems: (1) How is the interest of researchers in whistleblowing in health care organizations developing? (2) How do researchers define whistleblowing in health care? (3) What are the main problems (limitations) of whistleblowing in health care organizations? (4) What factors affect whistleblowing in health care organizations? Design/methodology/approach: The method of systematic literature review based on the PRISMA model was used. To identify the factors affecting whistleblowing, McKinsey’s 7S framework was used. Findings: The researchers from the UK definitely dominate, and the papers from Central European countries seem to be invisible. The vast majority of works came from the 2010s. Whistleblowing serves the good and safety of the patient; however, there are staff concerns about the consequences they may face. ‘Style’, ‘staff’ and ‘shared values’ seem to be the most crucial for whistleblowing, and these are factors considered ‘soft’. Research limitations: The access to databases managed by the home University. In future studies, there is a need to take into account other databases, including additional sources of knowledge, like books and grey literature. Originality/implications: Identifying the state and place of research worldwide on whistleblowing in health care, and a proposal of the whistleblowing verification matrix. New definitions of whistleblowing and whistleblowers were proposed. The above may be considered theoretical contribution to science.

Buying Behaviors of Polish Consumers During the Pandemic Lockdown – Research Results

Purpose: The purpose of the article is identification and evaluation of the most important changes that have occurred in the behavior of Polish consumers as a result of the pandemic lockdown introduced in 2020. The article presents the results of studies conducted during the epidemic restrictions from March 15 to May 4, 2020. Design/methodology/approach: The main aim of the research was to determine how these restrictions influenced the purchasing behavior and decisions made by consumers. In the polls, the technique of an internet survey was used, which was justified by the accepted form of remote communication imposed on the society in various spheres of activity. The subject of the research was the organization of free time, the organization of shopping in households, the frequency of purchases and the methods of shopping in stationary and online stores. Findings: The most important phenomena that have been observed include the growing importance of e-commerce and technologies supporting distance communication and online exchange. The share of FMCG in online purchases increased when compared with the pre-pandemic online purchases. Polish consumers reduced the frequency of purchases and limited their overall spending on everyday purchases. During the first wave of the pandemic, the crucial issue for consumers was time management as a result of increased professional and family responsibilities, or (a similar percentage of responses) of excess free time. Poles used information technologies – for communication, shopping, learning and entertainment, to cope with the imposed social isolation. This trend, as indicated by the results of subsequent studies, will continue. Research limitations/implications: The research was conducted at a particular moment of time, during the last 2 weeks of the first pandemic lockdown; therefore, the study cannot provide the measurement of observable effects of behavior changes during a longer time since the pandemic situation has been volatile. In the research, the snowball method of sampling, which has its own limitations, was adopted. Originality/value: The value of the article results from the outcomes of the survey conducted with the use of a research questionnaire originally designed for the purposes of this study and empirical research results obtained during the lockdown period, which allowed for observing changes in consumer behavior in real time.

The Impact of External Factors on Stock Return Volatility in the European Banking Sector

Purpose: The main aim of the paper is to examine the impact of external determinants on the banking stock return volatility to evaluate it in terms of the stock market capitalization. Design/methodology/approach: The research was conducted on 182 banks from 26 countries. The sample selected for the study includes all European banks listed on the stock exchange. Quarterly data from the period between 2004 and 2016 was used; it was collected and compiled over a period of 2 years. The research method applied was the panel data model with fixed effects (with or without a robust estimator) and random effects. Findings: Determinants that have a major and statistically significant impact on the analyzed dependent variables are: the unemployment rate, the real interest rate, the beta in Sharpe’s Single-Index Model and the implied volatility of the S&P 500 index and the EURO STOXX50 index. Research limitations/implications: Insights about the strength and direction of influence of these variables on stock return volatility are a valuable addition to the existing body of knowledge that investors resort to when making decisions relating to the capital market. Limitations: The main limitation of this study lies in the fact that the results of the analysis apply solely to the banking sector. Originality/value: Insights about the strength and direction of influence of these variables on stock return volatility are a valuable addition to the existing body of knowledge that investors resort to when making decisions relating to the capital market.