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The article presents the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chains of Polish clothing companies. The aim of the article is to present the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chains of Polish clothing companies, in both the short and long-term, and in the context of sustainable development. The author has been conducting research on logistics and production processes as well as supply chains of Polish clothing companies since 2017. The research results presented in this article on the impact of the pandemic on the functioning of supply chains in this sector of the economy were carried out in 2021. The author conducted telephone interviews with the management of Polish clothing companies of all sizes, both with distributors and producers. She identified disruptions in the supply chains caused by the pandemic (on the supply, production and distribution). She outlined the short-term actions of companies in response to disruptions, as well as long-term changes related to the logistics strategy as a result of the pandemic. The author also presented the ecological and social effects of changes in logistics strategies caused by the pandemic. So far, there has been no research in this industry and this area concerning not only the short-term impact of the pandemic, but also the strategic changes and their impact on sustainable development. Thus, it is a study that fills the existing research gap. The pandemic particularly affected the distribution of clothing, which caused the dynamic development of e-commerce. Because of this, some clothing companies have changed the organization of deliveries to online customers, such as the example presented by the author of the largest Polish clothing company, LPP S.A. The pandemic in apparel companies has also disrupted production and supply. This was especially true for deliveries from countries with low production costs. Despite these disruptions, however, no mass withdrawal from the production of clothing in low-cost countries to Poland has been observed and, according to the surveyed companies, this will not be a long-term consequence of the pandemic. However, if factors that occurred during a pandemic worsen, this could favor the shifting of more production from low-cost countries to local or regional sewing plants. This would enable the application of the Quick Response strategy. Other disruptions that occurred in connection with the pandemic include a reduction in the number of orders for Polish sewing factories, an increase in the prices of materials and packaging, an increase in transport costs and a periodic increase in inventory levels as a reaction of some companies to the disruptions. The disruptions also caused, in some cases, greater volatility in the relationship between individual links in the supply chains, which perhaps will be the next strategic change.

Taking into account the impact of the COVID-19 and adopting the assessment optics of students from Generation Z currently entering the labor market, we have made the aim of this article to provide better insight into the relationship between Industry 4.0 and corporate social responsibility. The survey was conducted in the form of an online survey in two leading universities in Poland in the field of economic education. 646 students took part in the survey. The data were analyzed using logit regression models. The results of the study suggest that the increase in the use of management solutions supporting Industry 4.0 in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis will increase the importance of the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of corporate social responsibility. Pointing to the forecasted increase importance of corporate social responsibility, we suggest linking management solutions supporting Industry 4.0 with corporate social responsibility. However, we also draw attention to the impact of individual management solutions supporting Industry 4.0 on specific Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) dimensions.

Our study aimed to analyze consumer behavior and perception towards private labels (PLs) in Tenerife as an autonomous community during COVID-19, with special attention given to sustainability aspects. The research was conducted on a sample of 500 adults purchasing PLs using quota selection and the CAWI method. We formulated four research questions related to factors of PL choice, the relationship between frequency of PL purchases, consumers’ age and income, perceived changes in PLs, and evaluation of PL products including sustainability. The latter research question referred to such product characteristics as local and environmentally friendly production, organic production, and production according to traditional technologies using only natural ingredients. For a detailed analysis of consumer behavior, we used Pearson’s chi-square test, the rho-Spearman correlation coefficient, and cluster analysis. The most important factors for purchasing PL products were lower prices compared to leading brands, attachment to a given chain, and the feeling of safety and trust in PL products. The frequency of purchase of PL food products, except for alcohol, significantly negatively correlates with age, which means that the purchase of PLs from the analyzed product categories decreases with age. The increased availability and improved image and quality of PLs were identified as the most important changes in PLs. PL food products were rated by consumers as fresh, minimally processed and with quality certificates. Environmentally friendly production methods, nutritional value, and origin from an area close to home were also indicated.

The global spread of the COVID-19 virus has led to difficulties in many branches of the economy, including significant effects on the urban transport industry. Thus, countries around the world have introduced different mobility policies during the pandemic. Due to government restrictions and the changed behaviors of transport users, companies providing modern urban mobility solutions were forced to introduce new business practices to their services. These practices are also apparent in the context of the electric shared mobility industry. Although many aspects and problems of electric shared mobility have been addressed in scientific research, pandemic scenarios have not been taken into account. Noticing this research gap, we aimed to update a previously developed model of factors that influence the operation of electric shared mobility by incorporating aspects related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on this industry. This article aims to identify the main factors influencing the electric shared mobility industry during the COVID-19 and post-lockdown periods, together with their operation areas and the involved stakeholders. The research was carried out on the basis of expert interviews, social network analysis (SNA), and the use of the R environment. The article also presents sustainable transport management recommendations for cities and transport service operators, which can be implemented after a lockdown caused by an epidemic. The results in this paper can be used to support transport modeling and the creation of new policies, business models, and sustainable development recommendations. The contents will also be helpful to researchers worldwide in preparing literature reviews for articles related to sustainable management in the COVID-19 pandemic reality.

This study documents customer behavior in the travel services market before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (C-19). We offer theory-based and research-based insights that demonstrate customer value propositions during a pandemic and help predict future behavior for green tourism development. This article aim is to identify the relationship between the situation in tourism during the pandemic, customer behavior, and the added value that historical sites in Poland and the Czech Republic introduced or should introduce in the green economy. The topic is important because the situation during the pandemic showed the lack of a quick response, which is only possible if you have prepared scenarios for the crisis. This study discusses the marketing factors of creating value and analyzes the value strategy for individual clients. The authors of this study analyzed various stages in the customer life cycles in the company and the level of their profitability, taking into account the principles of the green economy (sustainable development) in the example of cultural facilities, i.e., Książ Castle in Poland and the Kuks Complex in the Czech Republic. Literature studies were used in this study, followed by the questionnaire method. The test results are presented in tabular form and supplemented with graphical forms.

This paper concerns an important and current problem of taking Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in the specific market conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. CSR activities, aimed at combating COVID-19, contribute to creating favorable conditions for the sustainable development of enterprises and the entire society. In this work, analysis of the survey results, interviews with the initiatives’ beneficiaries, and brainstorm sessions with CSR specialists and companies’ employees allowed us to identify risk and opportunity categories, factors, and develop scales for their probability and consequences assessment. Survey results revealed that socially responsible actions are important in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, and social expectations, in this regard, are growing. Two-parametric risk/opportunity matrix was used to calculate risk/opportunity level. The aim of this work is to present a new model of risk and opportunity assessment dedicated to organizations carrying out of CSR ventures in the pandemic era. The proposed risk and opportunity assessment model is an effective tool to identify the CSR initiative advantages and drawbacks, as well as a starting point for managing them, to maximize chances and minimize threats. Three examples of practical applications of the proposed model confirm that it can be successfully used in practice. The developed model is based on universal assumptions and criteria, so that it can be used in any country struggling with the pandemic.

The rapid development of e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in the demand for urban deliveries. In this study, we conduct an exploratory analysis to identify factors that influence the fuel consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of vans and trucks used for e-commerce delivery. The novelty of this research results from the proposal of a new actionable approach to calculate CO2 emissions from heterogeneous fleets in e-commerce deliveries. Through a literature review, a survey of transport managers, and a case study on e-commerce deliveries, we have found that the heterogeneous fleet structure impacts direct emissions from urban deliveries. We have taken into account the parameters of a heterogeneous fleet structure, such as gross weight, mass, fuel type, engine size, fuel consumption (liters/100 km), and the age of a vehicle. Through numerical experiments, we have identified that the age of a vehicle results in increased fuel consumption of 1.31% year-to-year for vans and 1.01% year-to-year for 18-t trucks. For that reason, we proposed a novel formula to calculate the direct CO2 emissions from heterogeneous fleets in e-commerce deliveries, which takes into consideration the age-related fuel consumption factor and the structure of a fleet.

This study evaluates labour market flexibility using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method. TOPSIS is employed by comparing spatial (i.e., different countries) and temporal (i.e., long-time horizon) terms. Sustainable industrial relations processes are considered in shaping the flexibility of the labour market in 15 European Union Member States from 2009 to 2018. Countries are grouped into classes to provide a basis for benchmarking results against social and employment policies implemented at the national level. A five-step quantitative MCDA method is formulated using published data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The results indicate that the TOPSIS method is an appropriate approach for measuring labour market flexibility internationally. Moreover, in relation to workforce phenomena, the findings show that the method offers the possibility of examining the impact of particular factors related to social and employment policies of a country in terms of sustainable development and socioeconomic growth. The lack of precision tools to forecast the development of national and transnational labour markets—particularly during the COVID-19 era—highlights the importance of such a method for workforce planners and policymakers. Developing sustainable industrial relations in terms of associated national externalities is the motivation of the research.