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This paper evaluated the environmental effects of socially responsible investments (SRIs) in European countries and analyzed the differentiation between them in terms of SRIs and selected features in the environmental dimension. The first section of the paper discusses contemporary trends in Europe and in certain European countries, whilst the second compares SR environmental investments and environmental factors in selected European countries from a multidimensional perspective. The aim of the study was to identify and evaluate these trends as well as to find similarities and differences between European countries, and subsequently to indicate groups of countries with similar approaches to pro-ecological investments. In order to solve the problem, descriptive and multidimensional statistical methods were used, namely correspondence analysis (CA). Although the research results clearly revealed upward tendencies in the volume of SR environmental investments in the analyzed period, they nonetheless represent a relatively low share in the total number of socially responsible investments. The overall growth in SRIs in Europe may have resulted from the more intense activities of policymakers in some countries as a consequence of concluding agreements reached during the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in 2015. The results of the study also revealed no significant correlations between SR environmental investments and environmental variables among the European countries analyzed; hence, there is no substantial evidence that investors’ assets contribute to the improvement of the environment.

IT technologies related to Industry 4.0 facilitate the implementation of the framework for sustainable manufacturing. At the same time, Industry 4.0 integrates IT processes and systems of production companies with IT solutions of cooperating companies that support a complete manufactured product life cycle. Thus, the implementation of sustainable manufacturing implies a rapid increase in interfaces between IT solutions of cooperating companies. This, in turn, raises concerns about security among manufacturing company executives. The lack of a recognized methodology supporting the decision-making process of choosing the right methods and means of cybersecurity is, in effect, a significant barrier to the development of sustainable manufacturing. As a result, the propagation of technologies in Industry 4.0 and the implementation of the sustainable manufacturing framework in companies are slowing down significantly. The main novelty of this article, addressing the above deficiencies, is the creation, using the combined DEMATEL and ANP (DANP) and PROMETHEE II methods, of a ranking of the proposed three groups of measures, seven dimensions and twenty criteria to be implemented in companies to ensure cybersecurity in Industry 4.0 and facilitate the implementation of the sustainable production principles. The contribution of Industry 4.0 components and the proposed cybersecurity scheme to achieve the Sustainable Development goals, reducing the carbon footprint of companies and introducing circular economy elements was also indicated. Using DANP and PROMETHEE II, it can be concluded that: (i) the major criterion of cybersecurity in companies is validation and maintaining electronic signatures and seals; (ii) the most crucial area of cybersecurity is network security; (iii) the most significant group of measures in this regard are technological measures.

Our study aims to analyze factors determining the green brand equity (GBE) based on a systematic literature review (SLR) according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. We posed 3 research questions and searched five databases (Scopus, Web of Sciences, Google Scholar, EBSCO, and Elsevier) for studies containing the term ‘green brand equity’ and the combination of two terms: ‘brand equity’ and ‘green’. Additionally, the backward and forward snowballing methods were applied. In our SLR, we included empirical studies published between 2006 and 2021 as peer-reviewed papers in English. Exclusion criteria included studies with theoretical models, studies describing brand equity not related to GBE, Ph.D. thesis, short reports, workshop papers, practice guidelines, book chapters, reviews, and conference publications. Finally, 33 articles were analyzed as part of the SLR in two fields: general information (authorship, year of publication, type of study, research country or location, sample size, and product categories), and research specifications (factors or variables, number and type of hypotheses, scale or measurement items, type of statistical analysis, and selected indicators of statistical methods). Image, trust, value, satisfaction, and loyalty appeared to be the most studied determinants of GBE. Less frequently analyzed were quality, awareness, attributes, particular promotional activities, and the fact of purchase. The results obtained are important in practical terms, showing what to consider when creating GBE in different categories of products and services.

Bridges in Ukraine are one of the most important components of the infrastructure, requiring attention from government agencies and constant funding. The object of the study was the methodology for quantifying the condition of bridge components. The Artificial Neural Network-based (ANN) tool was developed to quantify the technical condition of bridge components. The literature analysis showed that in most cases the datasets were obtained during the inspection of bridges to solve the problems of assessing the current technical condition. The lack of such a database prompted the creation of a dataset on the basis of the Classification Tables of the Operating Conditions of the Bridge Components (CT). Based on CTs, five datasets were formed to assess the condition of the bridge components: bridge span, bridge deck, pier caps beam, piers and abutments, approaches. The next step of this study was creating, training, validating and testing ANN models. The network with ADAM loss function and softmax activation showed the best results. The optimal values of MAPE and R2 were achieved at the 100th epoch with 64 neurons in the hidden layer and were equal to 0.1% and 0.99998, respectively. The practical application of the ANN models was carried out on the most common type of bridge in Ukraine, namely, a road beam bridge of small length, made of precast concrete. The novelty of this study consists of the development of a tool based on the use of ANN model, and the proposal to modify the methodology for quantifying the condition of bridge components. This will allow minimizing the uncertainties associated with the subjective judgments of experts, as well as increasing the accuracy of the assessment.

Quite a number of new metered parking systems have been introduced in recent years by the local authorities of various spa towns in Poland in connection with home zone conversion projects. The traffic signs posted in these locations were limited to the beginning and end of the demarcated parking area. Traffic circle (TC) is an example of traffic calming measures (TCM) used in home zones to slow down the traffic (case study – home zone in a small spa village). This article presents the results of a study investigating the speed reductions obtained with a home zone and traffic circle used as traffic calming measures. The indispensable speed surveys were carried out in relation to this study in two periods: in summer when the streets are crowded with tourists and in September with little pedestrian traffic. Two research hypotheses were formulated as part of the speed data analysis to verify the slowing effect of traffic circle and the relevance of traffic circles design parameters and location, road function and the surrounding streetscape. For each hypothesis statistical analyses were carried out using two nonparametric tests: two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and median test. The third research hypothesis formulated in this study was related to sustainable development factors related to fuel consumption and traffic-related air pollution including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons. This hypothesis was verified by estimating the amount of air pollution in the home zone under analysis in three different situations (scenarios): in summer with the travel speed reduced by pedestrian traffic to ca. 8–10 km/h and in September with a small number of pedestrians and 20–25 km/h resulting speed between traffic circles, reduced at traffic circle, and in a theoretical 30 km/h zone with 25–30 km/h assumed speed between traffic circles, dropping at traffic circle. These analyses confirmed the appropriateness of traffic circle as a home zone traffic calming measure, as long as its design is based on a detailed analysis of the relevant factors, including location, road function and the surrounding streetscape.

Management science focuses on organisational culture. This reflection also applies to the broadly understood cultural context, as organisations operate in specific places and at specific times. As entrepreneurs enter foreign markets, there is a need to deepen their knowledge of cultural aspects, which results in the possibility to generate practical guidelines for shaping organisational culture in a different cultural environment. The article assumes that out of four elements conditioning organisational culture—type of environment, type of organisation, features of organisation and features of participants—two of them, type of environment and features of its participants, are the basic ways to organisational culture, by means of which the organisational culture is permeated by artefacts, values and basic assumptions, characteristic of national cultures. This permeation is exemplified by organisations from the same industry, having the same top management but functioning in different cultural environments. The study was conducted with the use of the multiple, exploratory and explanatory case study method. It consisted of three stages: The first stage included literature analyses (analyses of secondary data and legacy data), which aimed to determine the features of two cultures—Polish and Ukrainian. At the second stage, the authors conducted pilot studies among the representatives of the Polish and Ukrainian national culture. At the third stage, the organisational cultures of companies operating in the environment of the Polish and Ukrainian culture were surveyed. The research sample included 590 people. The authors based their studies on the Milton Rokeach Values Scale and an author’s tool, in which Hofstede’s concept of cultural dimensions. The statistical analysis involved the nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test.

This article explores mechanisms to enhance the efficient utilization of renewable energy sources (RES), with a particular emphasis on photovoltaic installations. One such strategy involves implementing a customized electricity rate system for individual consumers. This paper discusses the potential economic and environmental benefits of transitioning from a flat-rate tariff to a time-of-day tariff. This modification can lead to increased energy consumption during off-peak hours, aligning with occasional periods of photovoltaic installations’ overproduction, which might require their temporary shutdowns. The energy that could be produced by RES is supplied by conventional power plants (mostly coal-fueled). Not only does this have negative effects on the environment, but it also increases energy costs. In order to make an informed decision regarding the change of tariff, the consumer must be aware of its potential benefits and drawbacks. The article introduces an IoT-based, cost-effective system with cloud data storage for monitoring residential electricity consumption, offering various features, including an assessment of the financial viability of switching tariffs. This system has been operational for more than six months in real installation, encouraging homeowners to transition from a flat rate tariff to time-of-day tariff and optimize their use of electrical appliances. The article presents the potential benefits of this action, encompassing both financial aspects for users of the installation and environmental protection issues.

The idea of building pocket parks in cities is one of the more rational proposals for utilizing cameral spaces to create new quality in terms of green areas while accounting for the potential to blend them into the compact functiospatial structure of the contemporary city. Numerous examples of pocket park projects from around the world point to there being considerable interest in this form of greenery. The goal of this paper is to present the findings of a study of a selected number of pocket parks in Krakow, Poland, in terms of their accessibility, local determinants, and the nearby functiospatial structure, as well as whether they can be included into a wider network of service and green spaces of supralocal significance. The research method included novel field research of selected pocket parks and their surroundings. The form and function of the parks were analyzed and the type of their surrounding urban structure was determined, along with the parks’ accessibility. The study investigated nine parks located in the northeastern part of Krakow in a dense development structure dominated by multi-family housing. Analyses of the parks themselves and the research on the relations and linkages between parks and their surrounding urban structure generally pointed to the accuracy of the concept of the pocket park, its universality, and its compliance with the concept of the sustainable development of urban space. The presence and manner of development of pocket parks can be said to enhance the quality of spaces in confined fragments of an urban structure and to have predominantly local significance.