Research background: In the paper, we presented a most crucial aspect of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in a regional context that seems to be more visible than the general approach. The role of entrepreneurs and support institutions as one of the main actors of a regional entrepreneurship ecosystem was underscored. We also stressed the significance of entrepreneurs’ opinions related to Business Support Institutions (BSI) as sources of feedback and potential boosters of delivery and promotion that can be used by regional stakeholders and policymakers. Purpose of the article: The aim of this paper is to investigate significant differences in a perception of regional pro-entrepreneurial institutions between businesses that obtained or did not obtain support. Methods: Our study is based on data collected in Lubelskie Voivodeship, hence they refer to a single region in Poland. The sample totalled 386 responses, and we conducted numerical analyses by using the logit linear regression model. As the dependent variable, we used a dual-variable (not supported; supported) that describes two groups of enterprises, i.e. those that do not get and those that got some sort of public support. As independent variables, we adopted 18 factors that depict ordinary scale perception of various aspects of regional pro-entrepreneurial policy. Findings & Value added: Analyses revealed nine statistically significant relationships between perception of regional BSI impact on enterprises functioning and regional entrepreneurial ecosystem depending on whether particular enterprises got or did not get support, e.g. a favourable experience in obtaining support boosts positive perception that support from BSI influences positively the decision to set up one's own business. BSI at Lubelskie Voivodeship acts in favour to create bonds between enterprises, and support from BSI increases opportunities to survive in the market. Moreover, supported enterprises perceived better aspects, such as positive influence on enterprises’ innovativeness thanks to BSI, and more are convinced that support programmes of BSI are available for a broad group of companies.

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The purpose of this paper is to show the extent to which state interference in the economy affects the conditions of functioning for small and medium-sized enterprises in economies of the former eastern bloc which have already gone through the EU accession process. The data on SMEs' situation were taken from the Fact Sheets of the EU program Small Business Act. Due to the fact that the variables proposed to describe the business environment differ significantly it was necessary to standardize them. The zero unitarization method was applied to rank countries properly. Special attention in this paper is devoted to Poland and the situation of businesses operating in this country. The research has identified some areas requiring urgent changes. It is crucial to improve the situation so that companies can play a proper role in the economy. A country which could be an example of good solutions that support business development is also described.

For companies, sustainable development generally represents a long-term business orientation towards social, economic and environmental well-being. The concept has gained momentum among researchers partly due to the necessity of finding a modern approach to business development that does not deprive the next generation of the opportunity to meet its own needs. Based on a sample of 333 Polish family firms, three groups of businesses were isolated (via k-means clustering) on the basis of low, medium and high deployment of pro-sustainability initiatives. This paper aims to investigate whether family firms demonstrating divergent levels of sustainable development express between-group differences. Measuring diversity using ANOVA with post hoc testing produced results associating business growth and higher levels of family involvement (e.g., via increased participation of family members from different generations in firm management) with the increased absorption of sustainable solutions and actions. These findings support notions from social identity theory suggesting that groups significantly shape the individual identities of their members. This means that family members inclined to implement sustainable development initiatives are likely to stimulate each other to introduce particular solutions and actions in praxis.

The interrelations between engagement in CSR activities and the company’s performance are still one of pivotal managerial problems. Ample findings related to this issue seem to reveal a rather hazy than clear picture. In this paper, an attempt has been made to complement this problematic issue with the results of the survey conducted among a group of Polish large and medium‑sized family businesses. The aim of the paper is to analyse relationships between the self‑assessment of the company’s performance and its engagement in various CSR activities. It seems to be interesting to identify what kind of relationship and mutual influences can be found between the company’s economic and non‑economic activities and whether its value aspects, in their broad meaning, exist. To identify this relationship, two groups of linear regression models were adopted (CSR activities or the self‑assessment of the company’s performance as dependent variables). The ultimate conclusion drawn seems to confirm that the problematic area mentioned above should be described rather by a circular than linear direction of influences which were called a multilevel chain of interferences.