The energy sector is the epitome of Industry 4.0; therefore, it should be developed in line with the Industry 4.0 implementation framework and be managed according to the guidelines dedicated to knowledge-based enterprises. Under this model of evolution, the layers surrounding the technological aspects are first, knowledge management (in particular, its transfer), and then people, and culture. This study addresses two of the three identified levels by attempting to verify the organizational culture that supports professional knowledge transfer as the leading factor in effective specialist knowledge exchange in the energy sector. Recently, this sector has become highly dependent on IT solutions as the main factor for its development and security. A key role in this respect is played by IT professionals, whose attitudes and employee behavior are critical to the stability, efficiency, effectiveness, and security of IT systems in the energy companies. The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical construct, based on indicated norms and values as organizational culture foundation and cultural practices. This article also aims to analyze and diagnose the components that support the professional knowledge transfer in different groups of organizational stakeholders. Systematic analysis of the scientific literature, expert evaluation, and structured questionnaires were used to develop and verify the hypotheses. The research results supported the hypotheses that organizational culture tailored to the knowledge workers’ needs and expectations, influence the effective and efficient circulation of IT expert knowledge.

Organizacja inteligentna a organizacja ucząca się

Purpose: Strategic management has been developing in business theory and practice for over 50 years. Presently, it constitutes the main area of research interest in management science. The contemporary conditions of business operations create new challenges for strategic management, such as the use of dynamic capabilities in strategy building, relational strategies, networking of organizations, technology development and automation of processes, and global strategies. These challenges are often referred to as neostrategic management. The purpose of this publication is to present the findings of research concerning new strategic management concepts and challenges. Methodology: The main research method of this article was a narrative literature review. On the basis of the research, the development of the concepts as well as contemporary trends and challenges of strategic management were characterized. There is also a synthesis of the problems and research results presented in the articles in this special issue of JEMI. Findings: Various schools and approaches to strategy formulation have been created. They indicate different factors that allow for success in strategic management such as: setting long-term goals, selection of programs and their execution plans (planning school); connection of the enterprise with the environment (evolutionary school); focusing attention on competitive advantage and achieved performance (position-based school); focus on one’s own resources and competences (resource school); use of opportunities and creating innovation (simple rules school); selection of the best option and orientation in business management (real options school); or eclectic perspectives, integrating the listed approaches. The strategic management concept has two dimensions. The first dimension is related to the emergence of subsequent, new strategic management concepts, which often hark back to the previous schools and approaches. The second dimension of development applies to operationalization and adjustment of the previous concepts to the changing conditions. Implications for theory and practice: The paper characterizes the research results presented in the articles included in this JEMI issue. They deal with various problems and challenges in the field of strategic management, such as the relationship between market dynamics, market orientation and performance of enterprises; the innovativeness of companies as a contemporary strategic orientation of companies; the strategy implementation and the management of the organization change; problems of strategic management of the development of the city. Originality and value: The problems presented in the study relate to challenges and new concepts in strategic management. They enrich the existing knowledge on the development of strategic management, and also create inspiration for further research in this area.

Background Polish healthcare providers already struggle with a deficiency concerning human resources, especially with regard to doctors and nurses. Because of this, effective HRM interventions should be taken in order to attract and retain medical personnel. Employer branding is one such intervention because it not only results in improving the organization's reputation as an employer but also improving HRM practices. However, to create an effective employer branding strategy, a contextual approach should be taken. Because of this, the aim of the study is to assess the importance of various factors influencing medical personnel’s perception of a hospital’s attractiveness as an employer. Methods The study was performed among 285 hospitals in Poland assuming a confidence level of 0.95. In each hospital, five respondents took part in the survey. The first cohort of respondents named ‘Directors’ consisted of hospital directors or employees authorized by them, mostly HR specialists. The other four groups were: ‘Hybrid Doctors Managers’ (individuals who had the roles of both doctor and manager); ‘Hybrid Nurses Managers’ (having the roles of both manager and nurse); ‘Physicians’; ‘Nurses’. Due to the ordinal nature of the data, the chi-square test of independence was used and the V-Cramer coefficient was determined. To indicate significant discrepancies between the responses of the respondents’ cohorts, the Kruskal–Wallis rank test was conducted. Results and discussion Various groups of respondents perceive hospital attractiveness as an employer differently. While the opinions of medical personnel are more or less homogeneous, the cohort of employees responsible for HRM are less consistent with regard to their perception of hospital attractiveness. Additionally, ‘Directors’ highlight tangible factors determining hospital desirability. Moreover, their hierarchy of the top five factors influencing EB clearly exposes their quantitative orientation towards hospital performance management. Medical personnel hierarchies of the determinants expose qualitative orientation. Excluding country-dependent factors, such as regularity of remuneration payment, the professionals value such determinants as a nice work atmosphere, cooperation with colleagues (specialists), good working conditions and, most importantly, employment stability. The last determinant results from generational and gender tendencies (feminization), and yet it stands in contradiction with a tendency of flexible employment implemented in most developed countries due to a lack of medical personnel. Conclusions The results showed the importance of adapting employer branding strategies to the medical professional groups (doctors and nurses). This is because their perception of employers’ attractiveness differ. In addition, elements of the profession genotypes play an important role in how the physicians and nurses value various factors creating the employers’ attractiveness. The research also revealed the fact that top managers or HR specialists can wrongly identify the hospitals attractiveness since they are more quantitatively than qualitatively oriented. For this reason, they may implement inefficient EB strategies.

The growing environmental problems associated with the dumping of large amounts of textile waste and the demand for circular products are prompting textile waste recycling enterprises to develop circular business models (CBMs). This implies a radical change in the way some enterprises operate to obtain growth. Considering the importance of the drivers of and barriers for the adoption and implementation of CBMs in the textile recycling sector, it is claimed that the comprehension of these factors to CBMs is limited and deserves more attention in empirical research. Therefore, our research investigates the antecedents of circular business models in the textile recycling sector by highlighting influencing factors. The aim of the article is to explore the main enhancing and inhibiting factors in the development of circular business models on the example of a large enterprise operating for 30 years in the textile recycling sector. In this study, a case study design of mixed methods, including semi-structured interviews with a business practitioner and the data presented on the websites of the surveyed enterprise, is used. The results suggest that main enhancing factors are relevant regulations at the European level, appropriate technologies and digitisation, and increasing social and environmental awareness of consumers and managerial capabilities. However, inhibiting factors are supply chain complexity and supply chain collaboration in connection with a large scale of business in crisis situations, a large scope and range of geographic diversification of outlets in the perspective of the consequences of the information gap, and readiness to take the so-called “being the first in the market” risk. In practice, this means that general drivers of the CBMs may facilitate the reuse of second-hand clothing and recycling of textiles for other new products as the primary CE action. On the other hand, enterprises have to overcome a number of technological barriers, and in the case of the textile recycling sector, it is necessary to understand which barriers they face to take appropriate actions. Research findings indicate factors that may be the subject of intervention or support of managers or policymakers. This study has practical implications and suggests future study paths.