This study investigates the nature and specificity of the concept of sustainable tourism against the background of the paradigm of sustainable development (with regard to the conditions for the implementation of its practices in Polish conditions). The study assumes the hypothesis that researching sustainable tourism as a category within a new scientific concept—i.e., an emerging paradigm of sustainable development—requires the use of an appropriate scientific methodology. This study, in its essential part, has an overview and theoretical character. A critical analysis of the literature on the subject from books and journals, as well as Internet sources, is used in the study. Documentary and observation methods are applied, and the results of qualitative research based on case study research methodology are presented; thus, the empirical part of the paper has an exploratory nature. Research on sustainable tourism as a category within an emerging paradigm of sustainable development shows that researchers use an appropriate scientific methodology, which is compatible with the interpretive paradigm in the highest degree. In case studies, the research is often limited to the analysis of one example. Due to the prevalence of studies applying qualitative methods, an interpretivist approach is prevalent, while a functionalist approach, associated with quantitative research and model testing, is less frequent.

Today, the role of universities in the education of future managers who promote the principles of social responsibility (SR) and CSR in business practice is pivotal. Properly educated management staff of organizations can disseminate knowledge on this subject and apply its principles in practice. The research scope of the paper is to identify the knowledge and perception of the University Social Responsibility Declaration (Polish national programme in this field, hereinafter called USRD) among the students of the University of Economics in Katowice. The research assumes that most of the students do not have any knowledge about such programs as the USRD, and that despite this, they see the need for implementation of the specific principles of the USRD into university’s activities. Significance of specific principles is associated with students’ sociodemographic and psychographic characteristics. The strongest relation between the perception of the importance of the objectives of USRD and students’ characteristics is observed in the declared extent to which respondents implement the principles of social responsibility in their everyday life, as well as in their age and year of study. The more the students use those principles, the higher they personally rate specific principles of the USRD.

Streszczenie: Celem artykułu jest identyfikacja aktywności konsumentów (wywołanych głównie poczynaniami firm) w procesie kreowania oferty banków i producentów dóbr high--tech, na tle wymogów teoretycznych koncepcji otwartych innowacji. W artykule przeprowadzono badania wtórne w postaci krytycznej analizy literatury oraz przy użyciu metody dokumentacyjnej. Zastosowano też metodę badań jakościowych -case study research, ilustrującą dobre praktyki wybranych podmiotów z obu sektorów. Badania dowiodły, że klienci firm z ww. sektorów wykazują rosnącą aktywność w sferze opracowywania udoskonaleń i rozwiązań innowacyjnych. Poziom tego zaangażowania różni się jednak w zależności od specyfiki segmentów docelowych.Słowa kluczowe: otwarte innowacje, bankowość detaliczna, dobra zaawansowane technicznie.Summary: This article aims to identify consumer activity in the process of creating the offer of banks and high-tech goods manufacturers, against the requirements of the theoretical concept of open innovation. Secondary research was conducted as a critical analysis of the literature and using the method of documentary. It also uses the method of qualitative research (case study research), which illustrates the best practices of selected entites from both sectors. Research studies have shown that customers in both sectors show increasing activity in the sphere of development of improvements and innovative solutions, although the level of engagement varies depending on the specifics of the target segments.

W artykule zaproponowano ujęcie konkurencyjności międzynarodowej jako katalizatora produktywności ekonomicznej. Przyjęto, iż jest to właściwość, która określa zdolność kraju do tworzenia warunków wzrostu produktywności oraz pożądanych zachowań rynkowych w sytuacji, gdy kraje pozostałe czynią to lepiej, sprawniej i efektywniej. Tak pojęta konkurencyjność tkwi w otoczeniu procesów produkcyjnych, sprzyjając wzrostowi gospodarczemu. Słowa kluczowe: konkurencyjność międzynarodowa, wzrost gospodarczy, katalizator produktywności Wprowadzenie Celem artykułu jest ustalenie teoretycznych podstaw ekonomicznych koncepcji "konkurencyjności międzynarodowej" (rozumianej jako "konkurencyjność kraju") zaproponowanej przez Portera (1990), która jest stosowana przy sporządzaniu rankingów krajów, między innymi przez Światowe Forum Ekonomiczne (World Economic Forum-WEF) oraz Międzynarodowy Instytut Zarządzania Rozwojem

The goal of the chapter is to draw attention to the need to preserve selected examples of architecture built in 1945-1991 in the European Union countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The meanings assigned to the objects evolve, and along with social changes and changing awareness, architectural and urban value of the buildings from this period is more and more often noticed. Consequently, growth of their significance for development of tourism can be expected. On the other hand, they often constitute a dissonant heritage, and thus, more and more of them are demolished. This chapter presents the concept of dissonant heritage and justifies the relationships between characterised architecture. Attention is focused on the relationships between the need to protect it and the concept of sustainable development (including sustainable tourism). Examples of cities that have relatively big resources of this architecture are identified, and an attempt to classify them is made. Then tourist offer of these cities is analysed with respect to the use of the discussed architecture.