Traditional methods used in marketing research focus on the rationality of individuals and the conscious processes they are able to analyse and verbally expose. Developments in the field of neuroscience have proven that emotions are the fundamental basis from which the thoughts, behaviours and actions of individuals emerge. Thus, this paper explains the importance of the emotional dimension both in consumer decision-making and in measuring the impact of marketing activities. The purpose of the article is to indicate the current position of the use of neuromarketing and its tools in the analysis of consumer behaviour and show how an important role is played by emotions and the unconscious part of consumers’ minds during purchasing decisions. It is a review article, based on interdisciplinary knowledge, which brings to the fore new possibilities of studying not only the observed behaviour of consumers but also their minds — including decision-making processes, as well as the role of emotions and perceptions triggered by brands, products, messages and advertisements. New knowledge from the area of neuromarketing is not a categorical alternative to traditional marketing, but effectively complements it. Companies can adopt new research methods and invest in strategies that allow them to engage consumers emotionally in order to better connect with them and uncover hidden needs and desires.

SummaryThe aim of this study is to formulate and highlight the thesis on reasonability and capability of applying such attitudes and pursuing such activities in the practical operation of institutions of higher education that reflect the idea of the entrepreneurial university which has become prominent nowadays. The idea is described in brief and its present status is indicated here. The authors are seeking conditions for the practical implementation of this idea. They formulate four attributes of the entrepreneurial university, naming them economic, market, innovative and managerial orientations. They point to specific criteria of identifying each of the orientations. They present the general assessment of entrepreneurship of Polish institutions of higher education. Their conclusions highlight the most topical conditions for implementing the idea of entrepreneurial university, such as: building the economic strength and market position of the university, developing relations with the socioeconomic environment, internationalisation and innovativeness. The authors give support to the idea of the entrepreneurial university but -by examining the Polish reality -they notice the need for actions in the sphere of law, which regulates the university's capabilities to act, and point to the need for entrepreneurship-oriented transformations of lawyers and university management staff's awareness.

Theoretical background: The rapid technological development of the past decade has exerted a major influence on consumer behaviours and created new ways of reaching customers. The contemporary consumer freely switches between brick-and-mortar, online and mobile sales channels, expecting that a product will be available any time, any place. Such behaviours pose a serious challenge to retail enterprises, in particular in the context of integrating offline and online sales channels. Purpose of the article: This paper aims to determine the extent to which contemporary enterprises need to implement multichannel strategies to ensure access to goods and services in order to satisfy the increasing expectations of purchasers and gain advantage in the highly competitive market. A broader thread of the discussions concerns the transformation of the so-called business models taking place in the present retail sector in Poland and across the globe.

No abstract