No abstract

The aim of the research, the results of which are used in this publication, was to identify the motives for mergers and acquisitions in the energy sector after the introduction of green economy elements in Western Europe. The mentioned region is the group of countries where changes related to the move to green energy are most visible (in addition to some countries from other regions, such as Singapore, New Zealand, or countries of the Arabian Peninsula). The research assumed the hypothesis that over the years since the Paris Conference the themes of mergers and acquisitions have changed from motives close to the views related to energy generation in traditional systems (black energy in large, monopolistic systems) to motives close to green energy (the research hypothesis). This was confirmed in the research, as business risk diversification (defined as diversification of the power sources from black to green) was the most popular M&A motive. In addition to emphasizing the direction of changes in the M&A motives, the authors of this study decided to check whether since 2015 (when the Paris Conference was organized) the motives behind the M&A transactions conducted by companies operating in the electrical energy generation sector have changed, making their motives close to the green energy dominant in Western Europe. Apart from verification of the abovementioned hypothesis, the aim of the research was to check whether there are any characteristic directions of changes in M&A motives across companies from particular Western European countries. The motives are changing from positional approaches to motives closer to resource approaches (green economy). The research used a critical analysis of the literature on the subject, a study that used desk research based on openly available sources and our own analytical tool developed for the needs of this analysis, which is the transformation of the concept of analysis of the M&A motives proposed in K. Borowski’s research: “The strategic development of the technology companies. The mergers and acquisitions perspective”.

The article presents an innovative method of analyzing energy companies’ strategies, which aims to identify the strategic orientation of the entities subject to the research and, thus, to initially define the directions of strategic changes in the analyzed sector. The aim of the research, the results of which were used in this publication, was to identify the features of energy sector companies’ strategies in the European Union in the period of sector transformation caused by the new climate policy. The analysis area is the energy sector, i.e., the sector whose fundamental strategic goal is energy production. The research used a critical analysis of the subject literature and desk research method with the use of the researchers’ own analytical equipment, developed for the needs of this analysis. It was assumed in the conducted research that the primary source of information in the empirical study, the information subject to subsequent analysis, was the analysis of official documents (strategies, financial reports, etc.) posted on the websites of the surveyed corporations. The research results indicate the dominance of the resource-based approach in implementing strategic postulates of the surveyed companies. Nevertheless, the operational activity focuses on the implementation of innovative solutions towards decarbonization and climate neutrality.

Purpose – the main scientific purpose of this article is to conceptualise the categories of dynamics of interorganisational networks strategy. The scientific problem presented in the article concerns initially identified connections between three major elements (based on literature studies and authors’ previous experiences), describing the dynamism of the strategy as mentioned above. Those elements were named by the authors as the Triangle of Dynamics Factors (TDF), and are (1) propensity of taking the risk and real ability to accurately assess opportunities, (2) skills, and processes of opportunities identification, creation, and exploitation, as well as (3) leadership skills of contemporary managers. Basing on those connections, the article concerns on clarifying research hypotheses in the areas of the three mentioned differentiating factors. Research methodology – in order to achieve the main goal of the article both quantitative (survey research) and qualitative (case study) methods were chosen for future research. Findings – the conducted research is focused on positioning previously mentioned categories in the micro-scale strategy, as well as on determining variables constituting the dynamics of inter-organisational networks strategies. The article presents research hypotheses that will be verified. Research limitations – the limitations are primarily related to a variety of factors influencing the dynamics of interorganisational network strategies, observed both inside and outside the networks. The article focuses on those factors that decision-makers in networks can influence, which is tantamount to omitting most factors within the networks' environment. At the same time, the article focuses on selected types of inter-organisational networks – both decentralised and centralised. The article is conceptual; therefore, it does not contain the results of empirical research directly oriented on all three identified factors, which is its specific limitation. Partial results of the previously conducted research indicated in the article relate only to one of the identified elements. It is the area of skills, and processes of opportunities identification, creation, and exploitation. Practical implications – the practical business implications concern mostly the necessity of organisational adaptation to changing environmental conditions, the imperative of being flexible and striving for the success by inter-organisational networks. The article identifies those factors being under the actual influence exerted by networks' representatives. Originality/Value – this article is the authors' third joint work, and hitherto in the examined literature, there were no publications dedicated to the study of strategy dynamics and dynamism of the inter-organisational networks' strategy, researched in the triad: risk – opportunities – leadership. This creates a wide interpretative and research area for the indicated topic

The COVID-19 epidemic surprised economic operators around the world. The very existence of many businesses, and thus jobs, was at stake. However, one year after the WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic, contrary to the pessimistic forecasts of business analysts, some industries did not experience the predicted negative effects of the crisis. This article presents the results of a pilot study on micro and small enterprises in the rubber products industry in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the aim of analyzing the phenomenon of sustainable resource management that led not only to the survival of these enterprises but also to a significant increase in their turnover. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to analyze the key success factors of the indicated economic entities, with particular emphasis on the perspective of sustainable resource management and relationship management. On the basis of best research practices, a triangulation of research methods was applied (integrative literature review, computer-assisted telephone interviewing, and individual in-depth interview). A relationship was observed between the sustainable management of resources and the structure of the relationship network and the strength of its connections. In micro and small enterprises in the rubber products sector in Poland, sustainable resource management is related to the structure of the network of relations and the strength of connections in the network (relations/networking), as enterprises form a group of entities with a high level of loyalty, especially between the suppliers and buyers of raw materials. The formulated conclusions will become the basis for further in-depth research that can be conducted (a) in the same group of respondents, but using a representative research group, (b) in the same industry among a group of large enterprises, and (c) in a group of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from other industries.