The automotive sector is one of the key branches of the global economy. The automotive industry is also a very important sector of the Polish economy, as it generates over 8% of GDP and accounts for over 20% of the annual export value. Industry 4.0 and the effective use of modern technologies give a chance for its further dynamic development. The implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions in the business processes of automotive companies should not only take place in the area of production or logistics, as it is usually indicated, but also in their other functional areas, such as quality management, human resources management, and innovation management. The purpose of the article is to diagnose the level of maturity in the implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions in selected management areas of automotive companies operating in Poland. Using a maturity assessment tool, the authors assessed the level of maturity in six selected functional areas of an enterprise, such as production and logistics management, quality management, human resources management, social and environmental responsibility, and product innovation management. The authors also formulated conclusions and recommendations concerning actions that should be taken by automotive companies in order to achieve higher maturity levels in the implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions.

Abstract:The exponential growth of the Internet and social media (SM) in the recent years has contributed to changing the communication environment in which stakeholders as their users may post and distribute their opinions about the company and its products. This generates a number of potential threats to the image and reputation of both people and organizations. Companies cannot ignore this fact and should use SM not only as an additional communication marketing channel but also in a broader context  as a tool to build and protect their reputation. This article aims to identify the extent and directions of the use of SM in the activities of companies operating on the Polish market in the area of reputation management. The results of research showed that Polish companies recognize the potential of SM and try to apply them in their marketing efforts. In the approach to the SM as a communication channel, the traditional way of thinking dominates, in which they are treated as just another promotional tool used by two departments: marketing and public relations (PR). This way of using SM is not integrated and does not allow effective building and protecting reputation in the Internet environment. To achieve this goal, the following research methods were used: critical analysis of literature and analysis of secondary sources in a form of report from the research conducted by various national and foreign research centers.

Research background: Corporate reputation and image are two valuable intangible resources of the company, aimed at building its long-term competitive ad-vantage and market value. Although reputation and image are interrelated categories, they should not be identified with each other. The differences are not only in the definition and the character, but also in the mechanism of formation and tools to create these resources by the company. Image is a picture, perceptions and associations about the company in the minds of consumers, which may be created using the tools of PR and advertising in a relatively short period of time. Reputation is a review of the company and its activities, formulated by various stakeholder groups, on the basis of not only advertising, but also on the basis of the assessment of real activities of companies in the long term. Purpose of the article: The cognitive objective of the article is to point out the fundamental differences between reputation and image on the basis of the analysis of approaches and theoretical concepts. The practical objective is to make an attempt to identify the differences and relationships between reputation and image on the basis of empirical analysis, therefore the research was conducted in the Polish banking sector. Methods: In order to evaluate image and reputation, the survey method was used aimed at the customers of banks operating on the Polish market. Findings & Value added: Reputation and image are two separate, intangible assets that support each other and the company needs each of them to build its competitive advantage. The results of empirical study allowed formulating the thesis that the banks, whose reputation is rated better by the customers, also have a better and more coherent image in their minds.

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In order to determine the competitive position of a company not only the traditional measures of market position (market share) and financial position (financial ratios) are used, but also the qualitative measures concerning intangible resources. Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty are the two most commonly applied qualitative measures. Due to the growing importance of intangible resources, and of reputation in particular, the need arises to use the reputation indicator as a measure of competitive position in achieving a long-term competitive advantage and building the enterprise value. The purpose of this article is to identify the competitive position indicated by the level of corporate reputation in comparison with the customer loyalty indicator and the most popular traditional measures based on the example of banking sector. For calculation of qualitative measures the method of survey was used, conducted among the retail banking customers. The study showed a weak relationship between reputation and loyalty: the banks that received the highest ratings of reputation, obtained the poorest results in terms of loyalty. Due to the limited subjective and methodological scope of research, the results cannot constitute a sufficient basis to prove this thesis, however, they may constitute a good starting point for conducting broader research in this area.

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Podejmowanie aktywności w obszarach CSR oraz rosnące ich znaczenie w budowaniu pozytywnej reputacji stwarza potrzebę oceny i pomiaru stopnia zaangażowania przedsiębiorstw w działania społecznie odpowiedzialne. W ciągu ostatnich lat opracowano wiele metod i narzędzi w tym zakresie. Jedną z nich jest analiza treści publikacji korporacyjnych. Celem niniejszego opracowania jest identyfikacja możliwości oceny zaangażowania przedsiębiorstw w działania CSR na podstawie polityki informacyjnej spółek notowanych na GPW w Warszawie. Badaniami objęto formę, zakres i treść publikacji na temat CSR krajowych spółek giełdowych.