Welcome to the fourth issue of the International Journal of Management and Economics in 2025. In this issue, we present six articles written by authors representing various universities and institutions.
The aim of the first article, by Hanna Pondel and Grażyna Krzyminiewska, is to assess the opportunities for the senior generation to participate in the Economy and Society 5.0. The authors conducted a study across the European Union in 2022. The analysis revealed significant differences between EU countries. The authors identified a group of five countries with extensive opportunities for seniors, with Finland leading the way and achieving the best indicators. On the other hand, a group of four member states demonstrated neglected conditions for the 65+ generation, with Bulgaria achieving particularly poor indicators.
In the second article, Magdalena Szyszko, Agata Kliber, and Olena Motuzka examine the changes in direction and the differences between Ukrainian and Polish consumers’ and professionals’ inflation expectations following the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine. The period from 2018 to 2024 was considered, with expectations prior to the outbreak serving as a training period. The main premise is the lack of change in Ukrainian consumer sentiment, contrasting with a shift among both Polish and Ukrainian experts. It is worth noting that this is the first empirical study of inflation expectations conducted after the outbreak of the war that also covers Ukraine’s neighbor.
The third article, written by Jacek Prokop, examines the impact of patent rights on duopolistic price competition and leadership. The author analyzes the influence of patent rights on maintaining cartel stability and proves that the existence of patent rights eliminates the prisoner’s dilemma, thereby strengthening cartel agreements. The study implies that patent rights may limit full competition between entrepreneurs, leading to the conclusion that antitrust authorities need to intervene in these matters.
In the fourth article, Anna Napiórkowska presents an empirical study on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its impact on company success during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher examines whether companies with a CSR concept are better able to overcome challenges during healthcare crises. A survey was conducted among 241 medium and large enterprises in Poland within the fashion, cosmetics, and consumer electronics industries. The results indicated that the presence of entrepreneurial orientation strongly influences CSR initiatives. However, no correlation was found between CSR initiatives and the financial or non-financial performance of the surveyed companies.
The authors of the fifth article, Arkadiusz Kowalski and Scott Hegerty, focus on clusters and their impact on the pattern of innovation among companies. Clusters, defined as interconnected companies or institutions, are currently key ecosystems contributing to the development of innovation in specific geographic regions. To examine the impact, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (2022–2023) conducted a survey among 41 clusters and 642 member companies in Poland. The study proved the dependency between cluster membership and increased innovation, especially in fields as knowledge spillover, collaboration between companies, and better access to specialized capital. On the other hand, there are risks associated with companies belonging to clusters, such as unequal distribution of profits from cooperation or the risk of lock-in. The authors used a data-driven approach using Principal component analysis (PCA) and regression models.
The sixth study, conducted by Mariusz-Jan Radło, Tomasz Napiórkowski, Justyna Zabawa, and Ewa Łosiewicz-Dniestrzańska, focuses on examining the impact of environment, social, governance (ESG) standards during mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The authors collected data from 211 publicly traded companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange that have undergone mergers or acquisitions for the last 5 years. Authors found that larger companies tend to place a stronger emphasis on ESG standards, particularly during transitions, focusing on achieving synergies and improving corporate governance. Despite its limited effect on innovation and funding, ESG’s factors were a key driver for attracting top talent, strengthening governance, and achieving synergies. Furthermore, the authors conclude that ownership structure (domestic vs foreign) revealed an impact only on the relation to talent management. Overall, the findings prove the strong importance of ESG factors for large companies and encourage conducting more research during M&A transactions.
I hope that all articles included in the current issue of the IJME will be a good read and a source of inspiration for our readers.