Welcome to the fifth issue of the International Journal of Management and Economics in 2025. In this issue, we present six articles by authors representing various universities and institutions.
The first article by Andrzej Bąk, Melania Bąk, and Marzena Strojek-Filus examines how preparers of reports perceive the usefulness of environmental disclosures with a focus on the influence of demographic factors such as gender and age. Using data from a questionnaire survey and logistic regression models, the study reveals that gender has a neutral effect on perceptions of environmental information usefulness. Age, however, was found to have an increasing impact: Generations X and Y exhibit a notably positive attitude toward the usefulness of environmental information. The article highlights that heightened awareness of environmental responsibility is a key factor that determines enhanced perceived usefulness.
The authors of the second article, Mariusz Salwin, Dariusz Masłowski, Sandra Pallus-Fudali, Magdalena Hryniewicka, and Michał Pałęga analyze the impact of current, modern customer service methods in stores and propose improvements in this area. The study demonstrates a generally positive image of self-checkout systems among store customers. The authors point to the eagerness of businesses to use the systems despite the high investment costs and the risk of theft. The data indicate a growing number of self-checkout systems and potential further growth, which will be associated with increased user convenience and the implementation of further innovations.
The third article written by Arkadiusz Bernal and Anna Białek-Jaworska tests whether excluding late and long-term payments from tax-deductible costs shortens the payment overdue period. The study’s authors conducted an experiment involving increasing the income tax base for liabilities overdue by more than 30 days and for liabilities with a payment term longer than 90 days, which was in force in Poland between 2013 and 2015. The results show that corporate income tax regulation is associated with improved payment discipline. Higher effective tax rates between 2013 and 2015 for companies with overdue liabilities confirm that unreliable contractors were using the analyzed regulations. Furthermore, the study confirms that unreliable contractors faced higher effective tax rates, validating the instrument’s effectiveness in reducing payment congestion.
In the fourth article, Jakub Kubiczek, Kornelia Przedworska, Bartłomiej Hadasik, Dominika Krawczyńska, and Aleksandra Ryczko explore the process of energy transition in Poland, analyzing the opportunities, challenges, and prospects for renewable energy sources (RES). Utilizing PEST analysis, the research evaluates the shift from fossil fuels to RES considering the context of the energy crisis and the war in Ukraine. The authors conclude that while regulations and financial support are increasingly favorable, the adoption of RES is hindered by historical coal usage habits and limited environmental awareness. According to the study, there is a significant opportunity to boost energy transition and enhance energy independence.
The authors of the fifth article, Magdalena Markiewicz, Anna Blajer-Gołębiewska, and Heike Stolte examine the importance and impact of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in German SMEs. The researchers used empirical methods to survey objective respondents who were advisors in this area. The study was conducted using computer-assisted online interviews. The article identified the need for expansion, the desire to reach new consumers, and increased competitiveness as the main motives for M&A. The main reasons for selling SMEs, on the other hand, are the lack of internal succession, internal conflicts, and a lack of qualified employees. The results were consistent regardless of the advisor’s experience in M&A, experience in family businesses or buy-side involvement, except for growth and owners’ reorientation.
The sixth article written by Aneta Dzik-Walczak and Anna Gaweł presents a comparative analysis of the four waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Polish stock market. Authors utilize the ARMA-ADCC-GARCH models to depict the dynamic conditional correlations between Polish stock market and the US stock market. Furthermore, the authors demonstrate a significant relationship between pandemic variables and the stock market, particularly in the first and second waves of infections. In the third and fourth waves, vaccinations played a significant role.
This issue was financed from the project “Development of SGH research potential for sustainable growth, and resilient and inclusive societies,” conducted at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics and financed by the Minister of Science under the Regional Excellence Initiative Program (Regionalna inicjatywa doskonałości – RID).
I hope that all articles included in the current issue of the IJME will be a good reading and a source of inspiration for our readers.
Professor Mariusz Próchniak, Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief
Dean of Collegium of World Economy
SGH Warsaw School of Economics