Anna Irena Szymańska

Polskie gospodarstwa agroturystyczne w dobie kryzysu gospodarczego

The economic crisis of the last few years has affected each sector of the world economy in some way. Specific conditions and governmental policy introduced in Poland meant that, in comparison to other countries, the economy demonstrated considerable resistance to the crisis (Sawicka, 2011). As experts point out, a significant impact in this area was made by Polish entrepreneurs, who did not give in to the pessimistic mood. For businesses, the period of economic downturn is difficult, but also, as noted by A. Sawicka (2011), extremely mobilising. This is due to the fact that crises force the owners to review their goals and implement changes - both in relation to the management of their own company, as well as in relation to the market. The subjects of the analysis in this paper are agritourism activities, with particular emphasis on the market and entrepreneurial behaviour in times of economic crisis. The analysis was based on the results of research, conducted on a group of agritourism farms from across Poland. These studies were to identify whether respondents notice any changes in the operation of their farms, and, as a result, whether they feel any impact of the economic crisis on the functioning of these agritourism enterprises.

Family Agritourist Enterprises in Poland: Preliminary Survey Results

The main goal of the paper is the evaluation of agritouristic enterprises, as a specific type of family owned businesses, in terms of their market and entrepreneurial behaviour and the behaviour connected with generating innovation. The attempt has been made to define the advantages and disadvantages of family-run business in the opinion of the agritouristic enterprises. Achievement of the above-mentioned goal was based on the analysis of professional literature, and direct research supported by direct questionnaire surveys and individual in-depth interviews. The empirical research was conducted in the period from January to March 2012. Agritourist enterprises are self-defined as family enterprises. They can see and appreciate benefits from running a family business as well as their advantage in being innovative and strive to introduce changes in their businesses. In the opinion of the authors of this paper, agritourist farms are a very special example of family entrepreneurship. Issues analysed in this study are relatively new and poorly covered by the literature in the field. It is a certain novelty to analyse family entrepreneurship in agritourism in addition to being an interesting area of scientific exploration.

Construction Sector in the Czech Republic and Poland: Focus on the Housing Segment in Selected Regions

The paper presents a comparative analysis of the construction sector in the Czech Republic and Poland, with a particular focus on the housing segment in selected regions. The authors compared the size and growth ofthe housing segment. To achieve the purpose, spatial and dynamic analyses of the construction sector indicators were conducted, with a particular emphasis on the housing segment (i.e. growth of construction sectorproduction, completed dwellings per 1000 inhabitants). In global economic crisis, the construction production fluctuation displayed a similar trend for both countries, with the worst indicators reported in 2010 and 2011. The main analysis focused on the dwelling segment. The Czech Republic reported a negative growth (-2.4%) in the number of completed dwellings in the period, while Poland reported a positive growth of 32.6%. Analysed countries differ regarding the construction industry output, which depends on the different population potential and uneven distribution of construction projects, particularly in the housing segment. Nonetheless, a common tendency was observed in the housing segment showing an intensified growth in the output in the areas that hadseen fewer investment projects. Comparison of the construction sector status and development in selected regions of the Czech Republic and Poland can be helpful to entrepreneurs, investors and employees from both countries in recognizing a potential demand for dwellings.

Przedsiębiorstwa agroturystyczne w gospodarce opartej na wiedzy

Agritourism enterprises represent an important branch of economic activity on the local,national and international scale. Agritourism is a significant form of farm activities diversification(Klodzinski, 2001). It plays crucial role in the economic revival of rural areas, affects the local economicstructures and their liveliness, and in the consequence contributes to an increase in the number ofworkplaces and attracting new sources of income.The main objective of this paper is the diagnosis of agritourism enterprises in Poland. It focuses on thecharacteristics and structure determining of agritourism farms offer, as well as evaluating entrepreneurial,innovative and market behaviour of agritourism enterprises in a knowledge-based economy. Thebasis for the analysis is formed on both the information from secondary sources as well as surveys andindividual in-depth interviews conducted with a sample of agritourism farms throughout Poland.

Consumer preferences and behaviour in shopping malls in Poland with the particular reference to Krakow

Abstract Large shopping centres have become an important element of the urban landscape and a major competitor with other forms of retail sale. Their large offer, including a wide variety of products and services, special offers and tasting campaigns, large car parks, and own-brand fuel stations as well as various services points located in shopping centres successfully win customers. The present study focuses on Polish shopping centres (malls), particularly those located in Krakow. A shopping centre (mall) is defined as “a commercial property designed, constructed and managed as a single business entity, comprising stores/shops and common areas, with a minimum leasable area of 5 thousand m2 (GLA) and accommodating at least 10 stores/shops”. The purpose of this paper is to examine the behaviour of prospective customers of shopping centres, their preferences when selecting their shopping locations, and declarations on the use of additional functions offered by commercial and services enterprises. Furthermore, the paper identifies non-commercial functions of shopping malls of particular interest to prospective customers. The paper also presents a profile of a consumer who has a preference for shopping and spending their free time in malls. The conclusions are based on literature on the subject and the findings of a survey conducted by the authors of the paper. A questionnaire was used as a research tool. The survey covered 1756 respondents – mainly residents of Krakow. In order to broaden the scope of the conclusions, the results of surveys and studies of other authors were also used.

Regres czy rozwój lokalnej działalności handlowo-usługowej w najstarszej części Nowej Huty?

The article contains the results of the research conducted during the period of 2014 to 2016 in the Nowa Huta district, in Krakow. This area consists of 25 residential areas inhabited by almost 50 thousand people. The research concerned the functioning of commerce and services in Nowa Huta, from both the consumers’ and entrepreneurs’ point of view. During the research an interview among 2,200 consumers and 112 entrepreneurs was conducted. Also an inventory of approximately 500 unit of entrepreneurs was made. The factors which have effect on regression or development of the commerce and services in Nowa Huta were identified. These factors were divided into two groups: the first group was based on the demographical and social conditions, the second group was based on the market surroundings when it comes to both the micro and macro economical point of view. The results of the survey stated an important influence of the local aging society and its financial state, when it concerns preferences for places of purchasing. At the beginning of the transformation a lot of shops of elevated quality and services in Nowa Huta disappeared or changed their type of activities. The additional factor of this regression was the consequence of investments of foreign capital observed through the emergence of hyperand supermarkets, discount stores, pharmacies, banks and selling points for phone services. These types of activities, according to the survey, caused the crisis of local businesses. This tendency appears not to affect the two big marketplaces – Bienczycki Market Place (Bienczycki Plac Targowy) and Trade Centre “Tomex” (CH „Tomex”) which are traditionally connected to Nowa Huta. These are places not only meant for purchasing goods but also for social meeting especially among the elder inhabitants.

Operation of Small Businesses in Open-Air Markets in Poland Based on the Example of Kraków

Open-air markets are traditionally associated with the landscape of Polish towns and cities. In the beginning, they were in the very centre of the city – most often in the market around which the lives of the locals and the newcomers concentrated. With the development of urban areas, open-air markets were moved out of the city centre. They were transformed, though for a long time, also after the Second World War, they were the place of trade primarily in agricultural and craft products. During the People’s Republic of Poland, citizens were given the opportunity to buy goods not available in stores. Open-air market places gained a new meaning at the beginning of the socio-political transformation after 1989. They became the places of flourishing small businesses and were less and less associated with the sale of agricultural products and more and more with diverse assortments such as any groceries, clothing, chemicals and cosmetics. At present, in the period of the global economy, which in urban areas is typically expressed through the diminishing of the local economy related to small businesses in favour of the global economy introducing supermarkets, hypermarkets and chain outlets, the functioning of open-air markets takes place in the conditions of increased competition. It consists in particular in price competition and competition in the form of a large assortment of goods in stores mentioned above. As shown in the article, also entrepreneurs conducting business activity at the open-air markets in Krakow feel this competition. It manifests itself in the lack of a sense of stabilisation of small businesses. A large group of the surveyed entrepreneurs are also unable to sustain themselves only from this activity.

Preferencje i zachowania konsumentów w centrach handlowych w Polsce na przykładzie Krakowa

Social and economic changes that occurred after 1989 contributed to the market economy development and thus the unfettered creation and withdrawal from the market of business entities which are private properties. Initially, mainly small private trade enterprises were formed, in which Polish capital prevailed. But the traits that characterised the Polish market in the 1990s, i.e. a large consumer demand, the lack of large national capital specialised in commercial activities, favourable tax laws, low purchase prices, lease of real estate and the availability of skilled labour were the incentive s for foreign trade enterprises to invest in the development of hypermarkets in Poland. Foreign trade enterprises dispose the large capital and modern management team which has contributed to the rapid development of this trade form. As a result, in Poland, a large number of commercial buildings (WHO) were created with an area of more than 400 sq m, such as discount stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets, as well as trading houses and shopping centres, characterised by a large area of sales and a wide range of diverse goods of various types. Currently, they form an important element of urban space and at the same time a serious competition for other retail forms. The opportunities provided by the WHO, ie. a wide range of products and services, sales and tasting, large parking lots and gas stations, as well as many different outlets located within the shopping complex, effectively attract customers. This paper focuses mainly on the analysis of shopping centres operating in Poland, with particular emphasis on those located in Krakow. A shopping centre was defined as “commercial real estate, which was planned, built and managed as a single entity, consisting of shops and common parts, with a minimum leasable area of 5 thousand sq m (GLA) and containing at least 10 stores” (Mikolajczyk, 2009: 138–139). The aim of this study was to identify the preferences of consumers in terms of their choice of shopping areas and their declarations related to the use of the additional functionality offered by the surveyed entities of commercial premises, as well as the identification of the non-trade concerns function of the shopping centres, which are particularly interested in the potential consumers. In the article, the characteristics of the profile of the consumer declaring the choice of the mall as a place for shopping and leisure was also dealt with.The inference was based on an analysis of the literature and the results of a direct research conducted by the authors of the study. As a research tool the survey questionnaire was used. The studies involved a total of 1,756 respondents who were mostly residents of Krakow and selected by random method.Social and economic changes that occurred after 1989 contributed to the market economy development and thus the unfettered creation and withdrawal from the market of business entities which are private properties. Initially, mainly small private trade enterprises were formed, in which Polish capital prevailed. But the traits that characterised the Polish market in the 1990s, i.e. a large consumer demand, the lack of large national capital specialised in commercial activities, favourable tax laws, low purchase prices, lease of real estate and the availability of skilled labour were the incentive s for foreign trade enterprises to invest in the development of hypermarkets in Poland. Foreign trade enterprises dispose the large capital and modern management team which has contributed to the rapid development of this trade form. As a result, in Poland, a large number of commercial buildings (WHO) were created with an area of more than 400 sq m, such as discount stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets, as well as trading houses and shopping centres, characterised by a large area of sales and a wide range of diverse goods of various types. Currently, they form an important element of urban space and at the same time a serious competition for other retail forms. The opportunities provided by the WHO, ie. a wide range of products and services, sales and tasting, large parking lots and gas stations, as well as many different outlets located within the shopping complex, effectively attract customers. This paper focuses mainly on the analysis of shopping centres operating in Poland, with particular emphasis on those located in Krakow. A shopping centre was defined as “commercial real estate, which was planned, built and managed as a single entity, consisting of shops and common parts, with a minimum leasable area of 5 thousand sq m (GLA) and containing at least 10 stores” (Mikolajczyk, 2009: 138–139). The aim of this study was to identify the preferences of consumers in terms of their choice of shopping areas and their declarations related to the use of the additional functionality offered by the surveyed entities of commercial premises, as well as the identification of the non-trade concerns function of the shopping centres, which are particularly interested in the potential consumers. In the article, the characteristics of the profile of the consumer declaring the choice of the mall as a place for shopping and leisure was also dealt with.The inference was based on an analysis of the literature and the results of a direct research conducted by the authors of the study. As a research tool the survey questionnaire was used. The studies involved a total of 1,756 respondents who were mostly residents of Krakow and selected by random method.

Czynniki warunkujące atrakcyjność dokonywania zakupów na placach targowych Krakowa

In the article authors present the diagnosis of consumer preferences in terms of the most popular shopping destinations, categorized according to the forms of trade. Also there is an indication of the factors of the choice of markets as a place of purchases. For that purpose, the research was carried out with the use of a questionnaire interview. The research concerned 22 markets located in Cracow. The survey was conducted in the indicated places of the city – widely attended and characterized by a considerable proximity to the markets. 502 respondents took part in the survey. In the majority they were residents of Cracow.The obtained results allow to presume that the main premise accompanying purchases at the markets are two factors: the health aspect (megatrend of the consumers’ behavior as a growing focus on healthy diet) as well as the economic aspect. Consumers at markets look for fresh, healthy, non-wholesale produced, but also cheap products.

Lokalizacja ośrodków kontroli i zarządzania elementem stabilności gospodarczej ośrodków miejskich w Europie Środkowo-Wschodniej

This study takes into account the most important companies that have their head office in Central and Eastern Europe. The authors try to answer the question of how the city’s position will change due to deep crisis of the dominant sector in the city. The stability index was created, based on economic results achieved by individual corporations and their sectoral diversity. It illustrates the economic stability of urban centers in the case of global fluctuations. The most resistant to the crisis proved to Warsaw, Prague and Budapest. Impact on the location of the most resilient cities is the distance from the EU-15 and the political influence of the Soviet Union is visible in the region in 1945–1990 and the armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia. In addition, the cities studied despite having a small impact on the global economy are characterized by a fairly large international connections.