Search results

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the leadership decisions taken during the crisis and their influence on the goals recognized by managers as crucial for surviving.

During the survey, conducted in April 2020 (one month after the first economic lockdown in Poland), as part of a research project called Sur(VIR)val – Survival during the virus, data was collected from 178 leaders from randomly selected companies from Poland using the CAWI method. Ordered logistic regression modeling was used to examine the impact of the decisions taken by company leaders on the goals seen by leaders as most important for company survival.

The results obtained in the study show that during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, leaders made decisions that can be seen as oriented toward survival and continuity. Changing to remote working, extending payment deadlines for customers, as well as selective employment reduction turned out to have the greatest influence on strategic support for maintaining current production levels and retaining competent employees in order to survive the crisis.

This study has certain limitations. First, the list of leadership decisions and company goals used as dependent variables is not exhaustive. Second, the selection of business goals oriented toward survival may not derive directly from the lockdown situation. Third, our study did not measure the actual accomplishment of the company goals, but the managerial perceptions as to which ones are crucial for company survival during crises, and which of them should be given strategic support respectively. Fourth, the research sample was randomly constructed and covered only business organizations in Poland. Fifth, the hypotheses were formulated in a way that treated leadership decisions as one construct. Finally, we used survey, with a scale measuring managerial perceptions.

Leaders should ensure that proper IT tools are developed within the organization, and that the skill level of employees is high enough for fast shifting employees on to remote working. At the same time, it is important to maintain IT infrastructure at a high level. In terms of general recommendations for leaders, they should make quick decisions, maintain the most valuable resources of the company (human resources and cash flow) and take actions aimed at taking advantage of opportunities (R&D) during and after the crisis.

Additionally, due to the key importance of human resources for the survival of the organization, leaders should respond quickly by making flexible decisions about sending employees on leave and downtime. As human resources are the most valuable assets of the company from the point of view of its survival, decisions concerning employment reduction should be taken carefully. Leaders who acted in panic after the first lockdown and made employees redundant, later on had problems recruiting skilled employees back and strived to return to full organizational capacity.

Although scholars have investigated leadership decisions and actions taken during economic crises, little is known about how leaders behave when taken by surprise, and what decisions they make when the duration of a crisis is difficult to predict. The results of this study show which leadership decisions during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 influenced prioritizing critical company goals oriented toward survival.

Based on studies combining sustainable development competencies and green consumption values, this paper aims to explore the relationship between Generation Z's sustainable development competencies and green consumption values and to determine how sources of sustainable knowledge acquisition moderate this relationship.

The data collected from 1,570 students were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Our research confirms that sustainable development competencies positively and significantly impact Generation Z’s attitudes toward green consumption values. Furthermore, sources of sustainability knowledge acquisition moderate the relationship between sustainability literacy and Generation Z attitudes toward green consumption values. The findings suggest that the acquisition of sustainability knowledge from multiple sources is critical in shaping Generation Z attitudes toward green consumption values.

The key to increasing attitudes toward green consumption values among Generation Z is to provide access to sources of sustainable development knowledge acquisition. Adequate information support generated by sources of sustainable development knowledge acquisition can help shape attitudes toward green consumption values that translate into appropriate purchasing decisions.

The survey indicates the significance of diversifying sources of sustainable development knowledge. Although the study received results suggest that Generation Z’s sustainable development competencies influence attitudes toward green consumption values, they allow us to note that much greater effects are generated when a variety of sources of sustainable development knowledge acquisition are used. Thus, it is desirable not only to communicate about sustainable development but also to tailor the sources of sustainable development knowledge acquisition to the audience’s expectations are desirable.

This study analyzes the relationships between sustainable development competencies and green consumption attitudes, thus filling the gap in sustainable development competencies research and broadening its scope. The results indicate the need to change attitudes through the development of competencies that should enable active and responsible participation in sustainability. At the same time, the research shows some links between green consumption and purchasing behavior, suggesting the influence of green consumption values and orientations on sustainable and environmentally friendly consumption.