Purpose: The present study aims to identify the critical factors of supply chain finance and the interrelationship between the factors using interpretive structural modeling.

Methodology: Factors of supply chain finance were identified from the literature and experts from both industry and academia were consulted to assess the contextual relationships between the factors. Then, we applied interpretive structural modeling to examine the interrelationships between these factors and find out the critical factors.

Findings: The model outcome indicates information sharing and workforce to be the most influential factors, followed by the automation of trade and financial attractiveness.

Originality/value: Previous literature identified various factors that influence supply chain finance. However, studies showing interrelationships between these factors are lacking. This study is unique in the field as it applies total interpretive structural modeling for assessing the factors that affect supply chain finance. Our model will aid practitioners’ decision-making and the adoption of supply chain finance by providing a necessary framework.

Introduction: Crowd logistics is a widely accepted concept in times of the growing popularity of
sharing economy solutions. The popularity of e-commerce and a tendency to provide same-day
delivery are the main reasons for their development. Developing those trends requires new products
and services, now available on the market, known in the transport area as crowd logistics solutions.

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to provide a tool for assessing crowd-logistics solutions, taking
into consideration customers’ requirements. The text includes groups of environmental, economic,
and social criteria to facilitate the choice of the best crowd logistics solution for freight transport.

Methodology: The research is based on the critical analysis of different sources (literature, European
Commission reports, other reports and analyses) and practical solutions in the field of crowd logistics.
The main data analysis method is the Analytic Hierarchy Process, usually used to evaluate variants
in decision-making processes. This method was chosen because of the variety of data types (quantitative and qualitative) and formats, its popularity, universality, and replicability.

Results: This paper contains ready-to-use weights for the assessment of crowd logistics solutions.
The proposed set of criteria and weights can be a useful tool for customers to evaluate the sharing-
-economy services landscape in the areas they manage.

Purpose: When facing important decisions, people often ask themselves “What should I choose?” This question may involve intertemporal and risky decisions. The aim of our study was to test a potential discrepancy between the normative and descriptive perspective, that is, between “What should you choose?” and “What do you choose?”.

Methodology: In this study we assessed the rate of delay and probability discounting of 236 participants. The design was a 2 (“choose”/“should choose”) × 2 (small/large) × 5 (delays or probabilities) factorial design in delay and probability discounting.

Findings: People are less impulsive when taking the normative perspective than when they take the descriptive one. This phenomenon occurs in relation to large payoffs. However taking the normative rather than descriptive perspective makes no difference in risky decisions.

Research limitations: In further research it would be beneficial to study real outcomes as choice consequences and to control for variables that might moderate the impact of our manipulation, such as addictions.

Implications: The manipulation with the perspective may be applied not only in financial decision making. Our results may find a practical implementation to help impulsive people make more sensible decisions.

Originality: We demonstrated the internal conflict between the descriptive and normative mode in delay discounting decision making.

Purpose: The main purpose of the paper is to identify the importance of social media in e-WoM (electronic word of mouth) in relation to the two stages of consumer behavior, pre-purchase and post-consumption, in groups of different gender and countries. The article answers three research questions. Whether the frequency of using the most popular social media influences the range of using them in e-WoM among individual users? Which stage of consumer behavior process is more dependent on social media, pre-purchase or post-consumption? Do any differences exist between men and women in the scope under consideration?

Methodology: The analysis bases on literature studies and empirical data collected among 1246 respondents from four countries: China, Poland, the United States of America, and Turkey. Findings: General conclusions show differences between these countries in relation to the use of social media for e-WoM. Moreover, results confirmed the findings of literature analysis wherever consumers used social media at the stage of looking for information and advice about products (pre-purchase). Gender appeared as a significant differentiating factor that influences e-WoM behavior.

Research limitations: The design of the research (samples’ size and sampling method) could place some limits on the capacity of the study to generalize the results to other national contexts. Research implications: The results offer information for marketers who use social media communication to build brands’ loyalty in the international marketplace and individuals who rely on experiences shared through social media.

Originality: The content of the paper is important, timely, original, and focusses on the subject infrequently studied in the literature. The information from the paper applies to numerous groups of stakeholders.

Purposes: The main goal of the paper is to determine the signifcance of selected sources of strategic information, used by Polish farmers in decision making. In addition, an attempt was made to determine the factors impacting the evaluation of those sources among the traits of the farmer and his farm.

Methodology: Data was gathered using the questionnaire method and analysed with standard tools of descriptive statistics.

Findings: The farmers deemed personalised sources of strategic information the most important, especially agricultural advisers, input suppliers and buyers of agricultural products. From among institutional (non-personalised) sources, local government and the chamber of agriculture were signifcant. Business information agencies and survey companies are the least important sources for farmers. The characteristics of the surroundings of the farm – specifcally, its geographic location and the size of settlement where it is located proved to have the widest impact on the evaluation of the sources included in the study. From among the organisational factors, only farm size has a signifcant impact.

Research limitations/implications: The study was confned to a representative group of farmers in Poland. A closed list of sources of strategic information was used.

Originality/value: The study results contribute to the knowledge on the functioning of Polish agriculture and may also be used in comparative studies, characterising this sector’s diversity within Europe. They can in turn contribute to properly focusing on supporting the policy of balanced agriculture development in the EU.

behavior of investors and government in the process of decision-making related to financing designed
to reduce risks in investment activity.

Methodology: Considering the interdependent type (nature) of interactions between related parties,
game theory tools were used to model such interactions. Much attention was directed to search for
parameters of interaction leading to certain Nash equilibriums in pure strategies. The formal results
obtained with the model were verified by statistical analysis.
Findings: Analysis showed that the rational behavior of related parties can lead to unexpected
results. Powerful investors will aim to work in socially-oriented economies, whereas primarily
small investors will operate in most liberal economies with a minimum tax burden but with a higher
level of risk. As for governments’ behaviors, the images are the same: small economies tend to
liberalize their tax systems and to secure investment faster than powerful ones. Empirical verification
based on statistical data of groups of countries generally confirmed the conclusions. These
formal and logical conclusions were from statistical analysis of 124 countries divided into 5 groups:
OECD countries, post-socialist countries, Latin American countries, APAC countries and ACP
countries. Provided that the more powerful ones are covered economies, there was stronger interdependence
between the size of economies and tax burden and also between total investment and
tax burden, where this dependence is positive.

Originality: The results obtained used Nash equilibriums in pure strategies as models of behavioral
norms to define behaviors of related parties and also to explain assumptions concerning the
behaviors of investors and government.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present the findings of the author’s own studies on the
influence of owner-occupied property valuation by historical cost on fixed assets value of entities
at risk of bankruptcy.

Methodology: As part of the implementation of the study, objective desk research was carried out.
Empirical research was carried out on a group of 100 companies on which the courts had declared
bankruptcy. The study sample constituted 14% of all bankruptcy cases in 2011 and was a significant
representation of the national phenomenon.

Findings: The findings indicated that historical cost values of owner-occupied properties in most
cases are significantly lower that estimated fair value when business activities continuation is
threatened. The historical cost valuation also does not provide useful information about the market
value of property, plant and equipment of entities at risk of bankruptcy that do not possess real
estate.

Research limitations/implications: Information about market value of fixed assets of entities at
risk of bankruptcy is essential in making the decision to begin bankruptcy proceedings and estimating
the ability to repay debts to creditors.

Originality/value: The results are a part of the author’s own study concerning assets valuation
when business activities continuation is threatened. The results emphasize the role of fair value
estimation of property, plant and equipment when an entity is at risk of bankruptcy.

Purpose: This article informs readers about the theoretical and practical origins of the behaviorally
informed interventions (BIPI), analyzes examples of the BIPI from different policy sectors and
strategies they offer for policy and regulatory design, and discusses applications and implications
of BIPI for public interventions.

Methodology: This paper is based on a review of literature, as well as an inspection of administrative
practices in OECD countries. It encompasses a systematic analysis of scientific papers from
the SCOPUS database and a query carried out at the library of George Washington University.

Findings: The traditional approach to public policy research is based on rational choice theory. It
offers limited support, because by assuming perfect rationality of policy decisions, it overlooks
existence of systematic errors and biases of human decision-making. The authors argue that behaviorally
informed public interventions (BIPI) might contribute to improving the effectiveness of
a number of public measures – regulation, projects, programs, and even entire policies.

Practical implications: The behavioral approach allows decision-makers to better understand the
decisions and behaviors of citizens, as well as to design more effective interventions with minimum
effort by adapting the existing solutions to real decision mechanisms of citizens.

Originality: By combining the concepts of traditional approach with the growing behavioral
approach, the authors aim to propose a new theoretical framework (BIPI) to be used as a tool for
policy design, delivery and evaluation.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to answer the following question: what concepts should be used to explain how marketing contributes to value creation in business-to-business (B2B) relations?

Methodology: The method consists of: (1) using net present value (NPV) as a goal of B2B purchasing decisions and (2) analysing the supplier’s controlling system to differentiate between value drivers and value causes.

Findings: A conceptual framework of B2B value creation has been proposed. NPV-related product description is the main concept in the framework.

Originality: The study contributes to the B2B marketing theory by increasing the clarity of conceptual foundations by (1) proposing the NPV-relevant product description and (2) making a distinction between value drivers and causes of value.

Purpose: To explain the conventions and conditions for implementing internationalization of a university as a strategic course for its development, as well as to provide universal strategic scenarios for expansion of the university abroad as well as to outline the factors contributing to success.

Methodology: The paper while conceptual in nature, is based on the diagnosis and analysis of the market for university education in Poland. Studies of specialized literature highlighted the main phenomena conditioning performance and trends in higher education which constituted the general background for deliberations and detailed projections.

Conclusion: The author underscores strategic conditions and decision-making procedures for a University’s expansion into foreign markets of higher education. He emphasizes the major opportunities and risks associated with the university going international. The proposals are not only cognitive but also can be the basis for application in the realism of Polish universities.

Originality: The activities of foreign universities in the domestic higher education market is a fact which is existent in many countries. This paper proposes a general concept for the internationalization strategy of a University in conjunction with a scenario accompanied by a detailed analysis and decision-making procedure. In the literature, this aspect of development of the university has been expanded in accordance with the objectives
international marketing.

Purpose: The objective of this paper is to describe concepts and assumptions of predictive marketing analytics in reference to decision making. In particular, we highlight issues pertaining to the importance of data and the modern approach to data analysis and processing with the purpose of solving real marketing problems that companies encounter in business.

Methodology: In this paper authors provide two study cases showing how, and to what extent predictive marketing analytics work can be useful in practice e.g., investigation of the marketing environment. The two cases are based on organizations operating mainly on Web site domain. The fi rst part of this article, begins a discussion with the explanation of a general idea of predictive marketing analytics. The second part runs through opportunities
it creates for companies in the process of building strong competitive advantage in the market. The paper article ends with a brief comparison of predictive analytics versus traditional marketing-mix analysis.

Findings: Analytics play an extremely important role in the current process of business management based on planning, organizing, implementing and controlling marketing activities. Predictive analytics provides the actual and current picture of the external environment. They also explain what problems are faced with the company in business activities. Analytics tailor marketing solutions to the right time and place at minimum costs. In fact they control the effi ciency and simultaneously increases the effectiveness of the firm.

Practical implications: Based on the study cases comparing two enterprises carrying business activities in different areas, one can say that predictive analytics has far more been embraces extensively than classical marketing-mix analyses. The predictive approach yields greater speed of data collection and analysis, stronger predictive accuracy, better obtained competitor data, and more transparent models where one can understand the inner working of the model.

Originality: Authors describe the importance of analytics which enhance the decisions that the company makes as it executes strategies and plans, so that the company can be more effective and achieve better results. The key factor that enables to execute marketing strategies accurately and build competitive advantage in the future includes predictive modeling. The ability to predict probable futures allows us to shape the future, rather than
merely survive whatever it brings.

Purpose: The article describes the essence of strategic thinking in the context of changes taking place in the process of creating and implementing strategies in organizations. The aim of the article is analyzing this concept – as a synthesis of strategic planning, creative analysis and inspiring vision.

Methodology: The fieldwork of the study was carried out by the PAPI method – additionally, the quantitative study used open and standardized data collection methods.

Findings: The article presents a part of the research results, which confirm that strategic thinking is now becoming a necessary addition to the existing decision-making process, replacing complex and inflexible development plans and compensating the existing deficiencies in the strategic planning process.

Practical implications: It seems that more often strategy will take the form of an informal concept, which evolves during the implementation, replacing complex formal documents, which do not leave any room for flexible adaptation.

Originality: The presented results concern an important topic and make an important contribution to the ongoing debate around the concept of strategic thinking.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to identify the important role of the family in shaping the values and attitudes of the young generation and especially to answer the question of whether family can be a democracy.

Methodology: This article reviews the current positions on democracy in the family, and the results of the discussion that took place during the conference: “Time to develop. Strategic thinking in work and everyday life”. The subject of the discussion was decision-making issues and achieving objectives in family life.

Findings: There is no doubt nowadays that family is important for a child, or regarding the significance of the development and educational environment of a child. The personality of a child is greatly influence by the parents. However, this influence only lasts for several years. Specific parental attitudes affect the school achievements of children, as well as the development of emotional stability and socio-emotional maturity, the formation
of self-image and that of the peer group.

Originality: The analysis of the problem is only an attempt to signal the important role of family decisionmaking, the development of values and sophistication in the young generation, as well as taking responsibility for one’s own actions. Based on the analysis of the family, the changes taking place in this area could be seen as a necessary effect of changes in the social system.