Purpose: This article aims to review critical thinking (CT) as a future skill in business.

Design/methodology/approach – The study employed two research methods: science mapping analysis based on bibliometric keyword co-occurrence data and systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines. The application of two distinctive research methods meant that we could obtain a broad picture thematic overview as well as a detailed, fine-grained insight into the content of CT business research.

Findings – Research in CT in business studies is dominated by themes related to education, university and learning that far outweigh CT business application, which focuses on three research axes. These are specific business functions (e.g. accounting, marketing, human resources and identifying business opportunities), certain skills used in business (e.g. decision-making and creativity) and other business-related topics (including ethics, stakeholder relations and individual employee performance).

Practical implications – The article identifies new research gaps related to the link between CT and business performance, a firm’s ability to innovate and company characteristics. Moreover, the article highlights that CT positively influences business decision-making under the influence of cognitive biases and heuristics.

Originality/value – The article provides the first literature review on CT in business research. It uses a novel method of science mapping analysis to show unbiased algorithmic-based insight into the structure of the research, followed by a systematic literature review.

Purpose: This study presents a nine-factor, 32-item measure of work environment scale in the service sector. A healthy work environment is one in which employees trust the people they work for, have pride in what they do, and enjoy working with the people (Levering and Moskowitz, 2004).

Methodology: This instrument builds on the conceptual model espoused by Insel and Moos (1974), Gordon (1973), Fletcher and Nusbaum (2010), Amabile et al. (1996), and Spector (2003). The scale included items elicited through a literature review, the use of the Delphi technique with a panel of experts, and tested on 824 full-time employees from nine service sector industries and five major cities in India.

Findings: The Work Environment Services Scale (WESS) is a reliable and valid scale useful for measuring the nine work environment factors in the Indian services organization, with its own norms and a detailed manual.

Originality/Value: The prevailing scales for measuring work environment do not capture the influence of ethics, recreation facilities, and the impact of social giving on the work environment. Most scales were suitable for sectors in the Western context, and there were no Indian scales measuring service employees’ perception of their work environment.

Purpose: The goal of the article is to systematize the literature related to the role of stakeholder engagement in corporate social practices and related disclosures by identifying the main theoretical lenses, research methods, and topics undertaken by authors of articles under scrutiny.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The article systematically reviews and discusses existing studies in the area of management, social and environmental accounting, intellectual capital, ethics, and accounting. We identify and subsequently analyze 68 articles published over the years 2010–2020.

Findings: According to the study findings, stakeholder theory is most often used as a theoretical background. The survey is the most popular research method, while stakeholder engagement in social practices is the most common research problem investigated by the articles’ authors. Corporate stakeholders’ communication on social media is a new topic that emerged in the literature in the studied period.

Research Limitations/Implications: Our analysis is restricted to articles published in journals included in the ABDC Journal Quality List that are ranked B, A, and A* in a 10-years period.

Practical Implications: The article’s findings may be useful for researchers and practitioners who deal with corporate social practices, disclosures, and stakeholders’ roles in these processes.

Originality/Value: The paper offers an up-to-date literature review, identifies the main themes, research gaps, and provides relevant guidance for future research.

Purpose: The aim of this article is to fll the gap in the Polish discourse on management about the concept of dignity in the workplace. The text presents the issue from the perspective of humanistic management. The article analyzes contemporary discussion about dignity in the workplace conducted in the Western discourse on management.

Methodology: The reflections stem from a critical analysis of popular concepts of dignity in the workplace in the management discourse. The author also uses the existing results of empirical research. The analysis uses management literature on dignity, which is the basis for systematizing available concepts.

Findings: The literature analysis enables systematization of various concepts of dignity in the workplace and identifcation of specifc levels in the quality of employee treatment in an organization. Hence, the author identifes a few key factors that affect employees’ dignity in the workplace both positively and negatively and indicates mechanisms that allow for the humanization of work processes.

Research limitations: The theoretical reflections should be verifed by empirical research in organizations. However, the area of research on dignity in the workplace is not problematized enough, potential problems still require in-depth theoretical research.

Practical implications: The reflection on dignity in the workplace emphasizes the organizational mechanisms that lead to the humanization and dehumanization of work processes. The problematization of the category of dignity should allow researchers to conduct empirical research in organizations and managers to design organizational solutions that protect the well-being of their employees which, in consequence, may have a positive impact on the organization’s development.

Originality: The article discusses the concepts of dignity in the workplace which are absent in the Polish discourse of management and indicates directions of further research in the feld.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the factors that determine the Japanese approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) to facilitate future empirical research in the Polish conditions.

Methodology: To conduct the research, the available literature concerning CSR, managerial behaviour and stakeholder relations in Japan was studied. The research was conducted onsite in Japan after consultation with local experts, both Japanese and foreigners, specialized in Japanese management and the economy.

Findings: The Japanese approach to CSR is strongly determined by their religious, philosophical, cultural, historical, economic and legal factors. It is proof of the concept of CSR contextuality, which provokes questions about the nature of the business relations of Japanese companies with their foreign counterparts and their style of management while investing abroad.

Research limitations: The methodology was only supposed to gain a general view of the factors infl uencing CSR in Japan. Studying more detailed issues with the use of empirical data was complicated because of the short time available for the research (6 weeks) and the relatively low level of transparency of the Japanese companies.

Value: The study helped in understanding managerial decisions and Japanese business behaviour in the context of corporate responsibility and the ethics of its everyday operations. It was the first research thoroughly analyzing many of the determinants of CSR in Japan, which may be valuable for any counterparts cooperating with the Japanese companies and foreign researchers analyzing Japanese management systems.

Purpose: recapitulation of educational experiences in the field of business ethics. Identification of risks and opportunities referring to ethical education, both on academic and
professional levels.

Methodology: a broad description with more profound analysis of chosen issues.

Findings: the essay gathers experiences from the field of business ethics education on different levels: organization and academic as well as postgraduate. It shows a specificity at each level, especially the differences between assumptions, and then evaluates efficiency. It underlines the didactic and formation aspects of business ethics. It enables one to follow the changes within business ethics as an educational subject with aims and methods. In the end, the changes lead to presenting business ethics as an efficient instrument of forming desirable attitudes and standards in organizations.

Originality: a presentation of the main problems of ethical education gives an opportunity to improve programs and methods in the area of education. The essay presents the ways of adapting the educational offer to the expectations of society as well as to market requirements.

Purpose: the article is devoted to critical reflection on the present model of ethical education
of managers in Poland. It attempts to outline a model that could be adopted to meet
the current challenges of social change.

Design: the first part of the article is written from a philosophical perspective, which brings to mind the Greek Paideia. The second part is an attempt to analyze the imperfect Polish educational reality concerning the formation of future managers’ attitudes.

Findings: the author’s arguments focus on the proposal to transform the “educational” teaching system of ethics into a “social interaction” one.

Originality: in the summary, the author presents specific actions to be taken at Polish universities so they can quickly move from the traditional model of managers’ education to a modern pro-social model of education based on social interaction.

Purpose: the aim of this article is to present two models for teaching business ethics: ethics
of business and ethics for business. In the article, I defend the thesis that business ethics taught in corporations (ethics for business) is not a simple continuation of academic instruction (ethics of business) and should not be treated as such.

Methodology to justify the foregoing thesis, I refer to both theoretical and empirical research carried out by business ethicists, as well as to my own experience as an academic teacher.

Findings: taking into consideration the differences that occur between the two models of teaching business ethics, and also the threats associated with implementing ethics programs in companies, I conclude that in-company business ethics instruction does not constitute a continuation of academic instruction.

Purpose: the aim of this article is to present two models for teaching business ethics: ethics
of business and ethics for business. In the article, I defend the thesis that business ethics taught in corporations (ethics for business) is not a simple continuation of academic instruction (ethics of business) and should not be treated as such.

Methodology: to justify the foregoing thesis, I refer to both theoretical and empirical research carried out by business ethicists, as well as to my own experience as an academic teacher.

Findings: taking into consideration the differences that occur between the two models of teaching business ethics, and also the threats associated with implementing ethics programs in companies, I conclude that in-company business ethics instruction does not constitute a continuation of academic instruction.

Originality: this study and conclusion can help to improve the process of teaching business ethics at both academic and corporate levels.

Purpose: the essay focuses on some important instruments and measures supporting the desired actual (and not just declared) ethical behavior in banking practices.

Methodology: the essay first used a combination of comparisons to show similarities and differences between 10 banking codes of ethics in EU countries. Then qualitative analysis of indicators and scales assigned to bank rankings was also used to identify some possibilities to promote the ethical behavior of banks in more efficient ways.

Findings: ethical behaviors in the banks, despite a high awareness of moral norms, are largely declarative rather than actual. In order to approximate the actual behaviors to the declared ones, further improvements need to be introduced in the methods and instruments of education (codes of ethics, bank rankings), along with encouraging the implementation of management practices consistent with ethical behavior. This should start with redefinition of the functioning of the bank, i.e. broadening the task of achieving ambitious outcomes by adding respect for ethical standards.

Practical Implications: not every instrument of ethics education can be treated as directly useful in the process of training actual ethical behavior in banks. Some particular conditions must be taken into account that it should fulfill.

Originality: the author has distinguished three levels in business ethics education: ethical awareness and ethically oriented behaviors, both declared and actual. The essay described the necessary conditions for utilization of some educational instruments of ethics in the process of implementing actual ethical behaviors in the banks.. Such an approach has not been found previously in the subject literature.

Purpose: the purpose of this article is to attempt to identify the essential fundamental elements of the traditional mining ethos implemented in the ethical codes, which are
among others the primary tool for ethical education.

Methodology: the article describes basic and detailed (as well as characteristic) components of the mining ethos, and the causes and consequences of the mining professional devaluation after the Second World War and its impact on changes of the mining ethos. Also presented and discussed is the role of the codes of ethics of two Polish hard coal mining companies KHW (Katowice Coal Holding) and GKLW Bogdanka (Capital Group Lublin Coal BOGDANKA). It reviews their practices concerning communication, promotion and monitoring of the ethical principles among employees, suppliers and the local community, as well as tasks and activities of the ethics officers.

Findings: ethical codes took over the role of communication and they constitute a device for continuation of mining ethos. However, according to the expectations, they must be adapted to transforming the work environment and miners’ lives. Ethical codes are contemporary and vitally important devices for development of organisational culture and ethical education in both coal companies.

Originality: the article shows the continuity of mining ethos and its impact on modern business performance and management. At the same time, it describes the ethics institutionalization process and its positive effect for further development of coal mining industry.

Cel: celem artykułu jest przedstawienie koncepcji odpowiedzialności biznesu i jej poziomów w perspektywie celu nadrzędnego firmy, jakim jest przyczynianie się jej do budowania dobra wspólnego.

Metodologia: w metodyce badawczej wykorzystano dyskusję literaturową, przedstawiono
wyniki badań i rezultaty badawcze techniki grup fokusowych przeprowadzonej w trakcie II konferencji naukowej "Czas na rozwój. Człowiek i biznes w społeczeństwie obywatelskim".

Wnioski: głównym zadaniem przedsiębiorstwa jest dostarczanie towarów i usług przydatnych dla społeczeństwa, generowanie wartości dodanej, dzielenie tego nowego
dobrobytu wśród swoich akcjonariuszy, pracowników, społeczność, w której firma się rozwija oraz kapitalizowanie firmy, by zagwarantować jej przyszłość. Towary i usługi dostarczane przez firmę muszą spełniać kryterium wysokiej jakości i odpowiedniej ceny, a także muszą być przydatne dla społeczeństwa. Społecznie odpowiedzialna firma nie może bazować na ludzkich słabościach. Generowanie wartości dodanej oznacza jej zdobywanie bez wchodzenia w układy monopolistyczne lub korzystania ze specjalnych przywilejów. Firma jest główną instytucją redystrybucji bogactwa ekonomicznego i dzieli je między swoich interesariuszy w odpowiednich formach. Równocześnie firma musi zapewnić sobie i swoim właścicielom przyszłość, inwestując w nowe technologie i aktywa. Kiedy firma spełni wszystkie swoje podstawowe obowiązki, możemy stwierdzić, że środki, które przeznacza
na cele społeczne, są „prawdziwe”, a nie „wykradzione” klientom, pracownikom, dostawcom, społeczeństwu lub przyszłym pokoleniom. Nie można dyskutować o odpowiedzialności firmy, jeśli nie spełnia ona swoich zasadniczych obowiązków.

Oryginalność: o oryginalności opracowania świadczy teoretyczne (dla badaczy) i praktyczne (dla menedżerów) przedstawienie koncepcji odpowiedzialności biznesu.

Cel: celem artykułu jest prezentacja idei społecznej odpowiedzialności biznesu i kierunków
jej ewolucji, analizowana w odniesieniu do pracowników.

Metodologia: w świetle wyników badań empirycznych prezentujących działania społecznie
odpowiedzialne stosowane przez firmy wobec pracowników zaprezentowano wyniki badań przeprowadzonych w tym obszarze podczas konferencji "Czas na rozwój. Człowiek i biznes w społeczeństwie obywatelskim". Realizowane badania miały charakter badań ankietowych oraz dyskusji panelowych. Zebrane wyniki umożliwiły wskazanie najczęściej stosowanych wobec pracowników praktyk zaliczanych do grupy społecznie odpowiedzialnych, a także próbę sporządzenia bilansu nakładów i wyników realizowanych inicjatyw.

Wnioski/oryginalność: W wyniku przeprowadzonych badań ustalono, że temat społecznej odpowiedzialności wobec pracowników, uznawany za bardzo ważny, nie jest jeszcze wystarczająco rozpoznany, a same inicjatywy podejmowane wobec pracowników należą
raczej do rzadkości. Sugeruje to konieczność rozpowszechniania wiedzy na temat społecznej odpowiedzialności biznesu, podkreślania związków między realizacją założeń społecznej odpowiedzialności a sukcesem rynkowym przedsiębiorstwa oraz ukierunkowywania na podejmowanie społecznie odpowiedzialnych inicjatyw, zwłaszcza wobec pracowników.