A study on the distances between companies in Poland and in selected countries of the European Union with respect to the use of ICT resources and competencies

• Published in: Scientific Papers of Silesian University of Technology. Organization and Management Series 2023, Vol.2023 (186), p.141-154
• Main Author: Janiga-Ćmiel, Anna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1641-3466
• DOI: 10.29119/1641-3466.2023.186.11

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to employ the proposed taxonomic distance methods to investigate the level of the use of information and communication technology by enterprises in Poland and in selected European countries during the examined periods. Design/methodology/approach: The study examines the use of the Internet and information and communication technologies by enterprises of the selected country, with special emphasis placed on the Covid-19 pandemic period. Data were drawn from Eurostat, taking into account the thematic scope of the study and data availability. The study covered the years 2013-2020, including the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. Selected taxonomic methods were used in the analysis. In the first step of the study, a synthetic variable was determined. The synthetic variable made it possible to compare the level of development of the phenomenon for selected countries. Then the distance matrix was determined. The distance of the level of development of the phenomenon that separates Poland from the studied countries has been determined. Findings: The study analyzes internet and ICT usage by enterprises in the selected country in the years 2013-2020, with special focus on the COVID-19 pandemic period. To sum up, comparative analysis performed by means of taxonomic methods can be an effective tool to study the elements of a complex process, can provide a broad picture of this process. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation is that it is not possible to collect a comparable data set over a long period of years. The final set of diagnostic data included only 11 variables. Originality/value: The concept of comparative analysis of the phenomenon under consideration presented and implemented in this study can be applied to compare other countries, using relevant measures, or to perform comparative analysis of other aspects of the issue, and the findings of these studies will contribute to further research in this area. The results of the proposed research methodology applied to explore the selected research problem and the set of data the study was based on can be used in the analyses of economic and socio-economic policies. Keywords: taxonomic methods, Internet and ICT usage, COVID-19. Category of the paper: Research paper.