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ORIGINAL PAPER
Business competitiveness from the perspective of the “Z generation”
1
Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce
2
Casimir Pulaski Radom University, Poland;
Submission date: 2025-04-22
Final revision date: 2025-09-20
Acceptance date: 2025-11-17
Publication date: 2025-12-29
JoMS 2025;64(4):265-290
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Objectives:
This article aims to identify significant factors affecting business competitiveness from the perspective of the Z generation. Two research hypotheses are addressed: H1: corporate social responsibility is a significant factor of business competitiveness, and H2: education and gender do not affect differentiation of the significance of business competitiveness factors in the view of the Z generation. The paper addresses the determinants of business competitiveness and the key elements of competitive advantage.
Material and methods:
The theoretical section is based on a comprehensive review of leading specialist literature. The empirical part relies on exploratory factor analysis to identify key business competitiveness factors important to the Z generation. In addition, the Mann-Whitney U test helps to verify dependencies between education and gender and the respondents’ answers.
Results:
The article presents the results of a survey conducted in June 2024 among Z generation individuals, born in the period 1995-2012. 332 surveys were completed correctly. Exploratory factor analysis served to demonstrate that CSR is a major factor of business competitiveness in the opinion of these young people. Moreover, the respondents’ education and gender failed to differentiate their answers.
Conclusions:
Our results present managerial implications as a guide to the selection of competitiveness factors. Considering the identified key factors of competitiveness in the view of the Z generation may become a source of competitive advantage for enterprises in the market.
This article aims to identify significant factors affecting business competitiveness from the perspective of the Z generation. Two research hypotheses are addressed: H1: corporate social responsibility is a significant factor of business competitiveness, and H2: education and gender do not affect differentiation of the significance of business competitiveness factors in the view of the Z generation. The paper addresses the determinants of business competitiveness and the key elements of competitive advantage.
Material and methods:
The theoretical section is based on a comprehensive review of leading specialist literature. The empirical part relies on exploratory factor analysis to identify key business competitiveness factors important to the Z generation. In addition, the Mann-Whitney U test helps to verify dependencies between education and gender and the respondents’ answers.
Results:
The article presents the results of a survey conducted in June 2024 among Z generation individuals, born in the period 1995-2012. 332 surveys were completed correctly. Exploratory factor analysis served to demonstrate that CSR is a major factor of business competitiveness in the opinion of these young people. Moreover, the respondents’ education and gender failed to differentiate their answers.
Conclusions:
Our results present managerial implications as a guide to the selection of competitiveness factors. Considering the identified key factors of competitiveness in the view of the Z generation may become a source of competitive advantage for enterprises in the market.
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