Categoryissue 4-2026, publication

mgr Damian CIACHOROWSKI – Gdańsk University of Technology, ul. Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
GAIA Institute, ul. Staniszewskiego 19a/24, 81-603 Gdynia, Poland, e-mail: damian.ciachorowski@pg.edu.pl

Received 16.07.2026. Accepted 5.08.2026

pp. 17-28

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to explore sustainability-related aspects of digital transformation and develop an initial conceptual framework for their con­ceptual organisation.

Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a qualitative research design based on ten semi-structured interviews. Data were collected using the Actor–Network Theory (ANT) as a sensitising framework. The interview data were analysed following the Gioia methodology and subsequently verified against the findings of a previously conducted systematic literature review. Finally, a process of conceptual aggregation was undertaken to develop the proposed analytical framework.

Findings/conclusions: The study identifies a set of sustainability-related aspects associated with digital transformation processes and structures them into four higher-level analytical domains: People, Technology, Management, and Environment (PTME). The findings suggest that digital transformation can be analysed as a multidimensional process shaped by interactions between different elements rather than as a solely technology-driven phenomenon.

Research limitations: The study is based on qualitative expert data and represents an initial conceptual development. Further research is required to examine the applicability of the framework and to empirically investigate relationships between the identified domains.

Practical implications: The proposed framework may support organisations and decision-makers in reflecting on broader considerations associated with digital transformation processes and facilitate discussions among stakeholders involved in planning and implementing those initiatives.

Originality/value: The study contributes to digital transformation research by providing an empirically grounded approach to structuring sustainability-related aspects without relying solely on predefined analytical categories. The uniqueness of the PTME framework lies in the analytical relationships between them. These interdependencies suggest that digital transformation should be analysed as a systemic phenomenon rather than through isolated sustainability dimensions.

Keywords

digital transformation, sustainability, Actor-Network Theory, socio-technical systems, conceptual framework

mgr inż. Marcin BĄCZYK – Politechnika Poznańska, Wydział Inżynierii Lądowej i Transportu, ul. Piotrowo 3, 60-965 Poznań, Polska;
Volkswagen Poznań Sp. z o.o., ul. Warszawska 349, 61-060 Poznań, Polska, e-mail: marcin.baczyk@doctorate.put.poznan.pl

Received 30.01.2026. Accepted 7.07.2026

pp. 9-16

Abstract

Purpose: This study develops a conceptual framework linking the principles of quality management (QM) to the energy-intensive process of aluminium casting, showing how systematic quality work can drive continuous improvement of energy performance.

Design/methodology/approach: The study is a narrative literature review (in the sense of Paré et al., 2015) synthesising research from sustainable ma­nufacturing, quality management and casting engineering. The Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV) is the guiding theoretical lens, and the contribution is explicitly a conceptual framework, not a validated model.

Findings/conclusions: The review yields a four-layer conceptual framework (cultural foundation, QM methods, Industry 4.0 enablers and an integrated measurement system) that maps named QM methods and concepts onto the specific energy hotspots of the casting process. Scrap and yield improve­ment emerge as the highest-leverage levers because of the embodied thermal energy lost in every rejected casting.

Research limitations: The framework is conceptual and has not yet been empirically validated; quantification rests on figures reported in the literature. Future work should test it through longitudinal case studies in aluminium foundries.

Practical implications: The framework gives managers a structured diagnostic tool for building an integrated quality-and-energy management system and a business case that connects investment in quality to measurable energy and cost reduction.

Originality/value: The value lies in explicitly connecting individual QM methods and concepts to the physical energy-loss mechanisms of high-temperature aluminium casting, moving beyond generic advice toward a structured, actionable framework.

Keywords

energy efficiency, Total Quality Management, aluminium casting, sustainable manufacturing, Industry 4.0

mgr Alina GUZIK – Gdańsk University of Technology, ul. Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12, 80-222 Gdańsk, Polsnd, e-mail: alina.guzik@pg.edu.pl

Received 6.07.2026. Accepted 3.08.2026

pp. 2-8

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this article is to present the results of qualitative research on the quality attributes of e-learning courses, which become visible when they are not met, understood as a lack, defect or inconsistency, and to propose a model explaining how the non-fulfillment of an attribute reveals its relevance for perceived course quality.

Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory qualitative approach was employed. The material comprised 25 semi-structured in-depth interviews: 11 with e-learning course users and 14 with designers. Transcripts were thematically analyzed, coding expected attributes, forms of non-fulfillment, user reactions, and design or control practices that mitigate defect risk.

Findings/conclusions: Four areas of quality revealed by deficiency were identified: technological reliability, navigational clarity, content organization and cognitive load, and teaching effectiveness. Based on the analysis of the responses, a model of quality attribute disclosure by deficiency was proposed, demonstrating the progression from the attribute’s invisible correctness, through its disruption and attempted compensation, to negative evaluation or course withdrawal.

Research limitations: The study is exploratory in nature; the results are not intended for statistical generalization. The model is interpretive in nature and requires further validation in research, including observation of user behavior and analysis of data from e-learning platforms.

Practical implications: The results can support the design and evaluation of e-learning courses by identifying attributes that are rarely spontaneously identified as sources of quality, but whose absence, defect, or inconsistency disrupts learning. The proposed model can be used in critical incident analysis, usability testing, and QA procedures to translate user problems into desired quality attributes.

Originality/value: This article conceptualizes e-learning course quality as a phenomenon that is also revealed by the absence, defect, or inconsistency of an attribute. Its original contribution is a theoretical model of how a quality attribute is revealed by its absence.

Keywords

product quality, e-learning, EdTech, quality attributes, new product development