http://jssidoi.org/jesi/ Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues is a peer-reviewed international issue which publishes original research articles. 2026-09-14T05:03:59+00:00 https://jssidoi.org/articles/articles/view/6697 The aim of this article is to identify and assess the role of quality audits in improving production processes in selected manufacturing enterprises located in south-eastern Poland. The analysis is embedded in the concept of Total Quality Management, which treats quality as the result of customer orientation, employee involvement, a process approach, and continuous improvement. The study was conducted using a methodology based on direct observation, analysis of internal documentation. The qualitative material was then compared with the results of a survey of 40 respondents with experience in audit practice in manufacturing enterprises, thereby enabling triangulation of the findings. The analysis covered three audit practices: 6S audit, final audit, and product audit. The results indicate that quality audits serve functions that go beyond formal conformity assessment, supporting process stabilisation, the identification of nonconformities, the initiation of corrective actions, and the strengthening of responsibility for quality. The survey data confirmed the particular importance of audits for process standardisation and discipline, nonconformity prevention, and work organisation, while also revealing barriers such as limited time, employee resistance, data quality issues, and fragmented IT systems. 2026-08-13T00:00:00+00:00 https://jssidoi.org/articles/articles/view/6696 This article investigates the impact of the structural transformation of agricultural enterprises on the development of an innovative logistics management system in the agro-industrial complex of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It explores the characteristics of the formation and evolution of agrarian relations, which serve as the main factors shaping the modern logistics management system in the agro-industrial complex. An analysis is conducted of indicators of structural transformation in the agricultural sector, including trends in the number of agricultural cooperatives, households, individual entrepreneurs, and peasant (farmer) farms, as well as the number of people employed in various forms of agricultural activity. The study examines the dynamics of organisational and legal forms of economic activity in the agricultural sector and the structure of employment among the rural population of the Republic of Kazakhstan by type of economic activity for the year 2025. Practical results of Kazakhstan's agrologistics development are presented. Based on the analysis, a model of an innovative logistics management chain in the agricultural sector of the Republic of Kazakhstan is proposed, taking into account the conditions of structural transformation of agricultural enterprises. A mechanism for developing an innovative logistics management system has been devised to increase the efficiency of agricultural production and integrate cooperative forms of economic activity into unified logistics chains. The results obtained can be used to formulate strategies for the sustainable development of the agricultural sector and to improve the management of logistics processes in the agro-industrial complex. 2026-08-12T00:00:00+00:00 https://jssidoi.org/articles/articles/view/6695 Multiple intersectional discrimination refers to a situation in which multiple grounds operate and interact simultaneously, producing specific forms of discrimination. Multiple intersectional discriminations have, for a long time, caused various issues in employment and have become evident in access to employment, equal pay, and pensions. Moreover, it is an important point for gender equality and is essential to reach sustainable development. This article identifies recent changes regarding intersectional discrimination in the context of labour income and pay transparency, as well as changes in the EU legal framework, and the challenges they pose for European countries. The methodology is based on a literature review, statistical data analysis, legal regulation in EU Member States, and a qualitative study. The results showed an intersectional impact on employment, equal pay, and pensions, with varying degrees of direct impact on levels of structural inequality and on the future lack of sustainable development. Intersectional discrimination from the gender perspective might affect women with a migration background, younger and older women, women with disabilities and women with some religious or origin background. An additional point for raising compensation and sanction levels might lead victims of multiple intersectional discrimination to report it, and encourage pay and promotion law practitioners to challenge it. 2026-08-12T00:00:00+00:00 https://jssidoi.org/articles/articles/view/6694 In recent years, the energy security of the European Union has become one of the most significant issues in European public policy and legal regulation. Its importance has been profoundly shaped by geopolitical disruptions, risks to energy supply, and Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. This publication aims to examine the theoretical and conceptual foundations of European energy security by identifying the principal elements of energy security, the risks arising from energy dependence, and the significance of diversification, while also assessing the role of energy security in the evolution of European Union policy. The study employs general scientific analytical, comparative, and systemic research methods. The analysis is based on recent academic literature, European Union legislation, and official documents issued by the European Commission, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), and other international organisations. The findings indicate that contemporary energy security is a multidimensional concept encompassing not only secure and uninterrupted energy supply but also the resilience of energy systems, the protection of critical energy infrastructure, economic security, sustainable development, and the capacity to adapt to geopolitical challenges. The analysis demonstrates that the diversification of energy suppliers and transport routes, the expansion of renewable energy sources, improvements in energy efficiency, and the key instruments of the European Union's common energy policy—including the Energy Union, the European Green Deal, and REPowerEU—constitute the foundation for strengthening European energy security. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for analysing the legal framework governing European Union energy security and its future development in the context of armed conflict and other emergency situations. 2026-08-12T00:00:00+00:00 https://jssidoi.org/articles/articles/view/6693 This study examines how increases in the minimum wage affect entrepreneurial dynamics in European Union countries, with a particular focus on enterprise births. The research is motivated by the growing need to understand the broader impact of wage regulation on economic activity and the structure of the business sector. The main research question is to what extent changes in the minimum wage influence the decision of potential entrepreneurs to enter the market and whether these effects vary by enterprise size. The empirical analysis is based on panel data from 21 EU member states covering the period from 2015 to 2023. We employ panel regression models, supplemented with robustness tests and size-based differentiation of results. Control variables such as unemployment rate, GDP per capita, and average earnings are also considered. The results show that a higher minimum wage has a statistically significant negative effect on the total number of enterprise births. Regarding enterprise size, this negative effect is more pronounced among newly established businesses with more than 10 employees compared to those with fewer than 10. A possible explanation is that larger new enterprises are more likely to operate in formal sectors with stricter compliance requirements, making them more exposed to wage regulation from the outset. The findings highlight the need to consider the minimum wage not only as a social policy tool but also as a factor that shapes the structure and development of the entrepreneurial environment across different types of economies within the EU. 2026-08-10T00:00:00+00:00