Assessment of digital competences of Lublin Province residents in relational terms
Authors:   Lublin University of Technology, Faculty of Management, Department of Management, Mieszajkina Elena , Bochen Paula ,   Lublin University of Technology, Faculty of Management
Published: February 2023

Purpose: Digital competences in the modern world play a significant role in people's lives. They are vital for building Society 5.0. They are the subject of research by many scholars as well as research organizations and groups. The objective of the article is to present theoretical considerations and results of empirical research on the assessment of digital competences of residents in relational terms. Design/methodology/approach: The review of documents and diagnostic survey methods were used to achieve the objective. The first method consisted in a critical analysis of the literature on the subject and was used to develop methodological assumptions. The second was employed to conduct the empirical study among the residents of the Lublin Province. The results enabled the frequency of the use of digital competences to be linked with the significance of the individual areas of life. Findings: The study confirmed that the residents recognize the importance of digital competences in different areas of life and are ready to develop the competences. The frequency of their use is not high and does not differ significantly in relation to age, education and occupational status. Respondents use the competences the most frequently in the most significant area of life – relationships with their loved ones. The competences are used with the lowest frequency in the least significant areas: religion and civic engagement. Research limitations/implications: The pilot study enabled research assumptions to be verified. The snowball sampling method proved to be effective in the selection of the sample for exploratory purposes. In the prospective basic research, the sample will be selected in such a way as to ensure its representative character. The online survey technique will be replaced by the CATI to reach respondents who do not actively use ICT. The study showed the need for certain changes to be introduced into the research tool. Practical implications: The research proved the validity of applying a relational model when assessing digital competences of residents. In this approach, instead of the areas of people's lives, they can also be analyzed in relation to organizations taking into account the spheres of the organizations' activity. Social implications: The results of the study constitute a valuable source of information concerning Society 5.0 and the significance of digital competences. They confirm that the residents use them with low frequency, which indicates the need for systemic actions to be taken in order to enhance them. Originality/value: The article is based on existing knowledge regarding Society 5.0 and digital competence research models. The originality of the study consists in the use of the relational approach that allows the frequency of their use to be linked with the areas of life significant for respondents. Keywords: digital competences, Society 5.0, relational model. Category of the paper: Research paper.