JAROSŁAW KARPACZ

PREFACE

Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of the Editorial Board, I would like to invite you to read the papers included in this issue of our quarterly. All topics discussed therein are relevant to current problems.

When reviewing the findings presented therein, it is worth considering that the times are long gone when value was created by production employees and driven by progress in basic technologies. The paradigm shift brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution has placed highly skilled employees at the center of today’s economies in a world characterized by high volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. The increasing frequency of new technological solutions and breakthrough innovations
is forcing and accelerating organizations’ implementation of digital transformation processes aimed at achieving and maintaining competitive advantage, each of which places greater demands on  employees. In such a situation, employee attitudes toward these changes emerge as a critical success factor: each employee may perceive the challenge of transformation as an opportunity for growth, learning, and achievement; or as a threat to routine, competence, and employment status. Therefore, the readiness of employees to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to use technology may
determine the ability to adapt to a changing environment and, consequently, determine the possibility of survival among more adaptive competitors. The environment imposes a set of constraints on an organization which it must consider in its functioning. If they are not taken into account, they may result in the organization’s failure as the environment controls resources, and the organization is more dependent on the environment when its demand for resources is greater.

Marzena Stor in her paper entitled The impact of organizational talent management on company performance results: The mediating role of HRM outcomes in MNCs headquartered in Central Europe bases on her own empirical research. This research shows that HRM (Human Resources Management) performance positively mediates the relationship between organizational talent management and an enterprise’s performance in terms of finance, quality, and innovation. Her findings indicate that this mediating effect is stronger during the pandemic period than in the pre-pandemic one. The authoress uses structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to verify the research hypotheses and assess the mediating effects. The study covers 200 international enterprises based in the Central Europe.

In his paper titled Differences in the approach to onboarding of leaderships talents in the HQ of MNCs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic Łukasz Haromszeki refers to talent management with specific focus on leaders. Leadership talent management is currently one of the key aspects of HRM (Human Resource Management). The paper presents findings from empirical research involving 200 enterprises (n = 200), demonstrating that the approach to the onboarding process of leadership talents has shifted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under challenging conditions, onboarding is no longer seen merely as a step in filling a vacant position. Instead, it involves a comprehensive analysis of various aspects of leadership relationships and a deeper understanding of the needs, expectations, and behavior measurements. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and principal component analysis (PCA) are used therein to analyze the obtained data.

The paper authored by Elżbieta Kowalczyk, Gabriela Roszyk-Kowalska, and Anna Cedro titled Competency-based professional development in shaping affective organizational commitment also fits into the area of human resource management. It proves the existence of a relationship between professional competences and affective organizational commitment. The authors also indicate that career development and promotion opportunities are key mediators in this relationship. Their findings reveal that these mediators significantly explain the relationship between competencies and
the affective organizational commitment of fire fighters at all levels of the organizational hierarchy. The adopted research procedure includes Baron and Kenny’s mediation analysis, which helps to verify research hypotheses and formulate recommendations for practice. It is worth adding that the results presented in this paper may constitute, in the authors’ opinion, an important incentive for subsequent researchers to discover other, hidden and non-obvious mechanisms of dependencies in the area of organizational behavior, especially since this issue has not been extensively explored in prior studies.

The issue of human resource management is continued by Dominika Miliszkiewicz in her paper titled Virtual teams’ domain: In need of attention. However, in this case, her research attention is focused on virtual teams. By using a literature review, she determines the popularity of such teams’ work in the post-COVID reality. She points out that, according to her findings, this topic is less frequently explored by researchers than that relating to IT project management. Despite this, she believes that remote
work will remain in practice a widely used way of performing work duties. 

Michał Bańka, Mariusz Salwin, Magdalena Marczewska, Monika Sychowicz, Joanna Kłos, and Szymon Rychlik’s paper entitled Startup accelerators: Research directions and gaps is directed at systematizing the knowledge on start-up acceleration. It analyses the current state of knowledge on start-up accelerators, mapping and synthesizing current research efforts, as well as identifying gaps and opportunities for further research. As far as methodology is concerned, the authors use the results
of a systematic network analysis combining a systematic literature review with literature network research. A comprehensive review of research findings is developed through the use ofthe Scopus database. A bibliographic network analysis is performed using the VOSviewer and focuses on a manually selected group of research papers. A visualization of the co-citation network is analyzed and created with Citespace. In the authors’ opinion, none of the papers included in the Scopus database are intended to provide a comprehensive analysis of start-up acceleration and systematize the
achievements of researchers in this area.

Kamila Szproch-Dziopa presents the evolution of the concept of “corporate social responsibility” in the paper under the title of Corporate social responsibility: Changes in perception of the concept in theory and practice. The results of the literature review make it possible to demonstrate differences and similarities in the way this term is understood by both researchers and practitioners. Consequently, she answers the question of how changes in the perception of CSR by practitioners influence its
definition by scientists and vice versa – whether changes in the scientific approach to CSR generate the evolution of this construct in practice. The authoress reveals a common feature of all approaches, which is the need to establish a relationship between the enterprise and the environment in which it operates, as well as the fact that the group of stakeholders interested in CSR is constantly growing. She also states that increasingly easier access to information and growing social awareness will mean
that the dialogue conducted within the framework of socially responsible business will cover an increasingly broader spectrum of issues.

Urszula Kobylińska’s paper, titeled Antecedents of scientists’ engagement in cooperation with industry also focuses on the spirit of enterprise’s relationship with its environment. In its content, the authoress identifies the individual characteristics of scientists, as well as the organizational and institutional context and other conditions affecting the cooperation between scientists and enterprises. These
interactions include joint research with enterprises, contract research, consultancy, and more informal activities, such as consulting, training, as well as networking with business practitioners. The considerations presented therein reveal that most of the research attention is focused primarily on commercialization channels, ignoring other important forms of relationships which may be established at the interface of these two important sectors.

I encourage you to read these papers, hoping they will inspire you to research and discussions in our journal. We would like to promote new knowledge and methods among scientists and practitioners. Therefore, on behalf of the Editorial Team, I would like to encourage you to disseminate the research findings in the fields of management and quality sciences, economics, and finance in our journal. We are here to support you.

Preface by Editor-in-Chief

prof. dr hab. Maciej Urbaniak

By releasing the last issue of our magazine this year, we hope you will read it in the festive atmosphere of the upcoming Christmas and New Year. We hope that this reading will inspire you, and especially potential authors, to new ideas for interesting scientific texts that we will be able to publish in our journal.

In the first article Bogdan Nogalski and Przemysław Niewiadomski made an attempt to assess the level of technological maturity that implies the implementation of an imitation strategy. To achieve this goal, the authors were carried out the studies among manufacturers operating in the agricultural machinery sector. In carrying out the research they used method of literature studies, expertise, a creative discussion, participant observation as well as providing opinions with the use of a self-assessment  questionnaire. The results of these studies indicate that the agricultural machinery sector is dominated by enterprises, which inspired by innovations and observing a pioneer, focus on competitive, efficient and mature imitation.

Marek Jabłoński and Bernard Ziębicki have presented the essence of operation of automation of accounting processes solutions and their benefits as well as hazards, in the light of research performed so far. To realize this goal the authors used consulting companies’ research reports and the results of surveys with employees of Cracow shared services centers. Based on the results of these research one could state that automation does change the nature of work of a contemporary finance specialist, reducing routine works, in place of which they can concentrate on strategic tasks, interactions with stakeholders, formulating conclusions on the basis of analysis of information, in order to improve business performance. Technological progress and
automated processes give professionals more time to act in the strategic area and become true business partners.

In her article Izabela Bednarska-Wnuk tried to identify the conceptualization of the essence of the notion of entrepreneurial mobility, to determine its dimensions and to show the relationship with strategic entrepreneurship, the theory of resources and the theory of entrepreneurial behavior. The obtained conclusions authorize to state that entrepreneurial mobility undertaken by enterprises may also be, thanks to possessed resources, competencies and the use of opportunities in the environment an essential moderating factor in maintaining and/or achieving a competitive advantage.

In the next article Marek Jabłoński made attempt to investigate occupational tasks and wage inequality over last decade in the one of Poland’s municipal companies. In particular, the study, conducted in the reference to data from the 2009 and 2018 year, aimed to identify the changing share of particular types of jobs according to the adopted classification and to analyze individual pay scales from the perspective of the identified types of positions. The research procedures were based on document analysis, structured interviews, team work methods, and classification technique.The results indicate a decrease in the share of routine in favor of non-routine jobs.

In the last article Katarzyna Magdalena Rozbejko dealt with a problem related to flexibility and efficiency in the applied management style on the example of managers in the banking sector.Analyzing the problem, she conducted the survey with managers in this sector. The author positively verified the hypotheses which assume that firstly managers in the banking sector are characterized by flexibility in applying the management style and secondly, the greater the flexibility in using management styles the higher the subjective assessment of the efficiency of managing people.

On the occasion of Christmas and New Year, I would like to convey to you the wishes of many successes in professional and personal life, and I also have great hope for cooperation in the atmosphere of the widest possible internationalization of our journal.

Enjoy your reading,
Maciej Urbaniak

Preface by Editor-in-Chief

prof. dr hab. Maciej Urbaniak

We have a great pleasure to pass the third issue of our magazine this year. The current issue is devoted to particularly important problems concerning human resource management.

In the first article Anna Rogozińska-Pawełczyk presented her reflections on significance of the psychological contract for the relationship between high effective human resource management systems and employee productivity. Based on the research, author has found that the high-effective human resource management systems (expressed by content, process and climate) affect employee productivity, both directly and indirectly – through the intermediary role of a psychological contract (expressed by the employer and employees through fulfilling mutual promises).

Agata Borowska-Pietrzak in her study points to determinants and conditions of the personnel function which shape a sense of professional satisfaction. Results of the empirical studies presented in this article indicate that the high-quality level of the modern personnel function determines the increase of the sense of professional satisfaction. Author also notices that sources of this satisfaction (subjective attributes) are quite diverse and do not depend directly on HRM quality in the organization.

Dariusz Turek tried to describe how and in what situations HRM practices may contribute to counterproductive behavior. Based on the cognitive framework of employee behavior in the organization, it was assumed that negatively perceived human resource management practices may indirectly affect the counterproductive behavior of employees. Author indicates, based on the results of empirical research,
the important role of human resource management practices in counteracting counterproductive behavior and building a professional climate. He also indicates the need for longitudinal research, which will better explain the nature of the impact of the HRM system on the activity of employees in the professional environment.

Marcin Wnuk in his article presented the result of the study in which he verified the mechanisms of the impact of perceived support received from the organization and supervisor, gratitude and organizational loyalty on the affective commitment of employees and the desire to leave it. Research results confirmed the existence of mechanisms of impact of perceived support received from the supervisors and perceived support received from the organization on the employee’s attitude towards the organization and the key role of gratitude and loyalty for shaping affective commitment.

In the last article, Katarzyna Januszkiewicz tried to describe the relationship between cognitive and behavioral aspects of the flexibility of organizational behavior of employees. In the course of interesting empirical analyzes, the author showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between the self-assessment of flexibility and the frequency of occurrence of a given behavior.

Enjoy your reading

Maciej Urbaniak

Preface by Editor-in-Chief

prof. dr hab. Maciej Urbaniak

The current issue of our Quarterly concerns several contemporary topics such as: relational capital of clusters, interpersonal conflicts in workplace and work engagement, personal branding, functional flexibility in organizations as well as robotization of business processes.

In the first article Beata Chmielewiec analyzes the importance of cluster relational capital as a factor increasing its competitiveness and then formulates guidelines for the creation of a relationship management strategy in a cluster organization. The article defines a cluster, presents the essence of relational capital concept and its impact on the competitive position of cluster participants. The author also proposes a procedure for creating a comprehensive strategy for building the relational capital in the cluster.

Tomasz Gigol presents in his paper results of quantitative questionnaire study on conflict management in the workplace and work engagement. Research results reinforce skepticism about the frequent conflict management style through avoiding or yielding. If employee engagement is a desirable state in an organization, active conflict management should not be disregarded. A postulated practical conclusion from the study is that active conflict management should be taught in training programs for managers and academic courses for future managers.

The article of Małgorzata Sidor-Rządkowska provides analysis of the inter-relationships between the notions of “employer branding’’ and “personal branding’’. It is argued that the contemporarily observed changes in the approach to building professional career require undertaking actions both in the area of employer branding and personal branding.

The article by Anna Biłyk is an attempt to answer the question how functional flexibility is implemented in organizations where self-organization is functioning. To answer this question, the author conducted qualitative research in the form of a case study. The results of this study indicate the presence of functional flexibility elements that manifest themselves in such forms as enriching or expanding the scope of work;
however, they are located in a specific organizational context.

The next paper in this issue written by Piotr Sliż is concerned with problem of robotization of business processes. The article presents the results of the analysis of the popularity of the robotic process automation related entries using the Google Trends tool. Research shows a growing interest in the issues of the robotic process automation in the field of management and quality sciences, as well as business practice.

Katarzyna Klimkiewicz and Ewa Beck-Krala in their paper conducted an analysis of how HR managers perceive the role of rewards systems in relation to the principles of corporate social responsibility and the process of creating a sustainable organization. The results of this analysis showed that employers use incentive programs supporting CSR goals and activities, such as: paid time for employee voluntary activities, financing
employee charity initiatives outside the working time e.g., employee participation in charity football/volleyball games, encouraging employees to initiate events directed towards local community, encouraging employees’ participation in implementation of CSR goals and activities, offering incentive programs related to pro-ecological goals.

Enjoy your reading,
Maciej Urbaniak

Preface by Editor-in-Chief

prof. dr hab. Maciej Urbaniak

As we have already announced, the edition of our magazine starting from the
beginning of 2019 will be published only in English.

The current issue of our Quarterly concerns several contemporary topics such as: socially responsible innovations, instruments of the organizational communication systems, autonomy in human resources management, organizational politics and change as well as the role of a manager in managing intellectual capital.

Agata Austen and Monika Rutkowska in their paper discussed factors that may influence researchers’ absorptive capacity. A review of literature indicates that traditional role of universities, limited to education and undertaking research activities focused primarily on the development of scientific theories, has evolved towards the requirement of innovation and active search for opportunities to commercialize research results. Among many factors determining the innovativeness of researchers and their ability to commercially exploit research results, the importance of researchers’ absorptive capacity (ACAP) has been increasingly stressed.

In the next article Seweryn Spałek and Remigiusz Kozubek point to the designatum of the term socially responsible innovations in order to identify the research area. The authors attempt to show an operational definition of socially responsible innovation based on the integration of innovation theory and elements relating to the concept of sustainable development, corporate social responsibility.

Michał Chomicki indicates a relationship between the organizational communication system of Polish companies and the beneficialness of the shape of the cooperative relations between these companies and particular kinds of cooperators. The results of the author’s research show that organizational communication system and its instruments influence the beneficialness of the shape of cooperative relationships.

Agnieszka Górka-Chowaniec presents in her paper the basic role of managers in managing the human capital and brings closer the essence of autonomy of personnel in the human resources management. The author verified the hypothesis about the importance of autonomy in human resources management and its impact
on the efficiency of the work of individual employees. The results confirm the main hypothesis leading to the conclusion that the increase of the decision participation of individual members of the organization in their duties can significantly contribute to rising the efficiency of the services provided.

Barbara Siuta-Tokarska, Ryszard Borowiecki and Tomasz Kusio analyzed the role of a manager in managing intellectual capital in the context of innovative projects in an enterprise. The authors presented a cross-sectional analysis of case studies (of various size enterprises) presenting the role of the human factor in the context of intellectual capital management.

The Editorial Board asks Potential Authors for the texts of your considerations to be embedded in the international context of the latest scientific trends, and the cited literature to include studies in English (also studies published in our country). We ask for professionalism in the scope of the studies provided to us, which should be a subject of a thorough linguistic correction before submitting them to our Editorial Office. The lack of due diligence of the Authors in this regard will result in the refusal to accept the text and to forwarding it to the assessment by foreign reviewers. We want the particular issues to be characterized by thematic consistency and high professionalism in line with current trends in international journals.

We hope that each of your articles characterized by high quality content and properly drafted in the English version (including a native copyreader), will contribute to the growth of the citation index in international journals’ databases.

Wishing you in 2019 many successes in your professional and personal life!

Maciej Urbaniak, Editor in Chief

Martyna Wronka-Pośpiech, Marta Tutko

Maciej Urbaniak
PREFACE
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Patrycja Klimas
SUMMARISING THE VIEWS ON COGNITIVE PROXIMITY IN COOPERATION AND NETWORKING PROCESSES

Abstract
Inter-organizational cooperation and networking are at the top of academic interest. Critical success factors of long term and beneficial cooperation have been among the most important issues considered so far. This paper considers one of such factors labeled as cognitive proximity.
As our literature review shows even though cognitive proximity has been acknowledged as a critical aspect of inter-organizational homogeneity, it remains one of the most ambiguous and the less explored dimension of proximity. Thus, in order to address the identified knowledge gaps, this paper aims at providing literature-based conceptualization and division of cognitive proximity.
In general, based on the review, synthesis and integration of prior findings, it is claimed to perceive cognitive proximity as a multidimensional construct including four components related to inter-organizational similarity of: mental models, technology, knowledge, and environmental conditions. Furthermore, it is suggested to adopt – especially during operationalization process – a more detailed view on cognitive proximity as these four components can be further decomposed into thirteen analytically separate but conceptually interdependent sub-components.
The authors believe that the presented propositions not only integrate previous findings but also do open up new directions for future research aimed at investigating the cooperation and networking performance.
Key words: proximity, cognitive proximity, collaboration, cooperation, networking, heterogeneity, homogeneity 

BLISKOŚĆ POZNAWCZA W PROCESIE WSPÓŁPRACY MIĘDZYORGANIZACYJNEJ – WNIOSKI Z ANALIZY, INTEGRACJI I SYNTEZY WIEDZY DOTYCHCZASOWEJ

Streszczenie
Współpraca międzyorganizacyjna, w tym współpraca w sieciach wzbudza coraz większe zainteresowanie zarówno praktyków, jak i teoretyków zarządzania. Pośród aktualnych oraz istotnych kierunków dociekań lokują się krytyczne czynniki sukcesu długoterminowej i skutecznej współpracy. Mając to na względzie, niniejszy artykuł koncentruje się na jednym, dotychczas fragmentarycznie rozpoznanym czynniku tj. bliskości poznawczej kooperantów.
Wyniki systematycznego przeglądu literatury wskazują, że bliskość poznawcza, pomimo iż jest postrzegana jako kluczowy aspekt współdziałania to wciąż pozostaje jednym z najbardziej mglistych, niedookreślonych, a jednocześnie słabo rozpoznanych empirycznie wymiarów bliskości międzyorganizacyjnej. Celem zapełnienia wyłonionej luki przedmiotem artykułu jest przedstawienie opartej o literaturę przedmiotu konceptualizacji oraz logicznego podziału bliskości poznawczej.
Integracja, analiza i synteza dotychczasowej literatury wskazuje, że bliskość poznawcza może być postrzegana jako wielowymiarowy konstrukt obejmujący swoim zasięgiem cztery komponenty dotyczące międzyorganizacyjnego podobieństwa: modeli mentalnych, technologii, wiedzy oraz uwarunkowań otoczenia. Dodatkowo, sugeruje się przyjęcie – zwłaszcza na etapie operacjonalizacji – uszczegółowionego podejścia, w którym cztery wymiary bliskości poznawczej dekomponowane są na zbiór trzynastu, analitycznie odrębnych, aczkolwiek konceptualnie współzależnych sub-komponentów. W opinii autorki, przedstawione w artykule propozycje nie tylko integrują dotychczasowe ustalenia naukowe, ale także stanowią krok w kierunku podjęcia prac badawczych zorientowanych na rozpoznanie – dotychczas niezbadanych – uwarunkowań sprawności współpracy w diadach i sieciach rozpoznawanych w przekroju czterowymiarowej bliskości poznawczej.
Słowa kluczowe: bliskość, bliskość poznawcza, współpraca międzyorganizacyjna, sieci międzyorganizacyjne, homogeniczność partnerów, heteregoniczność partnerów
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Wioletta Mierzejewska
BUSINESS GROUPS CONFIGURATION AND ITS CHANGES DURING A CRISIS

Abstract
Business groups are a very interesting phenomenon, although their development stage varies in different countries across the world. It depends mainly on the legal and political, as well as economic conditions. In the ‘old Europe’ countries the phenomenon of business groups is well known and described. Big transnational corporations were created already in the 19th century. Also in emerging markets like Korea, India or China, the functioning of business groups is well decribed. In the Central and Eastern Europe however, this phenomenon is relatively new, as business groups were developed only after the system transformation.
The significance of business groups in modern economy is proven by a constant growth of their number, even during the crises. The emergence and development of business groups consisting of legally independent enterprises is substantiated by numerous circumstances. Undoubtedly, the growth of an enterprise makes it necessary for managers to look for optimum means of management. Replacing hierarchical relations by capital relations translates into greater structural flexibility of an entity and facilitates control and management. The reasons of establishing business groups are often related to reduction of operational and capital risk, especially with reference to diversified business groups, which are more resilient to periodical downturns than entities operating in only one sector [63]. Additionally, operating as a part of capital group during a crisis can give advantages by dispersing risk and more opportunities of restructuring actions at the level of the entire business group, as well as opportunities of support by instruments of internal capital market of individual companies.
What matters in the times of a crisis is not only the form of a business group, but also its configuration understood as the business group construction in respect of the number of tiers and subsidiary companies. Excessive development can lead to a drop of effectiveness because of the necessity of greater coordination of actions, problems with supervision, control and subsidiary companies management. On the other hand, insufficient complexity of a business group and a broad scope of operational activities carried out by the parent company can expose the entire group to a greater operational and financial risk.
The reference literature does not provide research showing dependence between a business group configuration and its perfomance. Most studies identify only the level of complexity (number of subsidiary companies, number of business group tiers) or indicate the need to adapt the business group organization to strategy changes (structure-strategy fit).
The aim of the article is to present the results of quantitative empirical research on the configuration of business groups and on the relation between their configuration and economic performance. Quantitative research was carried out on the sample of 97 business groups operating in Poland. The research evaluated not only the business groups’ configuration during the crisis, but most of all the changes they made in their configuration. It should be highlighted that the empirical research fills the gap in research on the issue of business groups configuration during the crisis.
Key words: business group, structure, economic performance

KONFIGURACJA STRUKTURALNA GRUP KAPITAŁOWYCH I JEJ ZMIANY PODCZAS KRYZYSU

Streszczenie
Grupy kapitałowe są niezmiernie ciekawym zjawiskiem, chociaż rozwój grup kapitałowych jest w różnym stopniu zaawansowany w poszczególnych krajach na świecie. Zależy to głównie od uwarunkowań prawno-politycznych oraz gospodarczych. W krajach starej Europy zjawisko grup kapitałowych jest dobrze znane i opisane. Już w końcu XIX wieku powstawały duże korporacje transnarodowe. Grupy kapitałowe działające na rynkach rozwijających się, takich jak Indie, Korea czy Chiny, również są dość dobrze opisane. Natomiast w Europie Środkowo-Wschodniej to zjawisko jest stosunkowo nowe, ponieważ rozwój grup kapitałowych nastąpił dopiero po przemianach systemowych.
O znaczeniu grup kapitałowych we współczesnej gospodarce świadczy także fakt, że obserwuje się ciągły wzrost ich liczby nawet w czasach kryzysu. Pojawienie się i rozwój grup kapitałowych składających się z samodzielnych pod względem prawnym przedsiębiorstw uzasadnia wiele przesłanek. Niewątpliwie wzrost przedsiębiorstwa wymusza na menedżerach konieczność poszukiwania bardziej optymalnych sposobów zarządzania. Substytucja powiązań hierarchicznych powiązaniami kapitałowymi oznacza zwiększanie elastyczności strukturalnej pomiotu oraz ułatwia kontrolę i zarządzanie. Jako motywy tworzenia grup kapitałowych często wymieniane są te związane z ograniczaniem ryzyka operacyjnego i kapitałowego, szczególnie w odniesieniu do grup zdywersyfikowanych, które są bardziej odporne na czasowe osłabienie koniunktury niż podmioty działające w jednym sektorze [63]. Dodatkowo w czasie kryzysu działanie w formie grupy kapitałowej może przynieść korzyści poprzez rozproszenie ryzyka oraz większe możliwości dokonywania działań restrukturyzacyjnych na poziomie całej grupy kapitałowej, a także pojawiające się możliwości wsparcia za pomocą instrumentów wewnętrznego rynku kapitałowego poszczególnych spółek.
W czasach kryzysowych nie tylko sama forma grupy kapitałowej ma znaczenia, ale także sposób jej konfiguracji rozumianej jako budowa grupy ze względu na liczbę pięter oraz spółek zależnych. Nadmierna rozbudowa może prowadzić do spadku efektywności przez konieczność większej koordynacji działań, pojawienie się problemów w nadzorze i kontroli oraz zarządzaniu spółkami zależnymi. Natomiast niewielka złożoność grupy kapitałowej i prowadzenie w dużym zakresie działalności operacyjnej przez spółkę matkę może w większym stopniu narażać całą grupę na ryzyko operacyjne i finansowe.
W literaturze przedmiotu brakuje badań pokazujących zależność między konfiguracją grupy kapitałowej a jej efektywnością. Większość badań tylko identyfikuje poziom złożoności (liczbę spółek zależnych, liczbę pięter w grupie) lub też wskazuje na konieczność dopasowania budowy grupy kapitałowej do zmian w strategii.
Celem artykułu będzie przedstawienie wyników badań empirycznych dotyczących konfiguracji grup kapitałowych oraz związku konfiguracji z wynikami ekonomicznymi. Badania ilościowe zrealizowane zostały na próbie 97 grup kapitałowych działających na terenie Polski. W zrealizowanych badaniach nie tylko oceniono jak były skonfigurowane grupy kapitałowe w czasie kryzysu, ale przede wszystkim jakich zmian dokonywały w swojej konfiguracji. Należy podkreślić, że zrealizowane badania empiryczne uzupełniają lukę badawczą dotyczącą problemu konfiguracji grupy kapitałowej w czasie kryzysu.
Słowa kluczowe: grupy kapitałowe, struktura, efektywność ekonomiczna
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Maciej Czarnecki
ORGANISATIONAL GROWTH PROBLEMS: THE CONSTRUCT AND ITS EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION

Abstract
Company growth is typically accompanied by the emergence or intensification of pressures and organizational problems. The mounting pressure may, in some cases, result in crises, or even present a danger to company existence. This area has long been explored by management sciences, but empirical evidence on the subject at hand is relatively scarce; in fact, the very incidence of organizational growth problems has not yet been verified through quantitative methods. The analyses presented in this paper represent an attempt at bridging this apparent gap. The research was conducted on a sample of 172 Polish companies representing the segment of medium size enterprises. Correlations were tested using Pearson linear correlation coefficient and Spearman’s rank correlation test, while the calculation of dynamics of organizational growth problems was measured on a proprietary scale consisting of 14 statements evaluated by the respondents along a 7‑point Likert scale (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.92). The dynamics of organizational growth problems was found to be positively correlated with the increase in both sales and employment figures. Somewhat astonishing was the observation of negative correlations in the group of entities with reported increase in employment. This can be explained as a conscious response of such companies to the anticipated pressure of growth problems associated with sales increases – in this context, the correlation between sales and employment figures seems obvious, and is often accompanied by organizational growth. The most important observation, however, is that the problems associated with organizational growth are a valid construct, and one measurable by quantitative methods.
Key words: growth, problems, challenges, pressures, crisis

ORGANIZACYJNE PROBLEMY WZROSTU – KONSTRUKT I JEGO EMPIRYCZNA WERYFIKACJA

Streszczenie
Wzrost organizacji wiąże się z występowaniem napięć i problemów organizacyjnych. Nasilając się, mogą one doprowadzić do kryzysów, będących zagrożeniem dla egzystencji przedsiębiorstwa. Problematyka ta od dawna jest przedmiotem zainteresowania nauk o zarządzaniu, jednak stosunkowo niewiele o niej wiadomo; nie zweryfikowano nawet dotąd za pomocą metod ilościowych istnienia problemów wzrostu. Przedstawione analizy stanowią próbę wypełnienia tej luki. Badania przeprowadzono na próbie 172 polskich przedsiębiorstw średniej wielkości. Do pomiaru zależności użyto współczynników korelacji liniowej Pearsona i rangowej Spearmana, do pomiaru organizacyjnych problemów wzrostu skali opracowanej
przez autora, zawierającej 14 stwierdzeń, do których respondenci ustosunkowywali się za pomocą siedmiostopniowej skali Likerta (alfa Cronbacha = 0,92). Z dynamiką organizacyjnych problemów wzrostu korelują zarówno wzrosty sprzedaży, jak i zatrudnienia. Nieco zaskakujące są niektóre ujemne zależności, uzyskane w grupie przedsiębiorstw zwiększających zatrudnienie. Przyjęto, iż powodem tego zjawiska jest pożądane, w kontekście zapobiegania nasilaniu się problemów wzrostu, współwystępowanie w tej grupie wzrostu sprzedaży ze wzrostem zatrudnienia, któremu dodatkowo towarzyszy organizacyjny rozwój. Najważniejszym spostrzeżeniem wydaje się jednak fakt, iż za pomocą metod ilościowych wykazano
występowanie organizacyjnych problemów wzrostu.
Słowa kluczowe: wzrost, problemy, wyzwania,napięcia, kryzys
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Marcin Soniewicki
COMPETITIVENESS OF TRADING COMPANIES – THE ROLE OF SELECTED KNOWLEDGE SOURCES

Abstract
Knowledge is currently crucial resource for every company that wants to become, and remain competitive. Unfortunately, its elements quickly become out of date. Enterprises need to constantly acquire or develop new knowledge in order to not be overtaken by competitors. Moreover, knowledge elements that are priceless for one kind of company might be useless for the other. That is why this article concentrates on the specific type of firms – wholesale and retail trading companies. During the quantitative research I have analyzed 240 such entities (1) regarding the intensity of use of twelve most popular, in the knowledge management literature, knowledge sources. The results show that the most intensively used are market related knowledge sources, like: customers, suppliers and competitors. Very important for this type of firms are also publications, external trainings and market research. Nevertheless, the key conclusion is the result of comparison of number of knowledge sources used by trading companies and their competitiveness index. It shows that the more knowledge sources such firms use, at least with average intensity, the more competitive they are.
Key words: trade, knowledge, knowledge management, competitiveness, competitive advantage

KONKURENCYJNOŚĆ PRZEDSIĘBIORSTW HANDLOWYCH – ROLA WYBRANYCH ŹRÓDEŁ WIEDZY

Streszczenie
Wiedza jest obecnie kluczowym zasobem dla każdego rodzaju przedsiębiorstwa, które chce pozostać konkurencyjne. Niestety, jej elementy szybko stają się nieaktualne. Przedsiębiorstwa muszą stale pozyskiwać lub rozwijać nową wiedzę, aby nie zostać wyprzedzone przez konkurentów. Ponadto elementy wiedzy, które są bezcenne dla jednego rodzaju przedsiębiorstw, mogą być bezużyteczne dla innego. W związku z tym niniejszy artykuł koncentruje się na określonym rodzaju przedsiębiorstw – podmiotach zajmujących się sprzedażą – zarówno hurtową, jak i detaliczną. 240 tego rodzaju firm zostało przebadanych w ramach badania ilościowego (1). W ramach niniejszego artykułu sprawdzono poziom wykorzystania dwunastu źródeł wiedzy, najczęściej wymienianych przez autorów w literaturze dotyczącej zarządzania wiedzą. Wyniki pokazały, że analizowane przedsiębiorstwa najintensywniej wykorzystują takie źródła jak: klienci, dostawcy i konkurenci. Bardzo ważne są dla nich także publikacje, zewnętrzne szkolenia oraz badania rynku. Jednak kluczowym wnioskiem jest rezultat ostatniej analizy. Wynika z niej, że im więcej przedsiębiorstwa handlowe wykorzystują źródeł wiedzy, z przeciętną lub wyższą intensywnością, tym są one bardziej konkurencyjne.
Słowa kluczowe: handel, wiedza, zarządzanie wiedzą, konkurencyjność, przewaga konkurencyjna
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Marian Hopej, Robert Kamiński, Katarzyna Tworek, Katarzyna Walecka-Jankowska, Anna Zgrzywa-Ziemak
COMMUNITY-ORIENTED CULTURE AND SIMPLE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Abstract
Simplicity has been (and still is) in opposition to the increasingly complex world of organizations. The paper focuses on the problem of simple structure soultions and it aims to define the role of organizational culture in simplifying organizational structures. Simple structures are recognized as those facilitating flexibility and adaptability in the complex, dynamic and unpredictable environment. Since the Ashby’s law, holding that complexity may be balanced by a different kind of complexity, is being questioned, the simplification of structures requires the development of specific mechanisms within the organization. The role of culture in shaping simple structural solutions is presented in the broader context of other factors (the results of empirical research are presented). Organizational culture stands as yet another instrument of coordination – s o far generally overlooked in the literature. The concept of community-oriented culture as crucial for simplifying structures is developed.
Key words: organizational structure, simplicity, organizational culture, community-oriented culture

KULTURA WSPÓŁDZIAŁANIA I PROSTOTA STRUKTUR ORGANIZACYJNYCH

Streszczenie
Postulat prostoty stoi w opozycji do coraz bardziej złożonego świata współczesnych organizacji. Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie prostego rozwiązania strukturalnego oraz określenie roli kultury organizacyjnej w upraszczaniu struktur organizacyjnych. Proste struktury uznaje się za sprzyjające elastyczności i adaptacji w złożonym, dynamicznym i trudno przewidywalnym otoczeniu. Jako że kwestionowane jest tym samym sformułowane przez W. R. Ashby’ego i noszące jego imię prawo, które głosi, że każda różnorodność może być równoważona przez inną, upraszczanie struktur wymaga rozwijania specyficznych mechanizmów wewnątrz organizacji. W artykule przedstawiono rolę kultury w kształtowaniu prostych rozwiązań strukturalnych w kontekście szeregu innych czynników (przytoczono wyniki badań empirycznych). W ich świetle kultura organizacyjna jawi się jako istotny instrument koordynacji działań dotąd słabo dostrzegany w literaturze przedmiotu. Sformułowano koncepcję kultury współdzialania jako kluczowej dla upraszczania struktur organizacyjnych.
Słowa kluczowe: struktura organizacyjna, prostota, kultura organizacyjna, kultura współdziałania
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Beata Skowron-Grabowska
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR OF ENTERPRISES AND RELATIONAL CAPITAL

Abstract
The organizational behavior of enterprises constitutes a significant aspect in terms of economic theory and practice. This behavior translates to a multitude of varied areas of activities of enterprises. These areas are featured by activities aimed at the identification of the employees with the enterprise with the aim of strengthening a cohesive and positive image of the enterprise at hand. The process of change identified with Transorganizational Development has been taken into account in terms of organizational behavior for the enhancement of the efficiency of the enterprise. The basic aims of these processes are as follows: increasing the level of the quality of relations and the satisfaction of employees and the enterprise. The author introduced the hypothesis and verified them. In the paper it was assumed that relational capital has become a significant element in the business activities of enterprises that are subject to the challenges of a competitive market. In the paper relational capital was acknowledged to be an important resource in the strategies of enterprises. Indicating the significance of organizational behavior in terms of various aspects requires the expansion of the problematic issues to include organizational culture. The increasingly greater scope of organizational culture in an enterprise, as well as its specifics have been underlined in the last part of the paper.
Key words: organizational behavior, relational capital, enterprise

ZACHOWANIA ORGANIZACYJNE PRZEDSIĘBIORSTW A KAPITAŁ RELACYJNY

Streszczenie
Zachowania organizacyjne przedsiębiorstw stanowią istotne zagadnienie w teorii i w praktyce gospodarczej. Przekładają się one na wiele różnorodnych obszarów działalności przedsiębiorstw. Obszary te charakteryzują się działaniami zmierzającymi do identyfikacji pracowników z przedsiębiorstwem w celu umacniania spójnego i pozytywnego wizerunku przedsiębiorstwa. Opisując zachowania organizacyjne, uwzględniono procesy utożsamiane z rozwojem transorganizacyjnym, umożliwiającym poprawę efektywności przedsiębiorstwa. Procesy te mają na celu przede wszystkim zwiększanie poziomu jakości relacji między pracownikami i interesariuszami oraz uzyskanie satysfakcji z tych relacji. W artykule przedstawiono hipotezy i zweryfikowano je. Przyjęto, że kapitał relacyjny jest istotnym elementem działalności gospodarczej przedsiębiorstw podlegających wyzwaniom konkurencyjnego rynku. Uznano, że kapitał relacyjny jest ważnym zasobem wpływającym na strategie przedsiębiorstw. Dążąc do wskazania znaczenia zachowań organizacyjnych, w artykule poruszono zagadnienia problemowe wpływające na kulturę organizacyjną, która obecnie nabiera ważnych cech dla przedsiębiorstwa.
Słowa kluczowe: zachowania organizacyjne, kapitał relacyjny, przedsiębiorstwo

Maciej Urbaniak

Agnieszka Wojtczuk-Turek
KREOWANIE RÓŻNORODNOŚCI W PRACY POPRZEZ TRANSGRESJĘ JEJ GRANIC – ANALIZA EFEKTU MEDIACJI I MODERACJI
Streszczenie
Celem artykułu jest analiza specyficznych zachowań organizacyjnych – job crafting behaviors – w przestrzeni zmiennych niezależnych i pośredniczących. Zachowania modyfikujące granice pracy stanowią przykład proaktywności, która prowadzi do kształtowania różnorodności w organizacji. Realizacji celu służyły zarówno studia literatury przedmiotu, jak i przeprowadzone badania empiryczne poświęcone relacjom pomiędzy głównym predyktorem – praktykami ZZL a job crafting behaviors (JCB), z uwzględnieniem efektu mediacji i moderacji. Na podstawie przeprowadzonych badań własnych stwierdzono, że praktyki ZZL wpływają na podejmowanie job crafting behaviors zarówno w sposób bezpośredni, jak i pośredni – poprzez pośredniczącą rolę dopasowania pracowników do pracy, zespołu i przełożonego. Moderatorem warunkującym wystąpienie relacji pomiędzy praktykami ZZL a JCB jest prospołeczność – rozumiana w kategoriach zachowania i motywacji.
Słowa kluczowe: job crafting behaviors, ZZL, dopasowanie człowiek–praca, dopasowanie człowiek–zespół, dopasowanie człowiek–organizacja, prospołeczność