CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS
Vol. 5, No. 4, December 2017, WSB UNIVERSITY IN WROCŁAW
Editor: Tomasz Rólczyński, Joanna Wieprow
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Vol. 5, No. 4, 7-20, December 2017
Decruitment process in selected companies of Lodz Province in the opinion of human resources specialists
Author: Anna KRASNOVA
University of Lodz, Poland
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Aim: The aim of this paper is to present the processes of decruitment applied by the selected companies across Lodz Province in terms of actions taken, their effectiveness and effects.
Design/Research methods: The pilot research included semi-structured interviews conducted with employees whose role in the organization involved the management of human resources.
Conclusions/findings: The research has shown that while respondents understand the decruitment processes as a complex process involving actions that are planned, implemented and monitored by the employer, none of these processes evinced a complex character. Actions taken by the employer were incidental and the whole process could be described as “chaotic” and “neglected”. Moreover, in none of the organizations did the employer initiate or implement activities aimed at maintaining relations with former employees.
Originality/value of the article: Considering that in the Polish-language literature there are no descriptions of the decruitment process as a complete procedure, the results of the pilot research and examples describing the decruitment process from English-language literature may constitute a prerequisite for introducing changes in these processes in many companies. Therefore, employers as well as researchers may find this paper interesting.
Implications of the research: The research findings indicate that the decruitment process is clearly neglected in the entities investigated, and therefore they may provide a motivation to a number of employers to analyze the decruitment procedures for their modification and improvement. Moreover, the findings may provide the basis for future research conducted by other scholars on decruitment processes in Poland.
Keywords: decruitment, dismissal, layoffs, outgoing employees, outplacement
JEL: M12
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29015/ceejme.646
Vol. 5, No. 4, 21-37, December 2017
Employment of persons with disabilities as an element of diversity management
Author: Justyna KOŁODZIEJCZYK
University of Lodz, Poland
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Aim: In making the decision to employ disabled persons, at first one should understand the essential characteristics of disability, identify employment barriers and gain insight into the rights and obligations of both parties to the legal relationship. One of the paper’s aims is therefore to describe the disability issues. On the other hand, solutions applied by some organizations are demonstrated with a view to show good practices in employing and including disabled people in diversity management programs and to highlight benefits arising there from.
Research methods: The paper is the outcome of the analysis encompassing the academic literature concerned with people with disabilities and the data published by the Central Statistical Office.
Findings: The analysis of the literature content shows that disabled people are just as valuable as their non-disabled colleagues. Organizations which gained insight into the disability issue and thus decided to employ disabled workers, taking them into account in diversity programs, gain a variety of benefits. Moreover, enterprises which neglect this group of employees do so to their disadvantage. The examples illustrated in the paper of measures taken for the disabled could provide some guidelines for other enterprises in terms of constructing diversity management programs
Keywords: disability, a person with a disability, diversity, diversity management
JEL: M50
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29015/ceejme.643
Vol. 5, No. 4, 39-55, December 2017
Conflict of interests and flow of confidential information in the condition of cross employment on the example of the corporate group of an investment company
Author: Lech MIKLASZEWSKI
WSB Wroclaw, Poland
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Aim: The aim of the paper is to analyze and evaluate the consequences of cross employment in terms of conflict of interests and unauthorized use of confidential information while taking actions and making decisions by persons who duplicate their managerial or occupational responsibilities in several companies of a corporate group.
Design / Research methods: The analysis and evaluation employ interviews with the company’s management staff and the findings of the author’s participative observation. The interviews were conducted on a complete sample, since they encompassed all members of the board and were concerned with the awareness as to the consequences arising from using the cross employment practices, as well as solutions that could prevent conflicts of interests and unauthorized use of confidential information at the organizational and personnel levels.
Conclusions / findings: Persons performing executive or supervisory functions in companies of a corporate group who seek to eschew the conflicts between their responsibilities and the rights of the capital market participants, which often enough engender the conflict of interests and/or compromise the confidentiality of information can neutralize those threats by mainly applying organizational solutions in that decision-makers are isolated from the areas generating such dangers. However, the most effective tool capable of preventing those threats is to comply with high ethical standards, broadly understood as organizational behaviors which translate into ethical organizational culture indoctrinating all employees in this respect.
Originality / value of the article: Combining the findings of literature research with those obtained based on the empirical studies focusing on the consequences arising from cross employment in corporate groups is of significance in cognitive terms.
Research implications: The findings can be of practical value for members of the board of corporate groups in that they identify possible solutions to negative consequences of cross employment and the priorities in their application.
Keywords: corporate group, cross employment, conflicts of interests, confidential information
JEL: D22
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29015/ceejme.644
Vol. 5, No. 4, 57- 66, December 2017
Practices of managing creativity of artists-employees of art institutions
Author: Patrycja MIZERA-PĘCZEK
University of Lodz, Poland
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Aim: The issue of managing creativity in organizations is an area of interest to both researchers and managers of diverse organizations although one has to admit that art institutions are a specific type of organization, where creativity of their employees is not only a desirable phenomenon but the one constituting the essence of their business appointment. In connection with the above, the aim of this paper is to present practices involved in the management of creativity of artists employed in art institutions.
Design / Research methods: The first part of the paper presents a study of literature on creativity management in organizations and the functioning of local art institutions, as well as an analysis of the results of secondary research on the trajectory of artistic success. In addition, the paper presents the findings of the author’s own research. The research was interpretative in its nature. Three in-depth interviews with native artists were conducted and analyzed.
Conclusions / findings: The respondents indicated mainly the limitations resulting from the management of creativity endowing it with mystical significance. The surveyed did not address the creative management practices, for they saw them as unconscious actions.
Originality/value of the article: In their nature, the collected statements were respondents’ reflections on creativity management. Despite the fact that the research results are merely subjective reconstructions of the opinions of only few respondents, their value lies in the exploration of research problems, which may then be successively deepened.
Keywords: creativity management, creativity of employees, management in artistic ensembles, performing arts
JEL: M59, O34
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29015/ceejme.645
Vol. 5, No. 4, 67-85, December 2017
Conditions of succession processes in polish family enterprises
Authors: Krzysztof SAFIN, Anna MOTYLSKA-KUŹMA, Jacek PLUTA
WSB University in Wrocław, Poland
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Aim: The aim of the article is to identify conditions of succession processes in Polish family enterprises.
Design / Research methods: The research consisted of quantitative part and qualitative part. The quantitative survey covered 390 family firms with their head offices situated in the voivodships of Lower Silesia and Wielkopolska and used a CAPI method. The qualitative research was based on in-depth interview method.
Conclusions / findings: The studies show that in the majority of firms, although the generational change has not yet taken place (the percentage of firms in the second and next generations is exceptionally low), there is no striving for actions that would solve the problem of maintaining business continuity. Family enterprises on which the studies were conducted are characterized by a low succession potential which is also seen through a small percentage of firms indicating strategic goals related to passing the business on to the next generation as well as a small proportion of firms solving succession issue in a formal way, in the form of a plan.
Originality / value of the article: The findings of the research can develop a set of good succession practices as a tool for succession process planning in family enterprises. Good practices to be understood as “successful solution of concrete problems bringing specific, positive results”
Keywords: succession, family business, strategic decisions
JEL: D22; D23; G34; L26; M21
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29015/ceejme.610
Badania zostały sfinansowane ze środków Narodowego Centrum Nauki przyznanych na podstawie decyzji numer DEC-2011/03/B/HS4/04116, grant “Strategie sukcesyjne polskich przedsiębiorstw rodzinnych” realizowany w latach 2012-2014.
The research was financed by the National Science Center (NCN). Funds granted on the basis of the decision number DEC-2011/03/B/HS4/04116, programme OPUS, title: “Succession strategies of Polish family enterprises” implemented in 2012-2014
Vol. 5, No. 4, 87-116, December 2017
Organizational climate issues in Polish scientific literature in the period of 2000-2009
Author: Grzegorz WUDARZEWSKI
WSB Wroclaw, Poland
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Aim: The aim of the paper is the overview of the research on organizational climate in the Polish scholarly literature over the period of 2000-2009. The paper follows up and builds on the author’s earlier interests and publications relating to this topic.
Design / Research methods: The overview and systematization of Polish scientific accomplishments within the subject of organizational climate were carried out based on the analysis of scholarly literature available and interviews which the author conducted with selected key researchers of the phenomenon of organizational climate. All this provided the basis for drawing conclusions and making suggestions.
Conclusions / findings: In the Polish scholarly literature of the first decade of the 21st century one may observe clearly a heightened interest in the issues surrounding organizational climate, as compared to the period when the first Polish publications on this subject appeared (by the end of the 1990s). The concept of climate was more precisely defined, making it relatively distinctive from the organizational culture construct, with a greater number of multi-threaded studies focusing on the climate with varying levels of specificity. At the same time problems were discerned in terms of conceptualization of the specific climate types, the importance of multi-level analysis and the lack of clarity regarding the links between such constructs as psychological climate, group climate, organizational climate and job satisfaction.
Originality / value of the article: The Polish scientific achievements of the first decade of the 21st century were sorted out and systematized chronologically which will allow subsequent potential researchers of organizational climate to identify relatively quickly and easily the important period marking the exploration of the topic. As the body of literature collected had been scattered, an extensive search was needed, spanning several months, through data bases and libraries located in various parts of the country. Also, the paper includes the presentation of today’s important new concepts and variations of organizational climate such as, for example, climate for creativity, safety, knowledge and for innovation.
Keywords: organizational climate, organizational culture, climate for safety, measurement of organizational climate, organizational climate questionnaires, organizational climate research, climate for innovation, climate for creativity, organizational climate and mobbing, climate for services
JEL: M12, M50
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29015/ceejme.641
Vol. 5, No. 4, 117-128, December 2017
Types of waste analysis in the production departments in one of the companies from the transport industry
Authors: Damian OSTROWSKI, Jacek JAGODZIŃSKI
WSB University in Wroclaw, Poland
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Aim: The paper is concerned with two issues. The first one involves the identification of waste types existing in Polish production companies – to this end, one large company was examined. The second aspect of the research attempts to answer the question whether there exists a relationship between the company’s departments and waste categories.
Design / Research methods: A large company (with over 250 workforce) producing railway rolling stock was analyzed based on a survey. It was substantiated in what context the findings obtained on the basis of the company are reflected in the market evaluation. Statistical tests were used in the evaluation whether relationships were present between the company’s individual departments and the type of waste identified.
Findings: In the context of waste identification it was found that the crucial faults include waiting (present in 38,1% of all processes), next defects, 22.5% and unnecessary motion 19%. Statistical tests showed that there was no relationship between the types of waste and individual departments – various aspects of work are associated with the same problems.
Originality: Although there are numerous studies in literature which indicate the main barriers affecting continuous improvement in foreign companies, the number of studies concerned with the situation in the Polish transport industries is very small – the paper seeks to fill in this gap. The information on the types of waste and their characteristics in diverse departments has a critical impact on choosing the suitable method for company management.
Keywords: continuous improvement, barriers, advantages, Kaizen, waste
JEL: D22, L23, L62
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29015/ceejme.656
Vol. 5, No. 4, 129 – 143, December 2017
Network-driven approach to human resources management
Author: Kalina GRZESIUK
The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland
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Aim: Many authors point out to networking as a new paradigm in management sciences. For perceiving people in the organization through the lens of social relations connecting them allows for utilizing the emerging mechanisms together with accounting for the ties between employees. The aim of the paper is to contribute to the knowledge about HR management by identifying the meaning and possibilities in terms of the application of traditional and modern instruments supportive in building social relationships and in achieving effects brought about by the high level of organization’s social capital.
Design / Research methods: In its character, the paper is a review. The research methodology encompasses a critical review of literature concerned with the functioning of social relationship network in an organization and a synthesis of theories and studies outlined in literature referring to HR management tools and the possibilities in terms of their application with a view to foster organization’s social capital.
Conclusions: The findings obtained from the literature research confirm the key importance of human relationship management for the organization’s effective functioning. A crucial role in shaping social relationships play the practices of HR management used in organization. The existing tools may also prove useful for the new function which is the development of social capital as a source of gaining competitive advantage by a firm.
Value of the article: The paper’s novelty is manifested in that it has adopted a network perspective, and thereby identifying the new role to be played by HR management as a system supporting the development of organizational relationships. This approach allows for taking into account network mechanisms shaping organization’s social capital while designing strategic human resource management.
Implications of the research (if applicable): The paper presents the results of a critical analysis and synthesis of theses which have been verified to some extent in other countries. They may inspire other scholars to conduct research in the context of Polish organizations.
Keywords: human resources management, networks, relationships, recruitment
JEL: L14, L22, M12, M5
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29015/ceejme.648
Vol. 5, No. 4, 145 – 167, December 2017
Heritage unwanted and desired. The “Red Baron” as a tourist product of the town of Świdnica
Author: Sylwia Irena OSOJCA-KOZŁOWSKA
University WSB in Wrocław, Poland
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Aim: The paper aims at exemplifying empirically the discussions conducted on the Red Baron in Świdnica and elsewhere, at depicting the products created worldwide on the basis of the brand originating from the legend of the Red Baron. The paper also presents the results of a study seeking to answer the question: Can the Red Baron become a branded tourist product of Świdnica?
Design / Research: The paper outlines the issues of urban tourism products drawing on elements provided by nature and history. At the same time it indicates that cultural heritage can be both an opportunity and a hurdle to tourism development. The paper shows the social conflicts that may arise when local authorities – being one of the major creators of tourist products – adopt a conservative or passive attitude towards tourist assets available in their area, with those assets having a high marketing potential but being considered by a portion of the population to be so called unwanted heritage.
Conclusions / findings: The paper refers to the dispute, ongoing for 20 years in Świdnica, Lower Silesia, as to whether or not its former citizen Manfred von Richthofen, a German World War One flying ace known as the ‘Red Baron’ should be used for the town’s tourist promotion.
Keywords: tourist product, urban tourism, Świdnica, Red Baron, cultural tourism, unwanted heritage, tourism potential, social conflict
JEL: Z32, Z38, M31, R58
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29015/ceejme.599
Vol. 5, No.4, 169-180, December 2017
A characterization of the real estate market
Author: Aleksandra PIASECKA
University of Opole, Poland
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Aim: The aim of the study is to identify and discuss important features of the real estate market with particular emphasis on their economic dimension, as well as to demonstrate cause and effect relationships between these features and the functioning of the market (mainly Polish conditions were taken into account).
Design / Research methods: In the main, research and literature studies were carried out, which concerned two basic directions, i.e. identification of essential features of the real estate market from the point of view of their economic dimension, and showing the relationship between these features and the efficient operation of the market.
Conclusions / findings: Research and analysis of theoretical and literature issues raised in the issues allowed to show that both the real estate market and the property itself have special features, which significantly disturbs the efficiency of the market mechanism. The indication of attributes characterizing the imperfection of the real estate market allowed us to discuss and show the practical side of the functioning of the Polish real estate market as an important element of the development of the national economy.
Originality / value of the article: The results of research on the economic importance of the real estate market in the form of theoretical considerations can be used by entities and institutions that take part in the real estate trading process, as well as by scientists and researchers in conducting research in the subject matter.
Keywords: real estate, real estate market, real estate features.
JEL: R30
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29015/ceejme.655