Economic Situation In Poland Research Articles

Spółdzielnia Mieszkaniowa „Za Falochronem” w Gdyni w latach 1967–1989. Okoliczności powstania, zakres opieki, oddziaływanie społeczne

The “Za Falochronem” Housing Co-Operative’s Building Complex in Gdynia (1967–1989). Situation in which it was created, scope of care, social impact The article familiarises its readers with the circumstances in which the housing co-operative aimed for with rheumatic diseases was established, the course of the investment’s completion in Gdynia – a housing building with medicinal and rehabilitation functions – as well as the years-long functioning of the complex which was so important to the Tricity (Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot). In mid-1960s Doctor Jadwiga Titz-Kosko, one of the pioneers of Polish rheumatology, began gathering a group of the people involved in helping implement the idea of small flats for people with special needs – lonely and often elderly ones with diseases. In the face of difficult housing and economic situation in Poland of that time, the people had limited opportunities to get a place, medical help or care and, at the same time, remain independent and as self-sufficient as possible. The co-operative was established in 1967 and in 6 years it constructed a facility with small (15m2) flats with bathrooms, large shared parts including kitchen and dining room, practical facilitations as well as round-the-clock medical care and help in everyday activities. The offer was complemented with a wing with a rehabilitation department, a small hospital for bedridden patients and a supported employment enterprise which allowed the inhabitants to learn a new type of work and earn extra money. The third building was a swimming pool with a necessary support area. The facility and the mode of its functioning required co-operation of welfare services, healthcare system and various levels of administration. It was the first solution of this type in Poland and, according to what was said at that time, in Europe. The innovative character of the idea is also a result of a different attitude to people with diseases and the elderly who are now treated as subjects, with respect to their right to spend their autumn years as they like. Contrary to original plans and a large interest in the idea in Poland and abroad (especially in Central Europe and Scandinavia), the economic situation in the 1970s and 1980s shortage of funds and ill-adjusted regulations did not allow to turn the Co-operative and the housing building it had designed into a model project. What is more, before 1989, construction of similar facilities began in the Tricity and they were also copied upcountry. Significantly, the “Za Falochronem” building also had impact on the perspective on the elderly and people with diseases or their needs. It was visible not just in Gdynia and the Tricity but also in the rest of Poland as it became a part of a nationwide debate on cooperatives and old age.

Polish and European Union economy in 2011–2019 and under the Covid pandemic: Application of macroeconomic condition index

AbstractA set of simple and complex indicators is used to measure the economic condition of economies, and the analysis can be conducted in a static or dynamic approach. This article proposes the author's macroeconomic condition index (MCI), which is based on the popular misery index, supplementing the unemployment and inflation rates with two variables: GDP growth rate and budget deficit. The aim of the study is to assess the macroeconomic situation of Poland against the average for the EU, using the above-mentioned measure. The time scope of the study covers the years 2011–2020, with particular emphasis on the effects of the first year of the Covid crisis. The results indicate that throughout the period the economic situation in Poland in terms of the four variables combined was relatively favourable, although less stable. A sharp downturn occurred in 2020, both domestically and on average in the EU. The main determinants of the worse condition were a decline in the GDP growth rate and an increase in the budget deficit, with relatively steady unemployment and inflation.

The illiberal model of state capitalism in Poland

Motivation: There is growing awareness that a new model of capitalism is emerging. The 2008–2009 Global Financial Crisis was a catalyst for redefining the role of the state in the economy, and as a result state involvement in the economy has been on the rise since then. We can also observe changes in political situation: democracy has been backsliding globally, authoritarian, and populist tendencies are growing. In some countries, those two tendencies are present, and as a result the illiberal model of state capitalism emerged. In recent years, in Poland, state involvement in the economy was growing and authoritarian tendencies were visible. In this context, it is worth asking if there is an illiberal model of state capitalism in Poland?Aim: The aim of the presented paper is to evaluate the political and economic situation in Poland and to check whether there are changes that could be interpreted as building illiberal state capitalism.Results: The results indicate that in Poland many illiberal statist tendencies could be identified.

The Great Economic Crisis in Poland (1929–1935) in the Context of the Global Crisis

The aim of the article was to analyze the causes and consequences of the great economic crisis in Poland in the context of the world economy and the global crisis. The first symptoms of the crisis became evident in June 1929, when production began to decline, and in August that year price drop began. After these events, the economic situation in Poland was systematically deteriorating. The year 1935 can be considered the end of the crisis in Poland, despite the fact that the industrial crisis began to break through gradually already in 1933. The great economic crisis was a global phenomenon, even though it did not start in all countries at the same time. It depended on the internal economic situation of each of them. It stood out against the background of previous economic crises due to the fact that only the introduction of state interventionism in the form of the “New Deal” program in the USA brought about an improvement in the situation, and therefore, in 1933, some economic recovery began in the world. However, in some parts of the world (including Poland), due to the specific features of their economies, the crisis lasted until 1935. The crisis of 1929–1935 was rightly called “the great crisis”, not only because of economic problems, but also due to political consequences, i.e., the strengthening of totalitarian systems in Western Europe and the growing importance of the communist movement around the world (the USSR was the only country not affected by its consequences). The great economic crisis was characterized by:
 
 longevity – in industrial countries it lasted until 1933, and in agricultural countries until 1935;
 depth of impact – it covered all areas of the economy: industry, agriculture, domestic and foreign trade, transport, monetary and credit system;
 wide geographic scope – it covered all countries of the world connected with the world capitalist system and capitalist economies;
 the scale of the decline in economic growth rates – in the history of economic crises to date, the world economy has not experienced such a deep collapse and stagnation.

Bankruptcy prediction of small- and medium-sized enterprises in Poland based on the LDA and SVM methods

Abstract The impact the last financial crisis had on the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sector varied across countries, affecting them on different levels and to a different extent. The economic situation in Poland during and after the financial crisis was quite stable compared to other EU member states. SMEs represent one of the most important segments of the economy of every country. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a prediction model which easily adapts to the characteristics of SMEs. Since the Altman Z-Score model was devised, numerous studies on bankruptcy prediction have been written. Most of them involve the application of traditional methods, including linear discriminant analysis (LDA), logistic regression and probit analysis. However, most recent studies in the area of bankruptcy prediction focus on more advanced methods, such as case-based reasoning, genetic algorithms and neural networks. In this paper, the effectiveness of LDA and SVM predictions were compared. A sample of SMEs was used in the empirical analysis, financial ratios were utilised and non-financial factors were taken account of. The hypothesis assuming that multidimensional discrimination was more effective was verified on the basis of the obtained results.

The Relationship between the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) and Economic Growth: The Case for Poland

Purpose: The article aims to analyze and evaluate the relationship between the Purchasing Managers’ Index PMI (economic sentiment indicator) and GDP dynamics in the Polish economy. The subject of detailed research was the possibility of forecasting Poland’s economic situation using a model built based on the PMI sentiment indicator. Approach/Methodology/Design: The study used data on GDP dynamics, EUR/PLN and USD/PLN exchange rates, as well as two indicators of economic sentiment prepared by independent institutions for Poland: the PMI and ESI indicator. The analysis was based on quarterly data for the period from the third quarter of 1998 to the second quarter of 2019 (84 observations). PMI data came from the bankier.pl website, ESI data from the European Commission database, GDP dynamics data from the World Bank database, and exchange rate information was taken from the stooq.pl website. The analysis contained in the article was performed using the ARDL and ECM models. Findings: The analysis showed that the model based on PMI indicator and the model based on ESI indicator is too inaccurate to be considered a tool for forecasting the economic situation in Poland. It also turned out that extension of the model with other explanatory variables increased its accuracy of fitting to real data. Practical Implications: Even though the estimated models were significantly unreliable, it turned out that in periods of greater economic instability, the PMI model showed better forecasting properties. This indicates the possibility of using the PMI model, e.g., in times of recession or economic crisis. Originality/Value: The article broadened the research perspective for forecasting the Polish economy. The results set the directions for further development of research in this aspect. It turned out that probably the optimal solution would be to create different models for different phases of the business cycle, or a different rate of economic growth.

Ocena zmian dochodów oraz wydatków polskich gospodarstw domowych w latach 2008–2018

W ostatnich latach sytuacja gospodarcza w Polsce podlegała dynamicznym zmianom. Zmiany te oddziaływały na poziom życia Polaków poprzez wpływ na ich sytuację finansową. Artykuł przedstawia oraz analizuje charakterystykę zmian w strukturze budżetów gospodarstw domowych w latach 2008–2018. Omówione zostały zagadnienia, takie jak poziom dochodów i wydatków, struktura wydatków, tendencja oraz dynamika zmian z uwzględnieniem czynników demograficznych i ekonomicznych. Oprócz przeanalizowania danych dotyczących struktury budżetów gospodarstw domowych, zidentyfikowane zostały również przyczyny odpowiadające za takie, a nie inne kierunki zmian.

PUBLIC LAW STATUS OF AN EXTREMELY POOR PERSON – A REVIEW OF ADAM PLOSZKA’S DOCTORAL MONOGRAPHY

The main purpose of this article is to refer to the Author’s considerations presented in his doctoral monography entitled “Public law status of an extremely poor person”. First of all, the appropriateness of the research hypotheses and questions adopted by the Author will be analysed with particular emphasis attached to the validity of the conclusions drawn in the context of the current social and economic situation in Poland. The second part is dedicated to considerations of a „strictly content-related nature”: from the analysis of solutions to counteract poverty at the global level, through the regional (European) level, to the national (constitutional) level. At this stage, reference will also be made to the standard of protection of the rights of the extremely poor suggested by the Author. The next part will analyse the extent of the discrepancies between the ‘minimum standard’ of protection suggested by the Author and the factual and legal situation of the poor. Conclusions in this area will be particularly useful for law application practice.

Weapons of the weak twisted in jars of love. The transnational maternal foodways of Polish migrants in Brussels

The aim of the article is to analyse social change in the area of the gendered care practices and identities of migrant mothers, who were forced by the social and economic situation in Poland to (illegally) work abroad without their children and families. It asks what kind of experiences of social change we can find if we look at the foodways practised by transnational mothers from the working classes. The concepts of "transnational maternal foodways" and "maternal bustling around foodways" will be used as tropes to discuss and explore the gendered changes in motherhood experienced by Polish migrants. The analysis presented here is based on the results of extensive fieldwork conducted both in the villages and small towns of Eastern Poland and in Belgium (particularly in its capital, Brussels), and on 54 autobiographical narrative interviews with Polish women who, during the two decades after the fall of socialism in Poland (1989–2010), worked permanently or cyclically abroad. The analysis combines critical food studies with gender and migration studies.

Manor estates in the context of changes in the economic situation of Poland in the 14th–17th centuries

Considering “Folwark” (Manor) as one of components of an estate, the authors focus on its development and changes in form of its organization, against a background of a changing economic situation. They treat the 14th and the 16th centuries as a time of prosperity and the 15th, 17th centuries as a period of decrease in demand for agricultural products. Big “Folwark”, understood as an estate connected with a local market, emerged during the 14th c. mainly as a result of great land estates’ reorganization. Its concomitant was the gradual and equivalent removal of feudal rent’s point of gravity from a rent in money to labour (e.g. Lesser Poland). This was caused also by an insufficient supply of money in peripheral parts of Poland. A villein manor in the middle gentry’s estate appeared on the turn of 15th and 16th centuries as a result of peasant holdings’ crisis, as they were not able to sell their productsand get money to pay a rent, gradually being changed into a labour. It is concomitant was peasants’ aiming to make services lower by diminishing an area of tillage. The followingcorrelation can be noticed: the villein manor – “folwark” – developed faster in the regions less connected with the market and predominated by big rental peasant holdings. It wasdifferent in parts of Poland predominated by big rental peasant farms, situated in the territories of a greater demand for agricultural products. In regions connected with the market(e.g. East Pomerania) manors of the great landowners did not make use of villein services, but of a hired labour. The change of service forms from a money-rent to labour resultedfrom worsening of the sales conditions. The increase in both kinds of rent in the 16th c. was caused by a growth of peasants’ profits as a result of improvement in the economic situation in Poland, caused by an external demand for grain. The money-rent predominated in periods of prosperity and greater supply of money; the villein labour predominatedwhen the economic situation was not good. Regions connected with the Gdansk market developed in a different way than the rest of the country – they were predominated by peasant rental economy and hired manor; the last aimed to displace peasants from the selling market. The paper was originally published as Folwark i zmiany koniunktury gospodarczej w Polsce w XIV–XVII wieku, “Klio” 2003, vol. 4 (2), pp. 25–40.

COMPLAINT ON THE BAILIFF’S ACTIVITIES AS A MEANS OF PROTECTION IN THE COURSE OF ENFORCEMENT PROCEEDINGS

The purpose of judicial enforcement civil proceedings is to enforce enforceable rights established or established in investigative proceedings. Therefore, the optimal solution would be if the necessity of its initiation appeared as seldom as possibile. Unfortunately, the period of fluctuations in the global economy, affecting the economic situation in Poland, punishes with special attention towards those institutions of enforcement proceedings whose task is to enable the forced execution of obligations. One of the most important institutions of civil enforcement proceedings is a complaint about the bailiff’s action. The method of shaping its legal nature requires the legislator to maintain a certain balance between providing due protection to both parties to enforcement proceedings, i.e. both the creditor and the debtor. The necessity to protect the latter is obvious to the public, which results from the considerable powers of the bailiff in the course of execution. From the viewpoint, however, one cannot lose the interest of the creditor, who has the full right to expect from the rule of law, appropriate assistance in the efficient and possibly quick recovery of claims covered by the relevant writ of execution.

Crises of the communist and neoliberal orders 30 years later: A structural comparison between 1975 and 2019 Poland

This article proposes to look at the current moment in the recent history of the so-called Central-European countries, with Poland as a critical case study, through a structural comparison with an earlier historical cycle, that is one of the first three decades of the communist rule in the region. Thus, I propose to compare the social and economic situation in Poland of circa 1975 with that of 2019, so 30 years after the establishment of a new given political order (30 years after 1945 and 1989 respectively). The paper will offer a general overview of the trajectory of Poland in the post-war era, based primarily on the perspective of the world-system theory and that of the critical sociology of elites, one which will also point to the essential structural contexts of the post-communist dynamics of society. This paper will be based on a basic observation: even if both the 1970s and late 2010s can be considered as periods of relative political stabilization and economic growth for the region as such, and Poland in particular, these countries are, at the same time, subjected to a considerable and even increasing economic dependence on the Western core. In the conclusions, it is argued that the proposed comparative approach, taking into account both an earlier historical cycle and the broader structural dependency of the region, may allow to cast a new light on the nature of current dynamics in Polish politics as well as on the possible future trajectories of the country.

Motivating in theory and practice of command – case study of the Polish armed forces, the police and the fire service

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify common and differentiating (external and internal) factors of motivation of the subordinates in the Polish uniformed services such as the armed forces, the fire service and the police. Moreover, this study aims to explore their relationship with the specificity of the profession and the selected socio-professional variables shaping their needs and value systems.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the research objective, the research problem has been specified: Which factors are universal and which significantly differentiate the strategies of motivating soldiers, firefighters and police officers? Therefore, the hypothesis assumes that motivating strategies in the examined institutions (uniformed services) depend not only on their structural and functional or legal and organizational culture specificity but also on the individual needs related to the position, corps (officer/noncommissioned officer), an individual system of values and social factors such as material and social. Methods were based on the survey research technique on a deliberately selected sample of soldiers and officers occupying different positions.FindingsThe research results have a dual character. On the one hand, they confirm the effectiveness of financial factors in the motivating process in the organization, and on the other hand, they show the specifics of total institutions, in which, apart from financial motivators, promotion and position in the hierarchy are important.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this study was the availability of respondents and their willingness to consent to the study. It is probably related to the nature of the organizations surveyed. It aims to explore their relationship with the specificity of the profession and the selected socioprofessional variables shaping their needs and value systems. Five motivators were adopted for the study, including two material ones, cash prizes and material prizes, and three nonmaterial motivators, promotion, participation in training (upgrading qualifications) and vacation. Two premises justify choosing such a research subject. The first reason concerns the common specificity of this type of organization that is relatively closed, unified, with a high level of hierarchization and formalization. The second one relates to differences in organizational cultures and systems to motivate subordinates.Practical implicationsResearch results provide the basis for identifying a change in value systems (subsequent studies) in total institutions and for assessing motivational preferences in the examined organizations.Social implicationsThe examined uniformed services constitute an essential element of the social structure, which along with the 1989 political transformation transformed from closed and resistant to open and socialized institutions subject to similar laws that apply in other organizations. Also, the values and expectations of people serving in them changed radically. Service became a profession, and purely autotelic motivations turned into materialistic ones. This change provides grounds for conducting research in this area.Originality/valueThis research fills in the empirical gap in previous research on motivation in total institutions. They are justified by the changing sociopolitical and economic situation in Poland and the change in the value systems of Poles.

Jerzy Adamczyk, „Uwaga bomba!”

Relacja Jerzego Adamczyka została zarejestrowana w formie pliku audio (będącego w posiadaniu autora) na potrzeby rodziny w połowie ubiegłej dekady, zaś opracowana w przypadającą w tym roku dziesiątą rocznicę śmierci świadka – jednego z członków Solidarności Walczącej i zarazem współzałożyciela działającego pod jej auspicjami Niezależnego Robotniczego Wydawnictwa „Feniks”. Ze wspomnień Adamczyka dowiedzieć się możemy wiele na temat tego, jak wyglądało wprowadzenie stanu wojennego we Wrocławiu z perspektywy tzw. pracownika umysłowego, jakim wyzwaniem było stworzenie od podstaw wolnego związku zawodowego w zakładzie o charakterze nieprodukcyjnym, czy wreszcie, jak czasem śmieszne, a innym razem dramatyczne były tamte dni. Podsumowaniem relacji jest gorzka refleksja Jerzego Adamczyka na temat sytuacji politycznej i gospodarczej w Polsce na początku XXI w.

Structural Disparities in the Polish Economy: Regional Development

The purpose of this study is to identify structural imbalances in the regional development of the Polish economy on the basis of the level and specifics of regional development analysis. In order to achieve this goal, the data from the Polish Central Statistics Office describing the labor market, and the demographic and economic situation in Poland have been utilized. The analysis period is 2005–2016. The heterogeneity of regional development generates a number of economic, social and political issues, the solution of which requires the formation of a fundamentally new sustainable development policy concept. Such a concept is supposed to be based on an integrated approach that takes into account the specifics of development each individual region in the country.

Tygodnik „Motor” jako najstarsze współczesne polskie czasopismo motoryzacyjne . Analiza za lata 1952–1991

Tygodnik „Motor” jest najstarszym współczesnym polskim czasopismem motoryzacyjnym. Periodyk w ciągu ponad 65 lat istnienia na stałe wpisał się do kanonu polskiej prasy motoryzacyjnej. Celem prezentowanego tekstu jest przedstawienie losów tytułu, poprzez analizę zmian, którym podlegał, zaczynając od numeru pierwszego z 1952 r. do chwili przejęcia pisma przez nowego wydawcę w 1991 r. Badaniu poddano wybrane roczniki periodyku, zaś część badawczą uzupełniono o próbę analizy teoretycznej i oceny oddziaływania sytuacji politycznej w Polsce w latach 1952–1991 na zawartość treściową i obecność tytułu na rynku prasowym. Do przeprowadzenia badań wykorzystano metodę analizy zawartości prasy oraz metodę historyczną.

Ekonomiczne uwarunkowania zachowań konsumpcyjnych gospodarstw domowych w Polsce w latach 2006–2015

The objective of this study is to determine factors of consumer behaviour with a particular emphasis on economic ones. Taking into account the characteristic conditions in which modern households operate, an attempt is made to identify those factors that operate not only on micro and/or macroeconomic scales, but also on a global scale. The study analyses the determinants of consumer behaviour in Polish households from 2006 – at which point they began to gradually feel the effects of accession to the European Union. Preliminary results indicate that changes in consumption across Polish households were influenced not only by changes in those homes’ financial situation, in the form of increased income or asset value, but also in the current and expected economic situation in Poland as well as the rest of the world.

Aspekty etyczne polskiej transformacji gospodarczej w enuncjacjach Konferencji Episkopatu Polski

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Secular trend and social variation in age at menarche among Polish schoolgirls before and after the political transformation.

To describe the biological results of the political and economic transformations that took place in Poland between 1966 and 2012, based on an analysis of age at menarche, and to determine changes across social groups. Data were collected in 1966, 1978, 1988, and 2012 in several districts of Poland. The study included 34,940 schoolgirls. Age at menarche was assessed with the use of status quo method. Definition of socioeconomic status was based on 4 factors: urbanization level, mother and father education, and family size. When the political and economic situation in Poland improved, a decrease in age at menarche was observed, whereas in years of crisis it increased. The same social differentiation in menarcheal age observed before the political transformation continued to be present in 2012. Socioeconomic changes were significantly associated with age at menarche. Social inequalities, reflected in menarcheal age, continue to be present in Poland.

Moral and ethical aspects of the Polish transition from communism in the enunciations of the Polish Episcopate

The Polish Episcopate critically assessed the social and economic situation in Poland in the period of the transition from communism to democracy and a freemarket economy. Privatisation led to production being stopped and to an increase in unemployment. Profit and not human dignity became the measure of labour. The economic and social reality was dominated by the treatment of economics and financial success as of the highest values and the dissemination of the opinion that in politics and economics there are no values. The political elites showed an inability to develop long-term strategies for getting out of the crisis. The disappearance of the morality of many representatives of public life, which was manifested in universal corruption and the aspiration to improve social status as soon as possible, contributed to this state of affairs. As a result, there was a crisis of the idea of the common wealth and an increase in crime. The social crisis was particularly visible in moral attitudes, social behaviour, and in the economic sphere, public finance, on the labour market, and in the quickly progressing social stratification.