Polish Public Research Articles

Change Management Success Factors in Polish Public Administration

Purpose: Since change and change management are significant in most concepts of public management, the authors of the article identified and assessed critical factors which determine the successful implementation of change in public organizations. Design/Methodology/Approach: Firstly, the literature on change management in public organizations was reviewed, and secondly, the elicited factors were subjected to the assessment of employees of various public organizations in Poland. For this purpose, survey studies were conducted with a questionnaire, which included 13 factors in public organizations identified in the previous literature review. Findings: A literature review revealed that identifying factors most commonly indicated as necessary for success is indeed possible. Empirical research confirms that the critical factors include communication within the organization, the accumulation of sufficient resources, and the motivation of employees to embrace change. Practical Implications: The identification of factors that determine the success of change in public organizations may constitute practical recommendations for public managers in supporting employees in the process of going through a change in a public organization. Originality/Value: The presented results should be perceived as helpful for public managers in identifying the areas that need to become their point of focus in change management. Finally, the results may also serve as a basis for further research into change management in public organizations.

Dynamic Capabilities Affecting the Functioning of E-Administration in Polish Public Admistration Entities

Purpose: Dynamic capabilities are an intended strategy for implementing changes in public sector organizations to execute the organizations' tasks effectively. The paper's main objective is to identify the dynamic capabilities affecting e-administration functioning and the determinants of the capabilities' formation, aimed at establishing and then verifying a conceptual model. Design/Methodology/Approach: The proper study was focused on Polish Public Administration entities that provide electronic administrative services. The sample consisted of 634 entities. The data collection was conducted with the use of the CAWI method. The verification of the assumptions was conducted through a series of confirmatory factor analyses using the modeling of structural equations based on the SEM-CB and SEM-PLS methods. Findings: As a result of the conducted research, it was ascertained that dynamic capabilities (especially knowledge absorption and application) affect e-administration effects and that culture, structure, and technology affect dynamic capabilities. The contextualization of dynamic capabilities allowed for broadening the knowledge on the conditions of their use and the possibilities of their impact on e-administration effects. Originality/value: Despite assigning many potential benefits to dynamic capabilities, the knowledge about their impact on the effects of e-administration functioning is surprisingly narrow. The obtained results lead to conceptual transparency concerning the dependency between dynamic capabilities (knowledge absorption, conversion, and application) and the effects of e-administration functioning, considering the dynamic capabilities' determinants.

Risk Management and Financial Stability in the Polish Public Hospitals: The Moderating Effect of the Stakeholders’ Engagement in the Decision-Making

Public healthcare organizations usually operate under significant financial strain and frequently strive for survival. Thus, in most cases, financial stability is a “holy grail” of public healthcare organizations in general and hospitals in particular. The financial stability itself is partly dependent upon the ability to manage risk associated with hospital actions. In the paper, we seek to address the question related to the moderating role of stakeholders’ engagement in the relationship between risk management practices and a hospital’s financial stability. To answer this question, we designed and carried out empirical research on a sample of 103 out of 274 Polish public hospitals operating at the first-level (closest to the patient). Results show that risk management practices are positively related to financial stability. Hospitals with well-developed risk management practices are better prepared and find appropriate answers to threats, helping them attain financial stability. We also found that stakeholder engagement acts as a moderator of the relationship between risk management practices and financial stability. Research results indicate that with more sophisticated risk management practices, stakeholder engagement in decision-making leads to statistically lower financial stability. On the other hand, high levels of stakeholders’ engagement help when risk management practices are underdeveloped.

Alternative between Revitalisation of City Centres and the Rising Costs of Extensive Land Use from a Polish Perspective

The phenomenon of spatial chaos is ever-growing challenge in Poland. Its most common explanations are the weaknesses of spatial planning and the households’ economic-based decisions of building a house in the suburbs. In this context, Polish publications lack analyses of the impact of local authorities’ on shaping conditions for the development of new housing and renovation of the existing ones. The authors put forward a thesis about the persistence of an extensive land use policy model in Poland, in which local governments create conditions favouring area-consuming approach to locating buildings. At the same time, the same local governments allow de-agriculturalisation of land plots with a consequence that newly developed areas are not equipped with utilities (e.g., sewage or heating networks). Chaos in the development of residential areas is also illustrated by another phenomenon. Local authorities designate large degraded and revitalisation areas. This results in the dispersed effects. The article concentrates on these three symptoms of spatial chaos in Poland, i.e., random and dispersed expansion of new investments in sewage system, lack of integration between district heating systems and direction of residential development and dispersed effects of revitalisation, which cannot prevent flight from blight. The obtained results allowed to confirm the thesis about the extensive land use policy model in Poland.

Assessment of the Level of Implementation of Internal Audits in Polish Public Hospitals

Purpose: The aim of the article is to evaluate the work of internal audit units in Polish public hospitals. An additional objective was the assessment of the indicators used by the Ministry of Finance (MF) to verify the work of auditors in government administration units. Design/Methodology/Approach: The authors have analysed specialized literature concerning audit issues in hospitals analyzing data included in the MF reports for 2012-2019, presenting indicator values related to internal audits, their quality and efficiency. Findings: Studying the literature of the subject revealed that there is a research gap concerning evaluation of the efficiency of internal audits at hospitals. Practical Implications: The authors’ analysis of MF reports of internal audit units in hospitals and the interpretation of the indicators contained in them enabled evaluation of the functioning of internal audits at analysed hospitals and determining their position compared to other entities from the research sample. Indicator values for hospitals vary from those obtained from other public sector units, as particular public finance sector units’ function in various legal and organizational environments and vary in operational aims and specificity. Originality/Value: The results from the conducted analysis should be regarded as a starting point for more advanced evaluation studies of the functioning of internal audits in hospitals.

A Comparative Analysis of the Information Published in the Largest News Portals in Poland at the Beginning of the Coronavirus Epidemic

The coronavirus has dominated the work of Polish online publications for several months. Every day, the largest portals in the country outdid one another in providing us with information about the subsequent illnesses and consequences of the epidemic. However, the first infection in the country was crucial for them. In my comparative analysis, I focus on how the beginning of the epidemic in Poland was reported in the largest news portals in Poland.

Changes in Public Entities Caused by the Crisis. A Case Study of the Polish Public Prosecutor’s Office

Public organizations are in a state of crisis at the moment of significant institutional changes in their structures (Boin and t’Hart, in: Wagnedaar, 2000, pp. 9-31), and the greater the number of people affected - the more the crisis in the organization is felt. In connection with the ordinance of the Minister of Health of 13 March 2020 (Journal of Laws of 2020, item 433), announcing the state of epidemic threat in the territory of the Republic of Poland, common units of the prosecutor's office faced a new challenge regarding a quick and effective response to crimes arising in connection with the use of the state of emergency for unlawful purposes.

Vilnius and Polock. Two centers of Polish culture on the threshold of the 19th century

At the beginning of 19th century Vilnius and Polock were the only towns on the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania in which Polish publications, newspapers, theatres and high schools existed. Enlightenment ideas and liberal trends played an important part in the Vilnius community. On the contrary, ideological climate in Polock was created by Jesuits – the order dissolved by the Pope, but existing in the Russian territory. The Author indicates the differences between these two communities and also draws attention to Lithuanian poems written in Vilnius by Antanas Strazdas and Byelorussian poems written there in the Philomaths community by Jan Czeczot. He also considers how big was the influence of Polock environment on the literary activities and attitude of Jan Barszczewski, a student of Polock college and future leading representative of Polish-Byelorussian literary borderland.

Exclusion of a contractor from participation in a public procurement procedure as a result of contract termination for reasons attributable to them

Abstract: The article describes obligatory and optional grounds for excluding a contractor on the basis of Polish Public Procurement Law, taking into account the jurisprudence and views of the doctrine. The attention is paid to the optional ground based on art. 24 sec. 5 point 4 of the Polish Act of January 29, 2004, Public Procurement Law, according to which the contracting authority may exclude from the procurement procedure contractors who, for reasons attributable to them, failed to perform or to a significant extent improperly performed a prior public procurement contract or concession contract concluded with the contracting authority, which led to termination or awarding compensation. In order to be able to use the institution, the contracting party must include an appropriate clause in the contract, providing for the possibility of terminating the contract or awarding damages due to contractor’s non- performance or improper performance of the contract, which is a common practice on the Polish public procurement market. However, in the event of such a clause, the contracting authority is obliged to apply it if the condition is met. The article also describes the self- cleaning institution, derived from art. 57 sec. 6 of Directive 2014/24/EU. The self-cleaning procedure can protect the contractor from being excluded from future tenders. However, In order to take advantage of self-cleaning, the contractor has to admit that non-performance or improper performance of the contract is their fault. Keywords: Exclusion; Contract

Competency Management in Bureaucratic Organizations: Evidence from the Polish Public Administration

Contemporary views of adapting competency management in the public sector emphasize its role as an important factor in the success of public organizations. At the same time, in many countries, unpredictable changes in the institutions, legislation, and rules of government result in the political uncertainty, influencing the conditions for applying competency management in public organizations. However, there has been little research into competency management in these organizations under conditions of political uncertainty. The aim of this study was to explore the practice of competency management in public administration under conditions of political uncertainty. Analysis of semi‐structured interviews conducted in public administration organizations revealed a hidden mechanism that leads to erosion of competency management. The findings reinforce the need for a deeper study of the reasons for failures in the implementation of competency management and also of the impact of situational factors and organizational characteristics on its practice in public organizations.

ТВОРЧІСТЬ ІВАНА КАРПЕНКА-КАРОГО У НАУКОВОМУ СПРИЙНЯТТІ ІВАНА ФРАНКА

The article investigates the Ivan Franko’s historical-literature and theatrical publications, dedicated to the life and creativity of famous Ukrainian dramatist Ivan Karpenko-Karyy (Ivan Tobilevych, 1845–1907). It is covered in chronological order how the understanding of the poetics of the writers’ drama developed in accordance with their vision and perception by I. Franko. The content of his reviewes, articles, etc. reveales I. Karpenko-Karyy’s individual contribution to the dynamics of the system of genres, the improvement of personosphere and technical means of dramatic modeling of reality, the combination of realism and romanticism in drama of the end of the XIX-th – beginning of the XX-th centuries. I. Franko – well-known dramatist, literary and theater critic, is also considered as an ambassador of the Ukrainian professional theater in Austria-Hungary and Russia, who, through his publications in Polish, Czech, Hungarian and Russian languages. drew attention to Ukrainian culture, popularized the creative achievements of the theater coryphaeus I. Karpenko-Karyy. I. Franko’s reasoning about І. Tobilevych, as it proved in article, is still marked by accurate definitions and symbolic assessments, interesting literary parallels, expressed with knowledge of the case with critical remarks. The scientist rightly affirmed the ascending evolution of the writer, who annually enriched the recipients with new fruits of his socially significant talent, with represented the hole of Ukraine and delved into the people’s soul. With good reason, І. Franko emphasized his skill as an observer and psychologist, a master of sharp conflicts, and finally as artist-democrat, who promoted humanism, patriotism and high idealism of the characters. Scholar’s understanding of the heritage by Karpenko-Karyy who was rightly considered one of the luminaries of national art, was closely connected with the complex realities of theatrical life in Ukraine, accompanied by the establishment of a canon of masters of new and modern literature and ahead its time by approaching the principles of receptive aesthetics and poetics, fenomenology, hermeneutics, communicative studies and other contemporary methodologies and theories.

ТВОРЧІСТЬ ЛЕСІ УКРАЇНКИ У СПРИЙНЯТТІ РОМАНА ОЛІЙНИКА-РАХМАННОГО

The article investigates the Roman Olynyk-Rachmanny’s essays and his journalist articles, dedicated to the life and creativity of Lesya Ukraїnka and Ukrainian famous writers from her generation. It is covered in logical order, how the understanding of the poetics of the writers poetry developed in accordance with their vision and perception by R. Olynyk (pen-name Roman Rachmanny, 1918–2012). The content of his articles, essays etc. reveales Lesya Ukraїnka’s individual contribution to the dynamics 123 of the system of genres, the improvement of lyrics personosphere and technical means of the literary modeling of reality, the combination of realism and romanticism in Ukrainian lyrics and drama of the end of the XIX-th – beginning of the XX-th centuries. Roman Olynyk, well-known in North America journalist and scholar (PhD Montreal University), historian and literary critic, is also considered as an ambassador of the Ukrainian culture in free Western World, who through his more than 1300 publications in Polish, English, Dutch, German, French and Norwegian languages drew attention to Ukrainian struggle for Freedom, popularized the creative achievements of the Ukrainian literary coryphaeus T. Shevchenko, I. Franko, Lesya Ukraїnka’s and others. His reasoning about Lesya Ukraїnka, V. Stefanyk, as it proved in article, is still marked by accurate definitions and symbolic assessments, interesting literary parallels, exspressed with knowledge of the case with critical remarks. The scientist righly affirmed the ascending evolution of the writer, who permanent enriched the recipients with new fruits of his socially significant talent, with represented the hole “Ukraina militans” (against tzarist Russia opression) and delved into the people’s soul. With good reason, R. Olynyk-Rachmanny emphasized her skill as an observer and psychologist, a master of sharp thoughs, and finally as intellectual-democrat, who promoted humanism, patriotism and high idealism of the Ukrainian literature’s classic heritage.

The Requirement of Employment under an Employment Relationship in Public Procurement and the Protective Function of the Labour Law

The issues included in the article focus on a tool ensuring compliance with provisions of the social law and labour law, as well as collective agreements (so-called cross-cutting “social clause” or horizontal clause) and more precisely on the analysis of regulations of Polish Public Procurement Law related to the requirement posed in relation to economic operators or subcontractors, concerning mandatory employment of staff under an employment relationship when they execute public procurement contracts. The regulation fulfils the protective function of the labour law, underlying the priority of employment. It was emphasized that socially responsible public procurement are inseparably connected with compliance with the provisions of the labour law, whose main aim is to protect the employee. The article also analyses selected issues concerning socially responsible public procurement and the notion of an employment relationship.

ВИДАВНИЧИЙ КООПЕРАТИВ «ІЗМАРАГД»: ІДЕОЛОГІЧНІ ТА КУЛЬТУРОЛОГІЧНІ УМОВИ ТВОРЕННЯ І ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ

After the failure of the liberation struggle of the 1917–1920s, Ukrainian lands became again divided between neighboring states. The way to saving Ukrainian identity under the authority of the Second Republic of Poland was through the establishment of a narrow dialogue with all parts of the society. Understanding could be achieved by bringing a printed word to each town, village, and every Ukrainian family. It became the main task of national societies that began to work during Ukrainian-Polish confrontation. Cooperatives and unions, financed through large authorized and working capital played a leading role in the Ukrainian publishing movement in interwar Galicia. The article is an attempt to analyze the issues of the editions of publishing cooperativ “Izmarahd”, which, in our opinion, had a great influence on the formation of the consciousness of the Ukrainian people who was found themselves under Polish rule. Material and organizational problems forced publishing house “Izmarahd” to learn in detail the demand for a printed word, to select the subject of publications more carefully, to find the best ways to submit the material, and to improve the book distribution system. The topics of books of “Izmarahd” consisted of publications of professional translations and original Ukrainian works, which helped to restore the cultural ties of Ukrainians of the East and the West. The cooperative had its own bookstore, the fund of which was represented by Ukrainian and Polish publications of publishing houses in Ukrainian lands and in exile. Some editions of the “Izmarahd” cooperative, which were distinguished by a high level of printing and art, received literary prizes and awards at international exhibitions. Despite the desire to cheapen books, publishers took care of artistic design of printed matter, enriched texts with illustrative material. The organization widely used advertising in magazines, press publications (because in the reading practice of the peasants periodicals prevailed over books), its own books. Readers were not offered “dry” lists of books, but their characteristics and evaluation, not only to satisfy but to shape the tastes of Ukrainian people. Keywords: publishing cooperative “Izmarahd”, Mykhailo Matchak, ukrainian issues, books distributed, national conscioness.

Polish Academic Libraries in the Face of the Covid-19 Pandemic: Crisis Management and Communication within the Organisation

Thesis/Objective – The developing SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic, which was announced in March 2020, has had a significant impact on the activities of universities and their academic libraries. The article aims to present the activities of academic libraries at the time of introducing restrictions on their activities and closing for several months to users and reformulating the services they provide, on the example of the Library of the Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT). First of all, attention was paid to how the principles of crisis and problem management were introduced at universities. It was also essential to examine how the changes and management decisions were perceived by the library employees who worked according to the new rules in the indicated period. Research methods – The article is based on the analysis of available scientific publications in Polish on crisis management, especially in the era of epidemiological threats. Legal acts and regulations dealing with both crisis management in general and issued in connection with the announcement of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic were also taken into account. The method of survey research based on a questionnaire was also used. The questionnaire was anonymous, provided to the employees of the GUT Library via e-mail. The respondents provided a printout of the questionnaire with answers to the GUT Library Office. Since the survey was addressed only to employees of one institution, it had a limited record. It aimed to collect the respondents’ opinions on the work of the GUT Library in the period from March 12 to May 24, 2020, when remote work in special conditions was in force. Results and conclusions – A sudden change in the work mode of the GUT Library itself and its employees, a change in tools and forms of services provided, the need to purchase appropriate equipment and personal protective equipment, the introduction of remote work and other factors became the subject of management decisions made during the emerging crisis. These decisions were in line with the applicable guidelines, both the laws and regulations issued at the national level, as well as the policies and recommendations regarding the functioning of libraries issued by various state institutions and the National Library (book quarantine). However, many of the decisions were individual due to the lack of guidelines and benchmarks on which to base. The reason was also the delayed emergence of procedures. A survey conducted among the employees of the Gdańsk University of Technology Library in May 2020, after the employees returned to stationary work, showed that the adopted solutions were well assessed. The results showed that the adopted solutions had a positive impact on the employees’ sense of safety and the work comfort in the period of changing the mode and rules of the Library’s functioning.

The reception of Dr Ludwik Jekels' "apostolic activity" to promote psychoanalysis in Poland before the outbreak of World War I. Part 2.

The paper sets out to present Doctor Ludwik Jekels' activity for the development of psychoanalysis in Poland between 1909 and 1914. The second part of the paper focuses mainly on the period of 1911-1912 when Ludwik Jekels was the most active in promoting psychoanalysis. The article also includes the discussion of Jekels' book publications including two translations of Sigmund Freud's works and the first Polish publication on psychoanalysis entitled Szkic psychoanalizy Freuda (An Outline of Freud's Psychoanalysis). The reactions of the scientific circles, particularly those associated with the Lviv School of Psychology, were also analyzed. The access to previously unpublished sources allowed the authors, for the first time, to report on Jekels' educational activity in Krakow and Lviv. The sources also gave insight to Jekels' completely unknown actions to promote psychoanalysis in Cieszyn Silesia. Jekels' lectures were followed by a wide range of reactions from the public with the medical community increasingly criticizing psychoanalysis. The pinnacle of Jekels' activity was the Second Congress of Polish Neurologists, Psychiatrists and Psychologists was organized in Krakow in 1912. It was the culmination in the discussion on the place of psychoanalysis in the Polish science. The paper presents the participants of the psychoanalytic session with a special focus on Dr Jekels' contribution, the way how psychoanalysis discussion was conducted and the effects of the congress on further development of psychoanalysis. In conclusion an attempt was made to assess the overall significance of Dr Jekels' activities in Poland.

Волпа. Старая и новая

The article is devoted to the history of the Jewish community in Volpa. Until 1939 the town was the centre of a commune of the Grodno district of the Bialystok voivodeship, and now it is part of the Volkovysk district of the Grodno region of the Republic of Belarus. The article describes the economic, religious, cultural, and national life of Jews, who naturally complemented the life of the Belarusians and Poles in Volpe providing an example of mutual understanding and cooperation. Particular attention is paid to the fate of the unique wooden synagogue of the 17th century and the activities of Zionist groups and clubs. A separate place is given to the story of the tragic death of the community during the Holocaust and the attempts to preserve the memory of their small homeland by the modern generation of Volpa residents. The article was written following the author's visit to Volpa in 2018 and it is based on rare archival data, scholarly publications in Hebrew, English, Polish and Russian, periodicals, and interviews with local residents.

CHANGES IN PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGEMENT IN THE ERA OF CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

The year 2020 is filledby new economic, social and environmental phenomena related to COVID-19 and its consequences. The global coronavirus pandemic affects every industry and all aspects of people’s lives. Therefore, one of the many questions researchers raise, are changes in the methods of communication between organizations and stakeholders resulting from this global epidemic. The first purpose of the presented research is to get knowledge about public relations activities practiced during the crises of the 21st century, with particular emphasis on the coronavirus pandemic. The second goal is to test the suitability of James Grunig’s models during the pandemic crisis. The authors accept the thesis that the global crises that characterize the first years of the 21st century and the role of social media make it necessary to use models of PR practice different than those experienced in the 20th century. Hence, the research attempts to answer the following research questions: 1. How has the public relations model been changed in Polish companies during the pandemic? 2. Has crisis management dominated the activities of PR specialists? 3. How does new media hinder or, on the contrary – facilitate the implementation of PR tasks during a pandemic? The Delphi research was used as the research method. The Delphi method aims to aggregate the opinions of a diverse group of experts. It allows to carry out researches without the need to meet respondents directly, which is essential during a pandemic. Experts were selected from the members of the Polish Public Relations Association. The overall conclusion of the analysis emphases that the pandemic has been changing PR practice models as it has forced the online communication that is especially exposed to fake news and hate speech content.

Implementation of New EU Directives Coordinating the Procedures for Awarding Public Contracts in European Union Member States: The Example of Poland

Abstract This article concerns the implementation of new EU Directives coordinating the procedures for awarding public contracts in European Union Member States. In a number of countries, including Poland, the process of their implementation (Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement; Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport, and postal services sectors; Directive 2014/23/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the award of concession contracts) was delayed. In most cases, the modernization of EU regulations on public procurement required a thorough modification of national regulations in this respect. As a result of the introduction of the package of new Directives, the European Union public procurement market has undergone substantial changes. The need to adjust legal regulations to the changing political, social, and economic situations in a better way has resulted in the transposition of the modernized EU Directives concerning public procurement to the Polish legal system, affecting the final shape of the new Polish Public Procurement Law. The implementation of the package of new Directives has significantly affected the functioning of the Polish public procurement market. For the entities operating in this market, this means the necessity to expand their knowledge, so as to become familiar with the new legal solutions in this respect.

Public E-Service on Polish Public Institutions’ Profiles in Social Media

Purpose: The article presents the results of research into the level of informational and promotional activity concerning electronic services provided by the largest regional public institutions in Poland on the three largest social networking sites. Worldwide trends in the development of public digital services require targeted and consistent information and promotion activities of public institutions, also with the use of social networking sites. The study covered the largest regional public institutions responsible for creating the capacity and development of sixteen voivodeships (provinces) in Poland. Design/Methodology/Approach The research methodology includes both quantitative and qualitative methods. The effectiveness of public institutions' activity on social networking sites were examined by means of statistical methods, while the triangulation method was used to analyze the published content. Findings: The existing literature on the subject has not studied the activity of public institutions in social media with reference to information and promotion activities of public electronic services. In many countries, researchers address challenges faced by the sector of e-services, their implementation level and the sector value. Practical Implications: Today, high dynamics and costs of implementation of public electronic services make it necessary for public institutions to provide these services actively and effectively. This is due to the specific scope of activity of public institutions and unlimited possibilities of public interaction between the institution and citizens. The rationale for the undertaken research results from the scale of activity of public institutions, which is confined to the list of services, provided to citizens. Originality/Value: Therefore, a thesis can be raised that generating interactions on social networking sites contributes to the improvement of the public institutions' image and enhances integration of local communities. This is particularly important in the era of building and developing the single market for digital services.