Contents  1/2011    Contents  2/2011 


Katarína Zábovská:  Editorial.

Stanisław Borkowski, Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka: 
Twelve Golden Principles as Director’s Features Determinant.
[abstract]   [article]

Irena Figurska: 
Knowledge Strategy of the Organization.
[abstract]   [article]

Vladmiras Gražulis: 
Successful Socialization of Employees - Assumption of Loyalty to Organization.
[abstract]   [article]

Miloš Hitka, Miroslava Olšiaková: 
Implementation of Talent Management in a Selected Company in the Slovak Republic.
[abstract]   [article]

Alžbeta Kucharčíková: 
Human Capital - Definitions and Approaches.
[abstract]   [article]

Ewa Matuska: 
Innovations in New Paradigms of Management.
[abstract]   [article]

Lukáš Richter: 
Cargo Cult Lean.
[abstract]   [article]

Veronika Soósová: 
Implementation of Human Resource Controlling in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
[abstract]   [article]

Josef Vodák: 
The Importance of Intangible Assets for Making the Company’s Value.
[abstract]   [article]

Monika Zajkowska, Anna Rychły-Lipińska, Agnieszka Sałek-Imińska, Aneta Mazur-Jelonek: 
The Importance of Internal Communication in Polish Enterprises in the Light of the Studies Carried Out.
[abstract]   [article]



 Abstracts  2/2011   


Stanisław Borkowski, Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka: 
Twelve Golden Principles as Director’s Features Determinant.
[contents]   [article]
Notion of the leadership is treated as one of power aspects, because it means an ability to influence or to exercise authority in social bonds. The leadership is also being defined as activity set, which influence conducts of the group (Morris, Seeman, 1959). The leadership is often identified with leadership, which value representing and motivating of others causing, that group is realizing determined purposes (Burns, McGregor, 1994). According to this definition, cells originate not only from the leader, but groups, but it is resultant of his purposes. Achieving the goals is possible thanks to management with leaders’ participation. Management is about securing (conscious creation) of conditions, so that a given organization runs according to its assumptions, i.e. executes its mission, reaches its relevant targets and maintains the necessary coherence which enables its survival, connected with the distinction in its environment and also the development, related to executing its mission and goals in the future.
Therefore, the first step is to set the right course to an organization so that in the second stage it could follow the assigned direction as a well-guided ship. Management is an art of getting effects by way of subordinate people and other resources. Vision, strategy, activation, motivation, gaining power, formalization, ideological structure design, and representation are all the common elements including the activity related to management and leadership features. That paper presents innovative method of researches, case study and analysis of results attendant from BOST method which is the base of Department of Production Engineering of Czestochowa University of Technology’s researches. Methodology of examinations was discussed at work, the respondents’ characteristics were made, examinations results were elaborated statistically. The results of researches and their case study have been presented in characteristic and interesting figures. Director’s leadership features were based on generally known twelve golden principles.


Irena Figurska: 
Knowledge Strategy of the Organization.
[contents]   [article]
The main objective of the following article is to present issues associated with building a knowledge strategy in the organization. In the first part of this article the concept of resource-based view of the firm in comparison to positioning view have been briefly characterized, discussing such issues as organizational competitive potential and advantage, resources and their strategic nature, organization strategy based on resources. Further part of this article focuses mainly on the specificity of knowledge as strategic resource and it describes some models of knowledge strategies in the organization. The author has also attempted to build own model of knowledge strategy combining positioning school and resource-based theory of the firm. The final part of the article includes findings resulting from theoretical consideration.
From the perspective of strategic management, a focusing just on the environment in the process of searching for the sources of competitive advantage for the organization or just on the internal resources and skills without including external factors is not good. Therefore, organizations should try to adapt and use the achievement of both approaches - positional and resource-based. Organizations which are able to develop their knowledge quicker and better and/or acquire necessary knowledge from external sources and then combine these knowledge resources and integrate them with other resources and competence may create a specific, difficult to imitate cluster of resources which if appropriately used as a response to the occurring chances and emerging dangers gives better possibilities of creating values desired by the customers and consequently achieving competitive advantage.


Vladmiras Gražulis: 
Successful Socialization of Employees - Assumption of Loyalty to Organization.
[contents]   [article]
Theoretical conceptions connecting employee’s socialization and loyalty, also related practical problems, using the cases from the Lithuanian public sector organizations, are analyzed in the article. Importance and benefits of successful socialization for both organization and employees in the context of loyalty development are grounded in the article. The researches carried out by the author evidently demonstrate that the socialization process of employees is lacking in systemic approach, the consequence of which is low level of employees’ loyalty. Systemic recommendations for improvement of socialization process seeking to achieve higher level of employees’ loyalty are provided in the article on the bases of scientific publications and the researches of the author. Summarizing the points of employee socialization discussed in scientific publications and the results of the survey an important conclusions can be made: employee socialization theoretical model of three stages (anticipatory socialization, adaptation and integration) is considered to be effective mean, rating the possibilities of individual to involve into organization’s life and to become committed/loyal to it; the process of a new employee socialization in Lithuanian organizations is not systematic and could be valued as incompletely successful; seeking to develop the loyal personnel it is purposeful to change the selection process of novices, to create new employees orientation, preparation and development programmes, together providing the feedback measures, which could help to establish the organizational conditions corresponding to employees socialization systems.


Miloš Hitka, Miroslava Olšiaková: 
Implementation of Talent Management in a Selected Company in the Slovak Republic.
[contents]   [article]
Talent management in relation with employee performance managing is seen as a summary of activities, tools and processes leading to identification, motivation, stabilization and talent development of the company, and so to ensure their potential with the aim to carry out effectively its tasks in accordance with future needs and trends. The application of talent management is convenient for the company as well as for employees. An employee included into the process of talent management has a job security. In this paper we suggest a way how to implement talent management in the selected company into the practice. This model of talent management relies mainly on its own employees and their growth brings the company many positive aspects. Based on the schematic procedures we are allowed to use the mentioned method in different companies. The process of succession and career planning is long and it requires significant financial expenditures.
However, if it is of high quality, an organization gets an employee who is loyal and provides quality work performance of high quality. Researches show that more and more companies in Slovakia begin to apply the talent management process to increase their competitiveness, to improve the quality of the workforce composition and finally increase their economic performance.


Alžbeta Kucharčíková: 
Human Capital - Definitions and Approaches.
[contents]   [article]
This article describes the results of the research was focused on monitoring expert opinions on the nature of human capital and the location of this economic category in economic theory and management theory. The result of research is proposal for the structure of theoretical approaches towards understanding the nature of human capital and its place in science. The article specifically emphasizes the macroeconomic approach and the importance of human capital in production functions and for the achievement of extensive and intensive economic growth, too.
There are some accesses to the definition of human capital and approaches to the human capital according to some economists and economic theory schools. In microeconomic view, there are two basic approaches. In terms of business economics is human capital considered as production factor. According to the managerial view human capital is a business resource or asset which forms part of the market value of the company. The macroeconomic approach sees human capital as one of the production factors, respectively sources of economic growth. The research results is a summary of definitions of human capital, proposal of structure of different approaches to understanding the nature and importance of human capital.


Ewa Matuska: 
Innovations in New Paradigms of Management.
[contents]   [article]
The main aim of the article is to put conceptual frames to the topic of organizational innovations by analyzing origin and nature of creativity in organization. The relations between innovativeness and innovation are discussed, as well links between creativeness and innovation. The components of pro-innovative organizational culture and pro-innovative attitudes of employees are identified. The main characteristics of creative organization and sustainable organization as the new paradigms in management are stressed with special reflection to human resources management. In conclusion innovation at organization is assumed as an activity basically related to creative and sustainable business and human resource management (HRM) strategies.
We interpret the idea of sustainable organization as the new quality of learning organization - creative organization. What connects two concepts of enterprise - learning and sustainable - is exactly organizational creativity represented on individual and corporate level as a source of potential innovation. In such light - the compass for prospective market position of company is proactive human resource management strategy implemented as a constant business orientation and both described paradigms: creative organization and sustainable organization has to be seen as complementary and mutually related. The innovation in turbulent economy and fast changing surroundings seems to need stronger conceptual frame than already existing concept of learning organization.


Lukáš Richter: 
Cargo Cult Lean.
[contents]   [article]
Competition grows very fast and companies need to adopt new extraneous concepts, tools and techniques, which are usually required by top management of company or members of a supply chain. Despite all efforts to adopt lean or Toyota production system the results are often only minimal or negative. The author of this paper tries to find parallels between cargo cult (anthropological phenomenon) and practices of unsuccessful adoption of lean in companies. Cargo cult term is used to describe various South Pacific social movements or religious practice. It is a result of interaction between pre-industrial tribal societies with technologically advanced cultures. Cargo cult members build primitive airfields, fake airplanes, landing trips, storage facilities, radio equipment, watch or control towers and many others associated paraphernalia with hope that airplanes full of the cargo will arrive soon. They only imitate the external manifestation of deeper principles which are hidden in background. Cargo cult is a good metaphor for inability to recognize the cause and effect in companies.
This situation can be observed in many companies which claim that they have implemented lean or Toyota production system. But it is usually only some purely formal matter with lot of paper work but without any practical effect. Employees realized several “rituals” without understanding the purpose. The managers’ eyes “search the sky, but they are destined to be disappointed, because no planes will land”. The author claims that the only way how to avoid cultivating cargo cult in company is to understand the importance and role of organizational learning in decision making and problem solving. Knowledge of employees should be the most important resource of company.


Veronika Soósová: 
Implementation of Human Resource Controlling in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
[contents]   [article]
In the dictionary of personal managers increasingly grows the concept of „human resource controlling“, which follows the effort of companies to manage the performance of human capital, to measure its value, and to compare the results with another organizations. Neither the human resource management, so as other areas of managing, cannot be functional properly without controlling – without setting objectives, monitoring the measure of their pursuance, determining divergences and receiving improving measures.
The contribution focuses on the definition of human resource controlling and the possibility of its application in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). The importance of the implementation of the human resource controlling results from the large share of personal costs to the total costs which requires to display the added value of human labor. Human resource controlling aims to monitor and identify the deviations from the goals in human resources and creates proposals for their elimination. It points to the curiosities between SME and controlling, in an effort to provide a general framework for the principle of the introduction personal controlling in SME. With the help of personal functions - personal planning, recruiting and development tries to describe the activity of controlling in human resource management. The last part deals with the so-called human resource (HR) scorecard, thus the tool of HR controlling which can the small and medium-sized enterprises use to performance management in human resources.


Josef Vodák: 
The Importance of Intangible Assets for Making the Company’s Value.
[contents]   [article]
In the current global economy based on knowledge this represents the intangible assets and often make up to 80 percent of the company value. The transformation of the intangible assets into tangible results is a new way of thinking for most of the companies then. The companies which can deal with this process, which the human resources department is a bearer of, are able to create an important competitive advantage. The article based on the information from the business sector and on the performed research activities and surveys intends to point out the interconnection of making the company’s value and intangible assets emphasizing the intellectual and social capital when using the outputs of the Balance Scorecard methodology.
Management of the current companies is performed in a complicated competitive environment therefore the managers need a lot of information and a suitable set of supporting tools for management and making decisions. They need such means to be able to evaluate different aspects resulting from the company activities and its economic environment and to be able to monitor the progress of the company at achieving of the stated goals. It is not enough to know that the company is successful today, it is necessary to know if it will be or if it has a chance (and what chance) to be successful also in the future. Nobody can provide this, only clear and pragmatic focus on intellectual capital and its most efficient utilisation across all its elements. This has proven as the weakest point in the companies which we performed the survey in our regions. The information age requires new abilities from production companies as well as from the companies providing services. One of the possibilities is in innovations in its widest meaning which also our project dealt with. The important output was the realization of the fact that the innovations in perception of the importance of the intellectual capital and its development and cultivation in the company are the most important for companies.


Monika Zajkowska, Anna Rychły-Lipińska, Agnieszka Sałek-Imińska, Aneta Mazur-Jelonek: 
The Importance of Internal Communication in Polish Enterprises in the Light of the Studies Carried Out.
[contents]   [article]
Main purpose of an article is diagnosing of meaning of internal communication in functioning enterprises in Poland. Article consists of two parts. The first part describes the place of internal communication in business communication system structure characterizing the two planes of communication activities: internal and external. This section presents the steps of the communication audit properly. The second part of the article presents the results of studies on the subject of internal communication in Polish enterprises. Included 119 surveyed companies varied in terms of: number of employees and sector in which the enterprise operates. The aim of this study was to obtain answers to questions concerning the identification of problems related to internal communication, the importance of communication in organizations, an indication of the implemented and planned solutions and tools for internal communication. The authors of this article basing on the results of empirical studies carried out by market research company named GFMP Management Consultants, there were realized in November 2010 in polish enterprises.
The analysis of the studies carried out clearly demonstrates the increasing role of communication in an organization. More and more company managers look for sources that allow building their competitive advantage basing on the organizational culture and people. Persons responsible for communication processes in an organization have an important role — to strengthen such awareness continuously. The main task of activities taken in the area of communication is to support the implementation of company’s strategy. Such activities should be coordinated under a strategy of communication, which is still absent in many companies, and linked with the company’s strategy. The condition for developing an effective strategy is to make a right diagnosis of the initial situation and measure the effects of the implementation of this strategy. Showing the managing staff the valuable data, which prove the correctness of the activities taken, contributes actually to increasing the importance of communication in an organization.