Society and Politics
Streszczenia artykulów
Nr 2(75)/2023
Andrzej Doński
Instytut Ochrony Środowiska - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy
EFFICIENCY ISSUES IN POLAND’S RESEARCH INSTITUTES
Summary
The article aimed to specify the complexity of assessing the management’s efficiency of research institutes in Poland, in the context of the implementation of tasks resulting from their principal and ancillary activities, as well as other assignments commissioned by public administration authorities. The author attempted to clarify the concept of efficiency by reviewing the subject literature, to find a standard unit to assess research institutes' activities in terms of efficiency. The analysis carried out based on a literature review, taking into account the complexity of duties of the research institutes, showed that there was no ultimate typology of efficiency, as research establishments have been set up to carry out a broad range of tasks of an economic, social and scientific nature. For that reason, efficiency can be only assessed against the priority, principal, and commissioned tasks implemented by each institute.
Keywords: efficiency, efficiency analysis, efficiency categories, research institutes.
JEL Codes: D21, H11, I23, D61
DOI: doi.org/10.34765/sp.0223.a01
Sławomir Lewandowski
Akademia im. Aleksandra Gieysztora w Pułtusku (filia Akademii Finansów i Biznesu Vistula)
A critical analysis of the relationship between humans and "thinking machines". Possible research questions in the context of institutional ethical interventions using the example of the European Union's "Ethics of Connected and Automated Vehicles"
Summary
The article proposes an analysis of ethical interventions made by European Union bodies in the form of ethical recommendations addressed to artificial intelligence (AI) developers – using the example of ‘Ethics of connected and automated vehicles’ issued by the European Commission. AI is a hitherto undefined precisely phenomenon involving automated data acquisition and processing. For the purposes of this article, AI is defined as a technology that enables machines to „learn from experience, adapt to new information and perform human-like tasks” (www16).
The proposed analysis would be semantic (examining the basic concepts used to justify interventions) and teleological (examining the intentions behind interventions). The recommendations addressed to AV developers and users, given the clearly defined scope included in the twenty theses, allow for a coherent analysis of the EU institutions attitude towards technology in its early stages of development.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicle, ethics.
JEL Codes: O38
DOI: doi.org/10.34765/sp.0223.a02
Maria Kocot
Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Katowicach
Artur Kwasek
Uczelnia Techniczno-Handlowa w Warszawie
Determinants building trust among employees of the organization in the light of own research
Summary
Trust plays a huge role in all aspects of an organization's operation. Therefore, it is extremely important to build such trust among employees. The aim of the article is to analyze the determinants that build trust among employees of the organization. It was hypothesized that these determinants are commonly used by Polish organizations. To verify this hypothesis, in December 2022, surveys were conducted in accordance with the CAWI technique standards on a sample of 426 people. The conducted research showed that a number of factors are practiced in the workplace of the respondents that strengthen trust among employees of the organization. The most important of them are creating an atmosphere of trust and honesty, jointly discussing problems and concerns at regular meetings, developing an appropriate incentive system, and employee participation in managing the organization. Research has also shown that motivational factors play an important role in building trust among employees.
Keywords: trust, organization, employees, human resources, motivation.
JEL Codes: O10
DOI: doi.org/10.34765/sp.0223.a03
Patrycja Tyborowska
Akademia im. Aleksandra Gieysztora w Pułtusku (filia Akademii Finansów i Biznesu Vistula)
Analysis of political party programs as part of research on the origins of the right to public information, civil society and self-government in Poland
Summary
The study presents the results of an analysis of the programs of political parties in the 1997 parliamentary elections. The research of the archival materials collected in the Archives of Political Parties of the Polish Academy of Sciences was carried out in order to show whether the issues of access to public information, self-government and participation were an important element of the election programs. The article was divided into three main issues, however, each of them was discussed from two perspectives - legal-administrative and political-sociological. Such an assumption was aimed at comparing to what extent the formation of political party programs and the demands contained in them are due to legal-administrative requirements, and to what extent to the political and social situation of a country. The first part of the study was devoted to the essence of political party programs and their role in democratic states. The second part of the paper discusses the issue of civil society and access to information in election programs in the 1997 parliamentary elections. The last section of the paper, meanwhile, deals with the concept of self-government in the surveyed program documents.
Keywords: access to information, participation, election programs, programs of political parties.
JEL Codes: H7
DOI: doi.org/10.34765/sp.0223.a04
Milena Kindziuk
Uniwersytet Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego w Warszawie
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate towards the war of the Russian Federation in Ukraine on the website of the Catholic Information Agency. Case study
Summary
The aim of the article is to determine the position of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) towards the war of the Russian Federation in Ukraine on the website of the Catholic Information Agency (CIA) in the first year after the aggression on February 24, 2022. The research is a case study. The research method of qualitative content analysis and the press discourse analysis method were used. The analysis undertaken proved that the texts published on the CIA website between February 24, 2022 and February 24, 2023 clearly show that in fact the UOC-MP was still part of the Russian Orthodox Church in the first year of the war and in fact approved its support for Russian aggression and crimes committed in Ukraine. The ambiguous position and opportunism of Patriarch Onufriy were presented, the inconsistent attitude of the Council of the UOC-MP was also presented, and the disapproval of some bishops and clergy of the UOC-MP towards the war was shown, pointing to the split and identity crisis in the UOC-MP.
Keywords: Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), Patriarch Onufriy, Catholic Information Agency, war in Ukraine.
JEL Codes: D74, Z12
DOI: doi.org/10.34765/sp.0223.a05
Małgorzata Smoleń-Bojańczyk
Akademia Finansów i Biznesu Vistula
Controversies related to fair value measurement
Summary
In a dynamic and turbulent economic environment, current, reliable, complete and credible information plays a particularly important role. The high quality of this information reduces the information asymmetry of its users. Task of accounting is to prepare and deliver such information to interested recipients.
There are a huge number of accounting regulations in modern accounting (various accounting standards). After each crisis, there is an increased tendency to introduce new regulations, but this does not solve the basic problems of ensuring good quality and reliable economic information. However, particular problems arise with the valuation of assets and liabilities based on estimated values, including the use of fair value measurement. This problem is so important, that it required the introduction of new international regulations in the field of accounting law. This article is an attempt to highlight the most important doubts related to the quality of financial information, in particular the application of the fair value method and its impact on the quality of financial information.
Keywords: asset and liability valuation, fair value, mark-to-market, financial reporting standards.
JEL Codes: A19
DOI: doi.org/10.34765/sp.0223.a06
Mirosław BOJAŃCZYK
Akademia Finansów i Biznesu Vistula
Valuation of the company's brand
Summary
In modern world, intangible assets play an increasingly important role. The value of the brand can be considered a key part of the intangible assets of each company. The article discusses problems related to the valuation of enterprise brands, with particular emphasis on Polish enterprises. It presents, among others the results of valuations over 200 enterprises according to own methodology.
The article presents own methodology of brand valuation, which includes using the DCF method based on analysis of financial reports, surveys and stock exchange data. The study emphasizes the complexity of the brand's valuation, especially in conditions of growing instability and high market variability.
The conducted research leads to the conclusion that there is no one brand valuation method that could be considered a method that allows for an objective valuation. It is possible to use various methods and various assumptions.
Keywords: brand valuation, intangible assets, goodwill valuation, value of Polish brands.
JEL Codes: A19
DOI: doi.org/10.34765/sp.0223.a07
No. 1(74)/2023
Aleksandra Tołczyk
Szkoła Główna Handlowa w Warszawie
Joanna Sozańska
Instytut Bezpieczeństwa i Rozwoju Międzynarodowego
Translator/Interpreter as Cultural Mediator in Law Enforcement setting. Case of Muslim migrants - Police and Border Guard officers’ encounter in Poland
Summary
Translators’ and interpreters’ social and cultural competences allow them to discuss encounters between law enforcement officers and Muslims and point out the weaknesses in these relations. The aim of the article is to explore the role of interpreters and translators as (inter)cultural mediators in Police/Border Guards’ encounters with Muslims. The study used qualitative methodology and semi-structured individual interviewing with six translators/interpreters to derive answers to the following research questions: What roles do interpreters and translators play as (inter)cultural mediators? What additional tasks do they perform? What is the experience of the interpreters and the translators with assisting the Police and the Border Guard officers during interactions with the Muslim population? What is the impact of the anti-Muslim sentiment and officers’ attitudes towards Islam on these contacts from the perspective of the responders?
Keywords: Police, Border Guard, Muslims, translation, cultural mediation.
JEL Codes: K14, Z12, Z19
DOI: doi.org/10.34765/sp.0123.a01
Maria Kocot
Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Katowicach
Artur Kwasek
Uczelnia Techniczno-Handlowa w Warszawie
Students' attitudes towards distance learning as a component of education 4.0
Summary
The article aimed to analyze students' attitudes towards distance learning as a component of education 4 0. The article presents the results of a survey conducted in 2021 at three universities:
Helena Chodkowska University of Technology and Economics (UTH) and Vistula University in Warsaw (VISTULA), WSB Universities (WSB). The research sample consisted of 383 students. Thanks to the use of the Pearson correlation coefficient, the relationship between satisfaction with distance learning and the effectiveness of the teaching process using distance learning was determined
The conducted considerations gave a picture of the most frequently used tools used during distance learning. They also made it possible to assess the degree of satisfaction with the effectiveness of remote learning and to change the preferences for conducting classes at universities. The conducted research showed that students positively assess the satisfaction and effectiveness of remote classes conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was confirmed by the Pearson correlation.
Keywords: remote learning, education 4.0, students, digitization.
JEL Codes: O10
DOI: doi.org/10.34765/sp.0123.a02
Daniel Matusiak
Uniwersytet SWPS w Warszawie
Michał Wenzel
Uniwersytet SWPS w Warszawie
The emergence of a rural social movement in the light of the resource mobilization theory. Spatial analysis
Summary
We analyse the activities of the Agrounia movement using the resource mobilization theory. Using Protest Event Analysis as research method we test the assumption that one of the main resources of rural social movements is the nature of leadership, and structural factors are an important constraint on resource mobilization. Geographical data on protests are processed on two levels of administrative divisions. Agrounia located its protests in locations with two features. First of all, they were important from the point of view of communication routes. Secondly, the participants, as a result of structural mobilization opportunities, live and work relatively close to the place of action.
Keywords: Agrounia, rural social movement, protest, geographical analysis.
JEL Codes: C31
DOI: doi.org/10.34765/sp.0123.a03
Dariusz Faszcza
Akademia im. Aleksandra Gieysztora w Pułtusku
ESTABLISHMENT OF CIVILIAN CONTROL OF THE POLISH ARMY IN 1989–1997
Summary
The article discusses the process of creating political control over the Polish Army in the period from the designation of Tadeusz Mazowiecki to the position of Prime Minister in 1989 until the establishment of institutional and legal solutions in the form of the adoption of the Constitution in April 1997. Its key moments against the backdrop of events are indicated that were taking place in Poland at that time, with emphasis on how the aid was provided to the Polish authorities by external factors. This process was not without conflicts, and its completion was possible to a large extent thanks to the help provided by the governments of Western countries and Euro-Atlantic institutions.
Keywords: civilian control of the military, Polish Army, North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
JEL Codes: K19