Which capitalism for Poland?

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (9) ◽  
pp. 804-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Szahaj
Keyword(s):  
Free Market ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Political Transformation ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Anglo Saxon ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Polish Economy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the direction of economic changes affecting the Polish economy after the political transformation of the early 1990s. Design/methodology/approach – First, the author defines the phenomenon of cognitive capitalism. Subsequently, the social and psychological consequences of this form of management and its ideological character are presented. Finally, the effects of the application of cognitive capitalism to the Polish reality are considered and the desirable adjustments of the Polish capitalism are suggested. Findings – According to the theses of the paper: the negative effects of the Polish economic transformation are largely the result of an uncritical acceptance of the Anglo-Saxon model of capitalism, and the fight against the high social costs of the functioning of market economy calls for an adjustment of the Polish economy, which would bring it closer to the Scandinavian model of capitalism. Research limitations/implications – The paper shows the process of economic transformation in Poland from the perspective of the changes taking place in the bosom of the western capitalism, in particular of the Anglo-Saxon type. Practical implications – The author of the paper suggests a number of possible adjustments to the Polish model of capitalism, in particular calling for the introduction of elements of planning and state intervention into the model, the revival of municipal and cooperative ownership, as well as the introduction of corporatist practices. Originality/value – The author of the paper criticizes the thesis of the inevitability of the radically liberal transformation of the Polish economy, widely accepted in the literature. Moreover, he sees the relationship between the Polish free-market changes and the processes of “cognitivization” of western capitalism.

scholarly journals The Entrepreneur in “Transformation Cinema”: Representing the Economic Changes of the 1990s in Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia

2021 ◽  
pp. 088832542098015
Author(s):  
Veronika Pehe
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Cultural Representations ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Working People ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
Economic Expectations

This article analyses how economic change after 1989 was perceived and rooted in society through cultural representations, specifically in the film production of Poland and Czechoslovakia (and later the Czech Republic and Slovakia). The starting premise of this investigation is that popular commercial films, alongside the media and discourse of politicians and other key actors of the systemic transformation, also informed ideas about the free market circulating in the public sphere. Filmmakers, faced with the new realities brought about initially by the gradual liberalization of the economy in the late 1980s and later the systemic change of the economic transformation in both countries, immediately turned to capturing and fictionalizing the changes surrounding them. They presented audiences with role models of what it means to be a capitalist, but also tales of warning. This article investigates the “transformation cinema” of the 1990s, focusing on the figure of the entrepreneur and private enterprise. It examines how filmmakers searched for a visual language to critique or affirm the new social order, but also continued to work with inherited modes from the late socialist era. The article asserts that while the economic expectations conveyed through cinema focused largely on structuring the imagination of a new middle class in Poland, Czech(oslovak) cinema adopted a more sceptical outlook, suggesting that the promises of the free market were not available to “ordinary” working people.

scholarly journals Ukrainian-Polish trade and economic relations in modern conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 36-46
Author(s):  
Borys Sulym
Keyword(s):  
Free Market ◽  
Trade In Services ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Trade Relations ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Polish Economy ◽  
Trade And Investment ◽  
Cross Border Cooperation

The main directions of development of Ukrainian-Polish trade relations are considered in the article. The positive and negative effects of cross-border cooperation in trade and investment are substantiated, as well as a number of recommendations for building mutually beneficial relations on the basis of national interests.The purpose of this article is to assess the Ukrainian-Polish trade and economic relations in modern conditions in order to form scientifically sound recommendations for the development of mutually beneficial cross-border cooperation, taking into account national interests.Research methods. Methods of scientific analysis are used in the critical assessment of the concept of free market and free trade; comparison in the study of the dynamics of Ukrainian-Polish trade relations; graphical method for displaying and comparing trade in goods and services and investment between Poland and Ukraine; method of generalization in the development of proposals to improve the efficiency of cross-border trade and investment between countries, taking into account national characteristics and interests.Results. An assessment of Ukrainian-Polish trade and economic relations over the past ten years is given. It is proved that Ukrainian-Polish relations in the field of trade in goods do not have significant benefits for the Ukrainian economy, as their balance is negative during the period under study. Emphasis is placed on mutual exits in the field of trade in services, where the Polish side actively uses Ukrainian enterprises to order services for processing material resources through cheap labor, which stimulates the inflow of funds into Ukrainian business, job creation and more. There is a significant predominance of Polish investment in the national economy over Ukrainian investment in the Polish economy, due to the higher development of the Polish economy and interest in building branches and subsidiaries of Polish enterprises.A number of measures have been proposed to increase the economic complexity of the domestic economy in order to increase technological exports to Poland and equalize the trade balance between the countries; the directions of development of trade in services (in particular medical services in the conditions of COVID-19), as well as measures to increase the volume of Polish investment are substantiated.

scholarly journals Political Transformation and Development in Africa: Lessons from Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

2020 ◽  
pp. 298-313
Author(s):  
Pius Gamette ◽  
Tony Talburt
Keyword(s):  
International Political Economy ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Political Conservatism ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Things Fall Apart ◽  
Atlantic Slavery ◽  
European Colonialism

Drawing upon Achebe‟s classic work, Things Fall Apart, where Okonkwo, the principal character, refuses to accept intrusions or changes influenced by Westernisation, this paper challenges one of the central assumptions in this story, that Africa falls apart as soon as it comes in contact with Europe. Notwithstanding the overwhelmingly negative effects of the trans-Atlantic slavery systems and European colonialism on Africa (and its Diaspora), this study argues, that to a large extent, Africa‟s economic transformation and development could be greatly enhanced by adopting some new ideas and systems from within as well as outside the continent. This paper questions aspects of political conservatism exhibited in Okonkwo who is suspicious of fundamental changes to his society. The discussion is based on the jollof-rice principle of political hybridisation of development which proposes the amalgamation of Westernised and non-Western ideas and systems, in order to achieve economic development, rather than totally rejecting Westernisation in its entirety. The jollof-rice principle of political hybridisation is based on the idea of blending systems and ideas in much the same way that rice and tomato are combined in West Africa, to create jollof-rice. This study uses the academic discipline of international political economy in its analysis of themes of political conservatism and development in Africa, as portrayed in the Achebe‟s work. In contrast to Okonkwo‟s political conservatism, this study uses examples of Western-style democracy and state intervention in Africa to demonstrate the significance of embracing some aspects of Westernisation through political hybridisation.

scholarly journals Restitution in the context of institutional lock-in

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 153-175
Author(s):  
Magdalena Załęczna
Keyword(s):  
Path Dependence ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
The Political ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Legal Documents ◽  
The Government ◽  
Polish Economy ◽  
Lock In

Abstract This article presents the problem of lack of restitution in Poland in the political, social and economic context. The author presents the theory of institutional lock-in, referring to the hitherto course of the political, social and economic transformation processes in Poland. She is focusing on the research problem in form of an institutional lock-in on the route to general restitution process. The author examines the path shaping and path dependence to understand the current negative attitude toward restitution presented by the government and society. The author also indicates the costs caused by lack of restitution. Through analysis of past attempts of restitution regulations the author indicates the most important flashpoints. A hypothesis constructed by the author focuses on the negative effects of institutional lock-in, lack of restitution increases transaction costs influencing the Polish economy. The study is based on the legal documents and the results of public opinion polls.

scholarly journals Oligarchia w Polsce ‒ dlaczego jej nie ma?

2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-38
Author(s):  
Maciej Bałtowski ◽  
Stefan Sękowski
Keyword(s):  
Rent Seeking ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
The State ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Political Transformation ◽  
Methodological Framework ◽  
The Third ◽  
Large Sector ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Polish Economy

The aim of this study is to explain the special feature of the contemporary Polish economy which is the lack of oligarchy after 30 years of the post-communist transformation.The article consists of three parts. The first covers the theoretical and methodological framework for further analysis. We present the definitions and classifications of oligarchy and oligarchic systems in the modern world and provide a brief overview of the literature on the subject and the state of knowledge.In the second part, we explain the lack of an oligarchic system in Poland, linking this fact with specific elements of the socialist heritage and with the model of economic transformation and privatisation adopted in this country during the first years of the systemic reforms.In the third part, we present two paradoxes that are related to the oligarchisation of post-communist economies and, indirectly, to the assessment of the Polish path of economic and political transformation. We show that oligarchy and the relatively large sector of state-owned enterprises determine two different models of rent-seeking. The aim of this study is to explain the special feature of the contemporary Polish economy which is the lack of oligarchy after 30 years of the post-communist transformation.

Religious entrepreneurial communities as a solution for socioeconomic injustice

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-446
Author(s):  
Omar Javaid ◽  
Aamir Feroz Shamsi ◽  
Irfan Hyder
Keyword(s):  
Religious Orientation ◽  
Free Market ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
The Body ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Economic Resilience ◽  
Content Type

Purpose There are many entrepreneurial communities in the Asian subcontinent, which are known for their economic resilience and religious orientation but have received limited attention in extant literature. These communities include Memon, Delhiwala, Chinioti, Ismaili and Bohri, which have been persistent in keeping their members economically stable, as many centuries, while also retaining their religio-sociocultural identity. This paper aims to add to the body of literature by documenting the possible factors, which contribute toward advancing socio-economic justice for the members of respective communities. Design/methodology/approach This study uses Eisenhardth research strategy within a social constructivist paradigm to process data from in-depth interviews, memos and documentary sources to explore the internal dynamics of three most prominent of these communities (Memon, Delhiwala and Chinioti) in Pakistan. Findings The findings reveal that the secret to their resilience is, perhaps, rooted in their religio-sociocultural communal norms, which may not just ensure effective wealth redistribution among the deserving segments of the society but may also enable its deserving members to achieve self-reliance through community-supported–entrepreneurial–activity. This study proposes that a culture of community-based–family–entrepreneurship coupled with the spirit of cooperation, sacrifice and reciprocity may eliminate the possibility of socioeconomic injustice. Social implications The religious entrepreneurial communities may be seen as an alternate to free-market or state-driven methods to impart socioeconomic justice where needed. The voluntary inclination of entrepreneurs in such communities to facilitate those in need may, perhaps, reduce or even eliminate the need to involve state intervention to redistribute wealth through taxation, which may also eliminate the cost of the state bureaucracy, which is used for the collection and redistribution of taxes. Originality/value The findings add to the body of literature which could help similar communities to improve their socioeconomic stability in a just manner for all its members. Policymakers can also take notice of the religio-sociocultural norms at the source of socioeconomic justice within the respective communities to formulate policies conducive to sustaining such norms where necessary.

Polish education in transition: parallel models

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (9) ◽  
pp. 852-867
Author(s):  
Adam F. Kola ◽  
Anna Maria Kola
Keyword(s):  
Educational System ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Real ◽  
Academic Texts ◽  
Mainstream Education ◽  
Parallel Models

Purpose – Poland’s political and economic transformation after 1989 brought the logic of the neoliberal market into the educational system. These changes, however, were far from the real liberal free market and instead relied on bureaucratic and technocratic local-level apparatus as well as supranational supports (the EU). Moreover, instead of enhancing post-socialist education to bring them up to the level of the core territories, this process pushed education out to the (semi?)periphery. The purpose of this paper is to present selected examples of alternative non-mainstream models of education. Design/methodology/approach – Elements analyzed include: non/academic discourses, with particular emphasis on academic texts, media material and public debates concerning the topic in question. Findings – Two related fields and levels ought to be distinguished: the descriptive level, focused on presenting non-mainstream educational institutions and initiatives, within the socioeconomic context of Poland’s post-socialist transformation; the normative level, with recommendations for policymakers, NGOs and educational activists. Practical implications – Appreciation of systems parallel and alternative to the neoliberal and technocratic mainstream education system in Poland, with a view to encouraging both policymakers to recognise and develop such initiatives, and members of Polish civil society to create and participate in such forms of education. Originality/value – Most scholars focus on mainstream education, with a number of exceptions, largely those engaged in the parallel models. This neoliberal model of education is accepted or critically examined, but its technocratic base is not recognised. This text is therefore ground-breaking in that it describes the real mechanisms of the Polish educational system in transition and provides a normative account and recommendations.

scholarly journals Socio-economic problems in a mining town during the economy restructuring period on the example of Ruda Śląska, Poland

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 45-55
Author(s):  
Kinga Mazurek
Keyword(s):  
Population Aging ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Population Migration ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Workforce Reduction ◽  
Employment Structure ◽  
Industrial Facilities ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Mining Town ◽  
Structure Changes

Abstract The 90s of the twientieth century carried a restructuring of the industry which involved the adaptation of enterprises to operate in a market economy, the workforce reduction and privatization of industrial facilities. Economic transformation has contributed to the socio-economic changes in industrial and mining towns. It affected the changes in the employment structure, changes in the number of population, migration decisions, the quality of medical care and municipal institutions support. Ruda Śląska is a typical mining town, history of which for nearly 200 years has been a consecutive period associated with the mining and heavy industries. This work is based on statistical data and approximates the effects of restructuring evident in Ruda Śląska. The presented characterization indicates that the situation prevailing in the city refers to the conditions of life in the most traditional mining regions of Central and Eastern Europe. Despite the significant reconstruction in the employment structure, Ruda Śląska retains partly its mining character. Population of the town is trying to cope with the need to adapt to new economic realities, among others, by changing the sector of economy to work in. Employment reductions have contributed to the increase of population migration. In conjunction with the natural loss it resulted in a decrease of the number of population and population aging. The support of the cities and sanitary facilities offered, among others, by social assistance centers and employment has great importance in overcoming the negative effects of the economic transformation.

scholarly journals Transformations of the Employment Structure as an Expression of the Transformation of Polish Industry Against the Background of the European Union

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (15) ◽  
pp. 5-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Rachwał
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Employment Structure ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
Spatial Systems ◽  
International Environment ◽  
Polish Economy

Transformations of the Employment Structure as an Expression of the Transformation of Polish Industry Against the Background of the European Union Global social and economic changes, connected mainly with globalization processes, have an impact on changes both in present spatial and division structures of the industry and in its functions in the economic development of various spatial systems. The aim of the paper is to analyze changes in the industry's role in the Polish economy during the period of economic transformation and European integration based on its share in the employment structure. These changes are set against transformations in other EU countries, diversification and transformations of the division structure of employment in Polish industry and the similarity of the Polish employment structures to the EU countries as an expression of transformation processes. The analyzed processes are stimulated by the international environment and a change in national conditions for the socio-economic development.

The More Control, the Better?

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeeyun Oh ◽  
Mun-Young Chung ◽  
Sangyong Han
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Design ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Story Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High User ◽  
User Control ◽  
Rigorous Research ◽  
Control Versus ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Impact

Despite of the popularity of interactive movie trailers, rigorous research on one of the most apparent features of these interfaces – the level of user control – has been scarce. This study explored the effects of user control on users’ immersion and enjoyment of the movie trailers, moderated by the content type. We conducted a 2 (high user control versus low user control) × 2 (drama film trailer versus documentary film trailer) mixed-design factorial experiment. The results showed that the level of user control over movie trailer interfaces decreased users’ immersion when the trailer had an element of traditional story structure, such as a drama film trailer. Participants in the high user control condition answered that they were less fascinated with, absorbed in, focused on, mentally involved with, and emotionally affected by the movie trailer than participants in the low user control condition only with the drama movie trailer. The negative effects of user control on the level of immersion for the drama trailer translated into users’ enjoyment. The impact of user control over interfaces on immersion and enjoyment varies depending on the nature of the media content, which suggests a possible trade-off between the level of user control and entertainment outcomes.

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