Polska Nowa Zelandia: Emigracja lat 1945-2006

A brief history of Polish emigration to New Zealand until the end of the World War 2 is presented first, setting a background to the main topic of the book. Then in the next chapter, all attention is given to the post-war period. Each wave of newcomers, beginning with groups of ex-soldiers arriving to join with members of their family and ending with a recent group of mostly young professionals aiming at making a successful career on the antipodes, has been analysed with considerable detail. The following chapter looks at the stance the Polish immigrants took towards the Polish communist Government in Warsaw including its diplomatic post in Wellington. This has been thoroughly analysed. It shows the patriotism of the Polish communities. With admirable determination they felt allegiance to and strongly supported the Polish Government in London – in exile until 1990. The final chapter deals with the attitude of Polish immigrants toward the host country and the local government in Wellington. Legal matters regarding residency, citizenship, work and so on, together with motives of coming and settling in this country, becoming a loyal citizen, are all presented in attempt to determine the national consciousness of the immigrants – are they still Polish or more New Zealanders by now? Although there is no one answer to that question, it seems certain that regardless of the opinion one or another individual holds toward their home country, in times of trouble or glory, they do remember their Polish roots. The source of the wide material presented in this book came from extensive queries done in New Zealand, Great Britain, Switzerland, Austria and Poland. Most valuable were numerous interviews with ‘Polish Kiwis’ living in various places in New Zealand. They were conducted while the author was on his New Zealand leg of his research.

ATTITUDES OF CZECH AND SLOVAK YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TOWARDS POTENTIAL NEW ENTRANTS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

The automotive industry is changing rapidly. Are these changes what the car customer prefers? This paper gives insights into attitudes towards new automotive brands, the brand image of big tech companies, perceptions regarding the cooperation between car manufacturers and tech companies, purchasing drivers of new brands, and willingness to pay for big tech brands in automotive. In-depth interviews with young professionals in the Czech Republic and Slovakia were conducted with the use of an interview guide.

Halaqa: preparing a culture of success for young professionals

This paper discusses "Halaqa", which aims to create a culture of learning by sharing experiences in sessions where people interact with one another and encouraging the free flow of ideas among the teams. This inspires young professionals to enhance the learning curve, seek new ideas and develop a culture of creative problem-solving pathways. As a definition, "Halaqa" is a platform for sharing ideas and experiences. The session is planned bi-weekly targeting young professionals in the Petroleum Engineering function. The topic of the session can be presented by (i) a senior or an experienced professional as a part of coaching or (ii) a young professional as a knowledge sharing methodology. The sessions are interactive allowing open discussions for the deeply inquisitive minds. The sessions also provide support with unpacking complex and sticky issues, helping young professionals to replicate the best practices for the efficient and effective delivery of the project. Each session usually takes about an hour including discussions and the points are documented properly for the retention of knowledge. "Halaqa" is a new concept in the asset and has the potential to be replicated in the entire organization. The uniqueness comes from the fact that it provides a platform to interact and collaborate to pursue common objectives. The relationships that are created through these interactions are crucial as far as the learning of young professionals is concerned.