The purpose of this article is to identify and describe various types and sources of organizational dysfunctions. Research Design & Methods: The findings are based on literature review and ongoing empirical research project conducted among private sector organizations. The empirical study can be situated within interpretative approach; open interviews and observations were used to collect data. Findings: The study indicates that various types and sources of organizational dysfunctions can be identified in organizations operating in Poland. The sources of dysfunctions may be found both within the organization and its environment. Regardless of its specific features, most of the dysfunctions may be interpreted as an undesirable goal displacement. Very often areas of these dysfunctions are strongly interconnected and create a system that hinders organizational performance. Yet, it is difficult to study these phenomena as respondents are unwilling, for various reasons, to disclose the problems faced by their organizations. Implications & Recommendations: The results imply that the issue of organizational dysfunctions requires open, long-lasting and comparative studies. Recommendations for further studies are formulated in the last section of the paper. Contribution & Value Added: The paper provides insight into "the dark side of organizing" by identifying sources and areas of dysfunctions. It also reveals difficulties connected with conducting research on dysfunctions within the Polish context. Article type: research paper

The development of Industry 4.0 has a significant impact not only on production processes but also on the functioning and future of regions. It is crucial to understand the phenomena taking place in the social and economic space both from the cognitive and practical point of view. The article is based on research which investigates the prospect of communes in the context of Industry 4.0 development. The aim of the article is to show possible consequences of the development of Industry 4.0 from the local perspective. The basic assumption is a positive impact of entrepreneurship on ensuring sustainable regional development. The model adopted is built on a resource-based view and includes both invariable, external and independent resources such as location, as well as those which are variable in the longer term, such as human and social capital. To verify most of the hypotheses, a linear regression model has been created. The results of the research show that there is a strong correlation between human capital, social capital, proximity of an agglomeration and tourist attractiveness of a region, and regional development operationalised by the number of enterprises. The article presents possible directions of changes in the profiles of local units, as well as the conditions which have to be met in order to enable such a transformation.

Powszechna komercjalizacja przedsiębiorstw państwowych - dylematy zarządzania

The topic of organisational pathology is surprisingly absent in literature on management, especially when bearing in mind the theoretical and practical import of such questions. The intention of the author is to fill in this gap, at least partially. The paper is based on an analysis of literature and an empirical research conducted by the author. The research applied partially structured interviews as its method. These interviews were conducted with entrepreneurs and managers of various levels. They made possible the drawing of conclusions relating to conditions behind the genesis and growth of selected organisational pathologies in a situation of economic downswing. The article briefly presents the concept and influence of pathology on the functioning of an organisation. The author concentrates on the causes of the phenomenon and presents them from various perspectives. It is during times of economic downswing that an increase in unethical behaviour, including corruption, mobbing as well as others, becomes particularly visible. Also noticeable is concentrating on limiting costs, which can sometimes reach pathological scale. This can lead to a permanent loss of pro-development potential by the organisation. Moreover, numerous pathological phenomena emerge at the tangent point of the organisation and its surroundings. The source of many undesirable phenomena in the organisation and in its relations with its surroundings is a fall in trust, which makes its appearance in crisis situations. More often than not, managers facing a situation in which they have no choice perpetuate organisational pathologies, whilst, at the same time, being aware of the lack of validity of their actions. However, a more frequent source of problems is the differences in perspective in perceiving organisational phenomena by various actors and stakeholders.

Theoretical background: An efficient public administration is a prerequisite for a harmonious development of business, and for the security and prosperity of society. Its rapidity and quality are particularly important in the situation of dynamic economic, political and social changes. However, the model upon which administration is built and functions fails to meet the requirements of the present day. The subject of dysfunctional bureaucracy has been thoroughly analyzed and described in detail. Blind adherence to regulations, reluctance to introduce changes and lack of motivation to help clients are well-known vices of bureaucratic organizations throughout the world. Although countless attempts have been made to change the way these organizations function, the design and implementation of such improvements is hindered by a variety of obstacles. In this article, we shall describe barriers to the process of implementing the concept of a learning organization in a large bureaucratic organization. Purpose of the article: The purpose of the article is to discuss a number of barriers to the process of implementing the concept of a learning organization within a specific bureaucratic organization, namely the State Plant Health and Seed Inspection Service (Państwowa Inspekcja Ochrony Roślin i Nasiennictwa, PIORiN). The barriers discussed were identified in the course of research. Thus, the article adds to the existing body of knowledge about the functioning of bureaucratic organizations, their specificity and processes that take place within them. By identifying potential and actual barriers to the process of change, we can better understand organizational behavior. It also provides practical knowledge about the critical elements of the process of change. Research methods: Research was conducted within a large public institution in charge of phytosanitary controls. Three types of triangulation were used in the study: methodological, theoretical and investigator triangulation. Conclusions were drawn on the basis of a total of 51 interviews, of which 31 were conducted within the organization and 20 with external partners (clients). The basic tool used for collecting data was an open interview, always conducted by two researchers at a time. Interviews were transcribed and read on an ongoing basis with a view to carrying out a preliminary selection and category coding. Four team members participated in the coding process. Codes were subsequently analyzed and grouped into categories that served for drawing conclusions. Main findings: A number of barriers of great consequence for the process of implementing the concept of learning organization in administration have been identified; the most important are: excessive formalization, limited use of clients’ knowledge, insufficient financing, inadequate IT support, and limited cooperation with other public institutions.