Aldona Frączkiewicz-Wronka

Background. The issue of organisational culture and its impact on employees’ attitudes and behaviours have aroused the interest of practitioners and theorists of management for a long time. The study of the subject literature also points to the significance of organisational culture for the enhancement of employees’ commitment in public organisations.

Research Aim. The paper tries to answer the following question: what orientation of organisational culture positively affects organisational commitment of labour office employees and what orientation of this culture negatively influences commitment of labour office employees?

Method. The survey research was carried out from the end of 2013 to the beginning of 2014. The sample consisted of 140 employees of 14 labour offices operating in the south of Poland. Descriptive statistics, t-test for equality of means, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis were applied.

Key Findings. The obtained results showed that there is a relationship between the orientation of organisational culture and employees’ organisational commitment in labour offices. The comparison of the level of employees’ commitment in the organisations with the clan culture and with the hierarchy culture showed that employees rated higher their commitment in the clan culture than in the hierarchy culture. Moreover, the hierarchical regression analyses showed that adhocracy orientation positively influences employees’ commitment and hierarchical orientation negatively affects employees’ organisational commitment.

The functioning of modern healthcare organization is determined by the increasing demands of the beneficiaries of health services, budgetary constraints and the need for political consensus. These problems generate increased spending on public health needs and force policy makers to seek effective management instruments. Pro-efficiency solutions for public sector lead healthcare managers to build flexible strategies which mean the necessity of preparation and often redefining the strategic goals and ways to achieve them as a response for stakeholder’s needs. That makes knowledge and learning process about stakeholders an important part of a new public management paradigm.
This paper consists of theoretical part, where on the basis of literature studies problems of organizational learning are presented, as well as practical part which presents some research results being a part of three projects carried out by the Department of Public Management and Social Sciences – Stakeholder analysis in the management of the public organization carried out in 2009-2011, Learning Organizations Survey in public health care units carried out in 2010 and the Organizational culture of public organizations carried out in 2012-2014

Background. The logic of the democratization process determines an increased importance of parties, other than state owned ones, to join the process of shaping the basis for social-economic development. The scarcity of public funds causes a need to find solutions for organizing the public service delivery system, including social services, that it is both cost-effective and consistent with the principles of social justice. The need for organizations providing social services to achieve high efficiency has led both practitioners and theorists to take an interest in inter-organizational collaboration as a formula in which they can be implemented.
Research aims. There is a need for a theoretical reflection on the construct of networks operating in the formula of partnership between public sector and social organizations.
Method. The paper is based on the literature review.
Key findings. Networks operating in the formula of partnership between public sector and social organizations are (a) a relatively new organizational phenomenon, and (b) by nature flexible, with ability to change rapidly and to achieve added value. They arise from the pursuit of high efficiency and the proper coordination of various undertakings within complex organizational and social structures operating in a certain geographical and administrative space. Such structures provide a better environment for solving social problems.

Towards better geriatric care at the level of primary health care – findings from the evaluation study.  Support of continuous education system of medical personnel in the field of geriatric care

Demographic and epidemiological changes, especially the lengthening of human lifespan, influence shape and nature of the needs of society, which can and should be satisfied within the area of operations assigned to social policy, particularly health policy being one of so-called public policies. Public policies make for ordering public tasks – ranging from its design, implementation and results evaluation. Usually they are in correspondence with identified social issues, for solution of which an intervention at the state level is necessary. One of social issues requiring an urgent solution is creating system of support for older people enabling them to live with dignity in their current living environment. As a result of identified deficits in this area, public debate in Poland was initiated regarding creating policies for people aged 60+, which final result was preparation of the assumptions of the long-term Senior Policy in Poland for the period 2014–2020. Guidelines of this document as one of the important areas of supporting aged 60+ indicate creating conditions for maintain good health and autonomy for as long as possible. The programme document 2.1.1, under priority 1 for creating of systemic solutions allowing development of medical services for the elderly population, as main objectives to be achieved states: (1) the development of geriatrics as a medical specialty, (2) preparation and professional development of medical staff towards holistic and comprehensive health care for an elderly patients, and (3) the promotion and development of outpatient and geriatric care in Poland. In order to meet the demand for stimulating activities aimed at strengthening resources enabling wider access to health services for the elderly, The Ministry of Health (Department of Nurses and Midwives) in partnership with the Medical Centre of Postgraduate Education in Warsaw in the period from 1^st of January 2012 until 30^th of June 2015 develop and execute the project “Support of continuous education system of medical personnel in the field of geriatric care” funded by the European Social Fund under the Operational Programme Human Capital. The aim of the project is to improve care directed at the elderly in Poland by improving the competence of medical personnel in the field of geriatric care. The added value of the project was carrying out vast survey among experts regarding their preferences in terms of organisational shape of comprehensive care of the elderly at the level of primary health care.