Motivational aspects in management of upper secondary schools

The article presents and compares results of empirical studies of motivators of school directors with respect to school management, teachers with respect to work at schools, pupils with respect to studying at schools and parents with respect to a school selected by pupils. The studies were conducted in four complexes of upper secondary schools in Poland and two schools of a similar type in two countries: Germany and Spain. The study was conducted with the use of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Motivator models were built for school principals with respect to school management, teachers with respect to work at schools, pupils with respect to studying at schools, and parents with respect to a school selected by pupils; subsequently, the optimum model was selected. A comparative analysis was conducted of the empirical model with the optimum model and recommendations were presented for the motivator model for the needs of school management

Function of motivation in the management process in the AHP framework

In the management process each organization has human, financial, material, technological and information reesources at its disposal. All of them are necessary for the rational functioning of the organization, but people are the most important capital of each company. In the management process motivation is considered as the most important and most difficult function. Motivating employees is a priority challenge for managers. For the purpose of this paper, motivation has been defined as a human psychological mechanism which consciously or unconsciously balances the set of different needs, aims, tasks and values directed at achieving, through various actions, objective or subjective satisfaction. The objective of this paper is to present a new approach to motivation fanction with the use of the AHP, in form of a multi-criteria model consisting of various theories and approaches, motivation models and the author’s own considerations. This model differs from the hitcherto existing theories and models, since it has been constructed in the form of a hierarchical tree on top of which the main aim was set forth, namely the employees’ satisfaction from job and increased effectiveness of their work. Different motivation variants have been proposed, groups on the basis of age, gender, position, etc. The following main criteria have been considered in the model: (1) work and pay conditions, (2) organization culture, (3) interpersonal relationship, (4) personal abilities (intellectual and physical), (5) personal life, and (6) supporting others. Within each criterion, a family of subcriteria was considered. They enabled the establishment, justification and transformation of the calculated priorities into the alternative motivating activities of separate uniform groups of employees. The developped models were veified in selected companies in Poland

When should Poland enter the euro-zone? : decision making with the ANP

The aticle presents a solution to a real, current and significant problem for Poland. Poland, as a new EU country should join the Economic and Monetary Union - the euro-zone after fulfilling the convergence criteria set by the Maastricht Treaty, as soon as possible. Entering the zone it should gain in many economic, social and political fields. We can therefore look for new opportunities. However, entering the euro-zone is results also in costs and risks. The paper aims to find an alternative which would maximize benefits and opportunities and minimalize costs and risks. The alternatives were developed - early, medium-term and late entry of Poland’s into the euro-zone. The problem was solved by use of Analytical Network Process. Using multiplicative and additive/negative mathematical formulae the conclusions show, without any doubt, that Poland should enter the euro-zone late, that is after 2011

Safety management in Poland in the context of installing the anti-missile shield

Peace and safety are the most important challenges in the hierarchy of human needs. Poland in 2007 accepted the new Strategy of National Safety (SBNRP). Nowadays, Poland is before making a momentous decision about installation a part of American anti-missile shield (NMD). It is important not only for Poland, but also for Europe and world. In this article we want to present various alternatives of Poland safety management. The aim of the paper will be to choose the best variant for our country. In the article it was showed complexity of this problem (many criteria and subcriteria and their dependences and feedback. In this problem it is possible to find solution only by using multicriteria decision making methods. We used ANP (Analytic Network Process). In the paper we accepted three mutually non excluding defensive systems of Poland. As a result of conducted prioritatization of the model, two mathematical formulae (multiplicative and additive - negative) give similar results for the common defence policy within EU, including middle and far of anti-missile shield

Hierarchization and prioritization of factors influencing welfare and living conditions of the municipal residents

The main goal of the persent study is to outline the optimal strategy of the municipal development with the use of the Analytic Hierarchy Process. Terminology associated with development strategy is summarized and legal framework of municipal authorities is outlined. Brief description of the municipal Grybów is provided. Using the AHP method, theoretical model reflecting the municipal development strategy is constructed. The chapter also briefly explains the key issues associated with the AHP method developed by Saaty. Numerical priorities for main criteria and subcriteria with respect to the main goal: improvement of welfare and living conditions of the municipal residents, are derived based on the interviews with the relevant experts. The key objectives to be fulfilled by local authories, private organizations, citizens and economic entities should be as follows: entrepreneurship development and creating new jobs, health protection and social assistance, infrastructure development and improvement of educational system. Specific objectives are presented in form of 3 models of development strategy of the municipal. The highest priority weight (0.423) is in case of the model which suggests paying attention to the following elements of the municipal development strategy: organization of small and medium entrepreneurship, handicraft production, construction and handicraft services, technical infrastructure, increased level of education of young people through modernization of high school education. The main source of the municipal development is better use of human, material, environmental and cultural resources. The AHP method may successfully solve the problems not only in delineating the optimal development strategy of the municipal, but also many other economic, managerial, organizational and social ones

Ocena szpitali z perspektywy pacjentów

Hospital assessment from patients’ view-point The paper attempts at assessing the results of functioning of hospital with use of multicriteria decision support methods. Research was conducted on a group of selected hospital patients in Małopolska hospitals. The hospitals were assessed according to five main criteria: service availability, communication between employees and patients, nursing and medical care, stay at hospital and others. Each criteria had several subcriteria. Those, in turn, had subsubcriteria related to them. Weights (priorities) were calculated for each of them showing their relative influence for hospital quality assessment. The research results differ significantly from assessments made so far which were based on questions, usually in 5 degree Likert scale, directed to patients

Multiple criteria decision support in organizational and management chosen problems solving

This article presents an introduction to multicriteria decision making using two decision tools: the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and its generalization to dependence and feedback – the Analytic Network Process (ANP). The discussion involves theoretical aspects of these methods and some examples of their applications, (e.g. the first application of the ANP, in improving of food quality products, in Poland), in organizational and management problems solving. AHP and ANP introduced by Thomas L. Saaty from the University in Pittsburgh, USA. The Analytic Hierarchy Process has been one of the fastest developing mathematical methods over the recent years used for solving multi-criteria decision problems. The AHP is a general theory of measurement based on some mathematical and psychological principles. In that method a hierarchic decision scheme is constructed, by the breaking the problem into decision elements: goal, criteria, subcriteria, sub-subcriteria (…) and decision alternatives. The goal is on the top of hierarchy, whereas alternatives create the lowest level of hierarchy. The importance of every decision element is established, through the pair-wise comparison of elements on each level of the hierarchic structure, with regard to elements on the level above. To do the comparisons it is using the Saaty’s fundamental scale for paired comparisons for the analysis of both quantitative and qualitative variables. The Analytic Network Process (ANP) is a new theory that extends the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The basic structures are networks, which allow interactions and feedback within the clusters and between the clusters. So, it can be applied for solving more sophisticated decision problems. Authors’ intention was to showing utility of these methods, which can be successfully applied in the solution of any multicriteria enterprise.multiple criteria decision making methods, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Analytic Network Process (ANP)

Cluster initiatives management

The cluster excellence and the ways of achieving it have become the main questions of scholars and practitioners in recent years. Despite the on-going debate there are still only a few studies that investigate cluster initiatives (CI) performance and management phenomena, identify the success factors underlying cluster initiatives management success and compare their influence. The objective of this study is to identify Critical Success Factors of cluster initiatives management. The proposed Analytic Hierarchy Process framework identifies the relative importance of different success factors to cluster initiative management and determines the key areas of activity and management focus. The AHP based interviews conducted among European cluster managers representing 19 cluster initiatives located in 10 countries allowed to identify the following Critical Success Factors: ‘Assuring sustainability of financing’, ‘Development of CI mission, vision, strategy and operational action plan’, ‘Integration building partnerships inside the CI, creation of interpersonal links, social networks, trust’ and ‘Development of cluster’s critical mass and management of partners’ complementarities and interdependencies’. Their joint importance for cluster initiative management success reached 40%, while the remaining 60% was distributed among 16 other factors

Wybrane aspekty zarządzania organizacjami

Ze wstępu: "Prezentowane artykuły są wynikiem badań prowadzonych w Katedrze Zarządzania i Edukacji Prakseołogicznej Krakowskiej Szkoły Wyższej im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego. Autorami są pracownicy Katedry oraz doktoranci i habilitanci, realizujący swe rozprawy na Uniwersytecie Jagiellońskim, Uniwersytecie Warszawskim oraz na Akademii Ekonomicznej w Krakowie. Po wejściu Polski do struktur Unii Europejskiej polskie firmy muszą sprostać licznym wyzwaniom i pokonać wiele barier, by nadrobić wciąż znaczący dystans, jaki dzieli nas od krajów byłej „piętnastki”. Strategia integracji jest określona z jednej strony przez diagnozę stanu polskiej gospodarki, a z drugiej przez obraz gospodarki Unii Europejskiej. Podstawowymi problemami wymagającymi pilnego rozwiązania, a determinującymi rozwój polskich firm są obecnie: strategia ich działania, wzrost jakości i konkurencyjności produktów i usług, znacząca poprawa wyników ekonomicznych. Sukcesywne rozwiązywanie tych i innych wyzwań wymaga wiedzy, umiejętności, a także innowacyjności, kreatywności i współdziałania wszystkich członków organizacji. Duże znaczenie w tym trudnym procesie zarządzania organizacjami ma motywacja pracowników, których zadowolenie z pracy powinno wiązać się ze wzrostem efektywności ich działania."(...