Structural Equation Model of Successful Territorial Cooperation

Presented study was a part of ESPON TERCO project (European Territorial Cooperation as a Factor of Growth, Jobs and Quality of Life) and was aimed at verifying the hypothesis that territorial cooperation underpins socio-economic development. Based on the literature review a conceptual model of successful territorial cooperation was proposed, where this kind of cooperation was defined as bringing the highest joint socio-economic development to the cooperating territorial units. That theoretical model was verified empirically by structural equation modeling, based on data collected via electronic questionnaires (CAWIs) in 9 cross-border case studies. The results of the SEM analysis positively verified the main hypothesis and provided information about the role of particular ‘determinants and factors’ in achieving successful TC measured by several ‘impact’ indicators. It was also possible to access the extent to which particular ‘determinants and factors’ contributed to the successful TC as a whole and its particular ‘impacts’. The probability of success of territorial cooperation was the highest when TC projects were initiated by NGOs, local or regional government, funding came from own or EU sources, cooperation was based on simple forms of collaboration, and related to culture, economy, tourism, natural environment or physical infrastructure

Structural Equation Model of Successful Territorial Cooperation

Presented study was a part of ESPON TERCO project (European Territorial Cooperation as a Factor of Growth, Jobs and Quality of Life) and was aimed at verifying the hypothesis that territorial cooperation underpins socio-economic development. Based on the literature review a conceptual model of successful territorial cooperation was proposed, where this kind of cooperation was defined as bringing the highest joint socio-economic development to the cooperating territorial units. That theoretical model was verified empirically by structural equation modeling, based on data collected via electronic questionnaires (CAWIs) in 9 cross-border case studies. The results of the SEM analysis positively verified the main hypothesis and provided information about the role of particular ‘determinants and factors’ in achieving successful TC measured by several ‘impact’ indicators. It was also possible to access the extent to which particular ‘determinants and factors’ contributed to the successful TC as a whole and its particular ‘impacts’. The probability of success of territorial cooperation was the highest when TC projects were initiated by NGOs, local or regional government, funding came from own or EU sources, cooperation was based on simple forms of collaboration, and related to culture, economy, tourism, natural environment or physical infrastructure

Learning Mechanisms in Polish Ministries - the Results of an Empirical Study on the Learning Ministry (Ministerstwa Uczące Się, MUS)

Artykuł prezentuje wyniki empirycznego, eksploracyjnego badania mechanizmów uczenia się w czterech polskich ministerstwach. Stosując podejście systemowe, analizowano zarówno stan zasobów, procesów, jak i efektów uczenia się instytucji. Wyniki pokazują, że polskie instytucje dysponują w miarę dobrymi, lecz silnie sfragmentaryzowanymi zasobami wiedzy oraz bardzo słabymi procesami uczenia się, ograniczonymi głównie do operacyjnego wykorzystania wiedzy. Nie udało się zidentyfikować funkcji porządkującej system ani też trwałych połączeń i struktur między jego elementami. Tym samym należy uznać, że w badanych instytucjach nie istnieje system uczenia się sensu stricte. Można raczej mówić o luźnych elementach, interakcjach i relacjach, które - przy założeniu osiągnięcia pewnej masy krytycznej i zaistnienia czynnika krystalizującego strukturę - doprowadzić mogłyby do powstania systemu uczenia się z prawdziwego zdarzenia.The article presents the results of an empirical, exploratory study of organizational learning mechanisms in four polish ministries. In the analysis the authors applied a logic model of a system consisted to resources, processes and effects of learning. The results showed that Polish institutions had relatively good if highly fragmented resources, but their learning processes were weak and limited to operational use of knowledge. The main function of the system was not fulfilled and stable connections between elements were absent. Thus, it has to be concluded that there is no learning system in Polish ministries. All we could observe was a collection of discrete elements, interactions and relations that could, in future, form an actual system. However, to make it happen, a critical mass and a binding factor would have to appear