PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOUR IN THE MANAGER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP – THE RESULTS OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH IN POLISH BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to identify patterns of organizational behaviour for the manager-employee relationship and to identify differences in this respect depending on the position of the individual in the organizational structure against the background of the official business relationship on the basis of the empirical research in Polish business organizations.

Methodology/approach: The tool used in the study was a standardized WAZO questionnaire designed to examine organizational solutions and organizational behaviours, both from the general perspective and broken down to behavioural dimensions, conducted in 2015 on a representative randomly selected group of 2274 employees from 40 Polish companies.

Findings: Using a proprietary research questionnaire, three patterns of behaviour have been identified for the manager-employee relationship: traditional, contemporary and future, described by way of components such as the scope of power, power distance, the basis of the manager's power, the method of selection of information and the degree of stability of power. The obtained results indicate that in Polish organizations dominate contemporary behavioural patterns for the first four mentioned criteria, whereas for the last one - degree of stability of power, the dominant pattern of behaviour was the traditional pattern.

Implications/limitations: Empirical studies do not take into account all elements of behaviour from the perspective of power relations, due to research limitations. Nonetheless, characterising the behavioural patterns using various criteria is universal and widely used. In addition, research on this subject is very subjective - although the research tool was standardized, the results mainly depend on how people perceive their relationships with the authorities.

Originality/value: The article shows on the basis of the proprietary questionnaire the contemporary patterns of behaviour from the perspective of power relations, and recommendations for practice. Managers who know certain patterns of behaviour will be able to model employees' attitudes towards work and to shape relevant social relationships. As for employees, they may be inspired to modify their own behaviours, in accordance with the requirements of the organizational environment.