RIGHTEOUS NON-CHARISMATIC LEADER MOST EFFECTIVE IN POLISH ORGANIZATIONS? IN SEARCH OF A CULTURE-SENSITIVE COMPETENCY MODEL FOR POLAND

In times, when most scholars are looking for universal competency model, which could
work in international environment, this study focuses on local specifics differentiating effective
managers operating in various social and market conditions. The main aim of conducted
research was to build a picture of the successful Polish manager seen from his own perspective,
and place it in Central-Eastern European cultural context. The findings revealed that,
against current trends, Polish leaders appreciate constant self-related competencies much
more than people-related skills. Leadership was recognized as crucial for manager’s role,
but there seem to be no charismatic implications in this competency. Importance of this attribution
varied depending on the place in organizational hierarchy. Evaluated as having the
most impact on senior managers’ effectiveness, leadership can be potentially seen as the
power tool more than ability to inspire others. The most surprising was very high evaluation
of integrity as having an impact on leaders’ effectiveness, what can be potentially a strong
determinant of local management specifics. Furthermore, there was a relationship between
the sales or non-sales work character and the perceived integrity significance observed. Appreciated
more by people engaged in commercial activities, integrity seems to be recognized
more like business ethics than fairness and honesty in interpersonal work relations.

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