Torun International Studies

9

Authors: Artur Piotrowicz, Iwona Sobczak

The inflow of foreign direct investment to kujawsko-pomorskie voivodship make chance to complete shortage of own investment possibilities in economy of region. In that paper is described the structure of foreign direct investment in kujawsko-pomorskie voivodship in 1999–2006 and the companies with foreign capital in this voivodship. There are presented also problems connected with foreign direct investment and labor market in kujawsko- pomorskie voivodship.

10

Authors: Aleksander Rezmer

Attractiveness of polish labour market in relation to foreign direct investments The aim of this study is to analyse attractiveness of Polish Labour Market for foreign investors, who seek new localisations for their investments. In the first part of the study the general attractiveness of Poland as a host country of foreign direct investments is taken under general analysis. The second part of the article consists of the theoretical background of the study, which is the J.Dunning’s theory of International Production. The next three parts of the article are devoted to deeper analysis of polish labour market as a variable of three features: workforce availability, labour costs and education. The analysis is conducted both on local and international level. The conclusion of the article is that besides the recent, unfavourable changes, polish labour market still remains attractive in relation to foreign direct investment.Attractiveness of polish labour market in relation to foreign direct investments The aim of this study is to analyse attractiveness of Polish Labour Market for foreign investors, who seek new localisations for their investments. In the first part of the study the general attractiveness of Poland as a host country of foreign direct investments is taken under general analysis. The second part of the article consists of the theoretical background of the study, which is the J.Dunning’s theory of International Production. The next three parts of the article are devoted to deeper analysis of polish labour market as a variable of three features: workforce availability, labour costs and education. The analysis is conducted both on local and international level. The conclusion of the article is that besides the recent, unfavourable changes, polish labour market still remains attractive in relation to foreign direct investment.

12

Authors: Daniel Gach

Presently, at least two concepts have a clear impact on the form of modern management: those resulting from the process of globalization, and those increasing role of intangible assets. The knowledge is in this range the fundamental factor as well as processes of her generating, transfer, using and accumulating. Of great importance to all of these process is the culture. The aim of this paper is investigate, how knowledge is shared across cultural boundaries. In the first section of the article, the author presents the influence of culture on formation the human personality, skills and the human attitudes. Next, starting from a discussion of the concept of dimensions of culture, based on the research conducted by G. Hofstede the author moves to a presentation the impact of culture on knowledge management among representing the different nationalities workers. The last section of the article describes the consequence of cultural differentiation.

14

Authors: Michał Buszko

In the last several years currency loans have become one of the most important source of financing of households and enterprises in Poland. They are particularly used for real estates investments, where their prevalent form is a forward mortgage. In practice currency loans are long-term obligations which create significant risks such as: foreign interest-rate risk, fx risk, and spread risk within a few dozen years. Such risks can strongly influence the stability of whole Polish banking sector as well as financial market in Poland. As currency loans are mostly used by households there are very limited ways of managing the mentioned kinds of risk. Because the share of currency loans is at present still dynamically increasing in the banking system, the aim of this paper is to characterize mentioned loans and to present their significance in Poland, as well as risks related to them.In the last several years currency loans have become one of the most important source of financing of households and enterprises in Poland. They are particularly used for real estates investments, where their prevalent form is a forward mortgage. In practice currency loans are long-term obligations which create significant risks such as: foreign interest-rate risk, fx risk, and spread risk within a few dozen years. Such risks can strongly influence the stability of whole Polish banking sector as well as financial market in Poland. As currency loans are mostly used by households there are very limited ways of managing the mentioned kinds of risk. Because the share of currency loans is at present still dynamically increasing in the banking system, the aim of this paper is to characterize mentioned loans and to present their significance in Poland, as well as risks related to them.

15

Authors: Ewa Cieślik

Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) have developed as a result of increased commodity prices and the weakness of US dollar exchange rate. Today the role of SWFs as equity investors is increasing. The paper considers the Sovereign wealth funds’ investment strategy toward equities and capital infusions into global financial institutions following the subprime mortgage problem. This article attempts to situate and explain some of the controversy over SWFs’ investments in the increasing global trend toward direct governmental involvement in corporate activity and try to asses which kinds of action should be undertaken to reach a compromise among the maintaining states’ sovereignty and the liberty of SWFs’ capitals transfers.

16

Authors: Michał Moszyński

The free movement of labour is one of the cornerstones of the single market in the EU. It is also one of the tangible symbols for the general public that the European integration actually works. The main aim of the article is to explore the relationships between the process of economic integration in Europe and the international flows of labour, mainly within the EU. The study considers this problem from both theoretical and empirical perspective. The first part of the study gathers relevant academic approaches applied to an analysis of this phenomenon at different stages of economic integration. Subsequently, the European regulations on free movements of factors is shortly presented and the mobility of labour in Europe is examined. Furthermore, the question arises why despite the fact that legal barriers have been gradually removed the EU-citizens practically do not use their right to move and work in another member state. The last part of the article gives a brief review of Polish work emigration after the accession to the EU. The paper ends with a short summary.

13

Authors: Zbigniew Karpus

Having taken the advantage of the new geopolitical situation in the Central-Eastern Europe after the First World War, Poles and Ukrainians began to establish their nation-states. From November 1, 1918 Poles and Ukrainians waged war against each other on disputed territories: East Galicia, Volhynia and Podolia. The hostilities lasted till September 1, 1919 when the armistice was signed and Ukrainians were dislodged behind the Zbruch River. From the end of December 1919 Polish-Ukrainian political-military negotiations were held in Warsaw. They resulted in signing the Polish-Ukrainian military alliance. Thereupon on April 25, 1920 the Polish and Ukrainian Armies launched an offensive against the Red Army near Kiev. This alliance was denounced by the Polish side in November 1920.

13

Authors: Marcin Czyżniewski

Recognition of Kosovo’s independence was the hot issue of political debate in the Czech Republic. In spite of the opposition party’s objection and President Václav Klaus’s resistance, the government of Mirek Topolánek decided to establish diplomatic relations with Kosovo. The decision was linked to the upcoming Czech Republic’s presidency in the European Union. The Czech wanted to show worldwide that they were ready to act upon the EU challenges and their foreign policy was in accordance with the EU foreign relations. It was not until the end of May 2008 that the Czech Republic recognized Kosovo as an independent state, which was 3 months after Kosovo’s independence had been declared and when most EU countries had already backed that idea. Long-running political dispute over Kosovo in the Czech Republic intensified the internal conflict, which eventually led to the collapse of Topolánek government in March 2009.

21

Authors: Henryk Składanowski

The main Nikita Khrushchev achievement in the reforming of Soviet educational system was the introduction of the universal and compulsory education in an eight-year primary school. The school was called an incomplete secondary comprehensive polytechnical vocational school. This resulted in prolongation of the non-obligatory education in a high school to 11 years. This reform was revoked in 1966 by Leonid Brezhnev and the Soviet Union returned to a ten-year secondary school. Despite his progressive reforms, Khrushchev continued the Stalinist methods of children and youth upbringing which stated that the labour is the best way to materialize the ideal of the communistic state. After the 1958 reform, practically all adolescents learning in a secondary school were forced to work or had their placements in workshops, plants or factories. This was called the ‘Polytechization’.

25

Authors: Katarzyna Kącka

The article discusses how the Polish government in exile perceived the role and place of Germany in post-war Europe. One of the vital tasks of international diplomacy during the Second World War was to develop methods of avoiding new German acts of aggression in the future. During several dozen years Poland and Europe faced again the necessary task of deciding German affairs. It was the Ministry of Congress Works, operating within the structures of the Polish government in exile, that was to handle the issue of ‘the future of Germany’ after the end of the war. The establishment of that institution and the mission entrusted to it reflected the Poles’ serious attitude to that task.