Polish-Ukrainian Workshop ‘Work and Organizational Psychology problems and challenges in Poland and Ukraine’ September, 24-27, 2009 Katowice, Poland

On September, 24-27, 2009 the Chair of Work and Organizational Psychology of the University of Silesia, the Laboratory of Organizational Psychology of the Institute of Psychology (Kyiv) and the Ukrainian Association of Organizational and Work Psychologists held a workshop WOP problems and challenges in Poland and Ukraine.
The purpose of the workshop was to discuss the current research results and plan the future co-operation.

The seminar was organized underthe auspices of Division 1 ‘Work and Organizational Psychology’of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP).

Besides it  was the result of close cooperation between Division 1 ‘Work and Organizational Psychology’of IAAP, the European Network of Organizational and Work Psychologists(ENOP) and the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychologists (EAWOP). Four members of the European Network of Organizational and Work Psychologists(ENOP) were members of the International Scientific Committee of this workshop:Prof.,Dr. Peiró, Jose M. –President of Division 1 ‘Work and Organizational Psychology’ of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP), member of ENOP (University of Valencia, Department of Social Psychology, Valencia, Spain);Prof., Dr. Sinangil, Handan Kepir –ElectPresident of Division 1 ‘Work and Organizational Psychology’ of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP), member of ENOP (Marmara University, Department of Business Administration, Istanbul, Turkey);Prof., Dr. hab. Kożusznik, Barbara–member of the Coordination Committee of Division 1 ‘Work and Organizational Psychology’of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP), member of ENOP, Vice Rector for Student Affairs, Promotion and International Relations of the University of Silesia; Chief of the Chair of Work and Organizational Psychology of the Institute of Psychology of the University of Silesia (University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland); Prof., Dr. (Psychology) Karamushka, Liudmyla–member of the Coordination Committee of Division 1 ‘Work and Organizational Psychology’of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP); member of the Coordination Committee of ENOP, Head of the Laboratory of Organizational Psychology of the Institute of Psychology; president of the Ukrainian Association of Organizational and Work Psychologists (UAOWP) (Institute of Psychology, Kyiv, Ukraine). The workshop coordinators were Prof.Barbara Kożusznik (Poland) and Prof. Luidmyla Karamushka (Ukraine).

The workshop was attended by 17 Polish and 13Ukrainian researchers, PhD and graduate students.

From the Polish part the opening addresses were made by prof. BarbaraKożusznik(Vice-RectoroftheUniversityofSilesia), prof. ZbigniewSpendel (Deanofthe Departmentof PedagogyandPsychology,UniversityofSilesia),prof. MałgorzataGórnik-Durose (DirectoroftheInstituteofPsychologyat the UniversityofSilesia), Dr.JoachimFoltys(DirectoroftheKatowiceSchoolofManagement), from the Ukrainian part byprof. LiudmylaKaramushka (the PresidentofUAWOP).

The invited Keynote speaker prof.Handan Kepir Sinangilmade herpresentationContributions of Work and Organizational Psychology to the Well-being of Individuals, Organizations and Countries.

The workshop had two oral sessions:‘Work and Organizational Psychology problems and challenges in Poland’ chaired by B. Kożusznik and ‘Work and organizational psychology problems and challenges in Ukraine’ chaired byL. Karamushka). The variety of workshop topics reflected current problems of development of WOP in Poland and Ukraine.The topics discussed included: Strengthening the role of work and organizational psychologists in the global society(Kożusznik B, Poland),Organizational culture and innovativeness based on values (Polak, J., Poland), Organizational and social resistance to changes in organizations(Stasiła-Sieradzka, M.),Work engagement among polish economic emigrants (Turska, E),Effectiveness of employee’s trainings of European Social Found projects in Poland and organizational commitment of their participants (Chrupała–Pniak, M. Poland),The Initial Polish adaptation of the Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile (Chudzicka-Czupała, A. & PhD Grabowski, D., Poland),The aging man in flexible forms of employment. The case of Poland (Dobrowolska, M., Poland), Goals of persons starting their professional careers versus their work adaptation(Smorczewska, B., Poland), Personnel’s change making motives in educational organizations (Karamushka L., Ukraine), Psychological aspects of characteristics of competitiveness in economics students Tereshchenko, K., Ukraine), Development of educational organization employees’ competitiveness as a condition of their teamwork efficiency (Fil, A., Ukraine), Psychological peculiarities of female managers’ gender identity (by the example of female students managers) (Bondarevska, I, Ukraine),Critical situation behavioral strategies in secondary school principals (Bondarchuk, O., Ukraine), etc

The workshop also had two interactive poster sessions: ‘Work and organizational psychology problems and challenges in Poland’ chaired by H. Sinangil) and‘Work and organizational psychology problems and challenges in Ukraine” chaired by A. Carter. The participants made and discussed about 20 interesting presentations.

Besides purely scientific problems, the participants focused their attention on some problems of international cooperation which were analyzed in the presentation ‘EAWOP initiative to support Work and Organizational Psychology around the Baltic Sea’made by theKeynote speaker Dr. Carter Angela,Member of the Executive Committee of the European Association of Work and Organizational Psychologists (EAWOP); EAWOP Constituent Coordinator(Sheffield, UK). During the discussion that followed the Polish and Ukrainian parts analyzed possible ways of development, obstacles and challenges of work and organizational psychology in their countries. It’snoteworthythatthediscussionoftheBalticcountriesWOP cooperationwilltake placeat theEAWOPBalticGroupMeetingonOctober,24-27, 2009 (Tallinn, Estonia)with Ukraine being its participant.

Prof.Karamushka, L., the presidentofUAOWP(Kyiv, Ukraine)made her actively discussed presentation‘TheUkrainianAssociationofOrganizationalandWorkpsychologists(UAOWP): initiativeregardingdevelopmentofWOPinUkraineinthecontentofinternationalcooperation’in which she made an account of UAOWP’s international activates over the last seven years.

The workshop participants discussed and adopted the Wop Polish-Ukrainian Cooperation Program.

The workshop had an interesting social program which includedthe Krakowguidedsightseeingbus-tour, excursiontohistoricalplacesofKrakow, visittoJagiellonianUniversityanda tour ofKatowiceandUpperSilesia.

The workshop results were reflected in theBookofAbstracts: WorkandOrganizationalPsychologyProblemsandChallengesinPolandandUkraine(Polish-Ukrainianworkshop, 24-27, September2009, Katowice, Poland). Editors: LiudmylaKaramushka, BarbaraKożusznik. – Kyiv: Interlink, 2009. - 107 pages.

In his Welcome Address Prof.,Dr. Peiró, Jose M.,thePresident of Division 1 ‘Work and Organizational Psychology’ of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP), member of ENOP wrote: ‘I think this event is really important for the Development of Work and Organizational Psychology in the region and also for the advance of the internationalization of WOP… Also I am confident that the interaction with the participants of different countries will increase their social capital and will strengthen the international network of our discipline’.  Wehopethattheworkshopjustifiedthesewords.Totheparticipants’ sharedmindtheworkshopofferedthe participants auniqueopportunitytopresent their research results, share experience and outline ways of future cooperation.

ThePolishandUkrainianpartswereunanimousintheirwillingnessto conduct this kind of seminars and trainings on a regular basis as well as exchange information relevant to WOP.