Socioeconomic development and the evolution of workplace values in contemporary Poland

Abstract

This study, using a standardized cultural perspective survey, examines the link between economic transformation and workplace value changes in contemporary Poland. The study surveyed a sample of 870 employees from diverse organizations in major Polish cities. The data were collected during three significant transformational phases: 1995–1999, 2005–2009, and 2015–2019. The findings reveal that post‐transition Polish employees, compared with their early‐transition and late‐transition counterparts, demonstrate higher traits of egalitarianism, less bias towards fellow human beings, and higher self‐reliant behavior in the workplace. This finding is much more robust when controlling for age, in which younger employees, compared with older ones, demonstrate significantly higher traits in the above‐mentioned patterns. The study contributes to management science by enhancing our understanding of the relationship between socioeconomic transformation and value evolution.