Abstract: The article presents the results of research on the structure of the goals of Polish family enterprises' successors. Three research aims were specified. The first one concerned the identification of the goals that are the basis for successors' behaviour in the context of succession. It was implemented in two stages: (1) two in-depth group interviews (n = 14); (2) individual interviews (n = 27). This led to setting up a preliminary structure of successors' goals. The second aim was related to the development of a model of successors' goals using Cluster of Grey Incidence. The results were used to develop a clustered model of the goals of Polish family enterprises' successors. Next, referring to the literature analysis, the goals representing each of the clusters were separated and a synthetic model of the goals of family enterprises' successors was developed. The third aim was related to the verification of the developed model, which consisted in checking whether the identified goals are significant for family enterprises' successors. The study singled out four groups of successors: (1) successors who do not work in the family enterprise yet, (2) successors holding lower-level positions, (3) successors holding managerial positions, (4) successors who manage the entire company. The Clusters with the Variable Weights method was used in the verification process. As a result of the calculations, the developed synthetic model of the goals of family enterprises' successors was positively verified for successors working in higher-level positions and successors managing the entire family enterprise. Directions for further research and improvement of the method of isolating elements representing individual clusters of the analyzed system using the Variable Weight Grey Clustering Model were indicated. Furthermore, it was affirmed that the selected Grey Clustering Evaluation Models meet the requirements of tests on small samples.
>DOI:

Abstract: The article proposes a new method of occupational risk assessment which uses the grey decision model. The method is called the grey occupational risk assessment model (GORAM). The presented method allows for combining measurable and qualitative factors in the process of occupational risk assessment through the use of expert knowledge. This method can be applied to the multifaceted occupational risk assessment of complex and uncertain sociotechnical systems. First, the article presents problems with currently used methods of occupational risk assessment in the context of the possibility of solving them using the methods of the grey system theory. Secondly, the algorithm of the GORAM method is presented. Finally, the developed GORAM model was used in a case study involving the position of a mechanic in the technical department of a production company.
DOI: 10.1007/s10100-019-00639-8

Abstract: The aim of the article is to present the use of GDM in the diagnosis of the occurrence of crises in family businesses. The achievement of the objective is conditioned by the use of the method of systematic analysis of the literature and the regulatory and design method in the scope of formulating the definitions of a family business, conflicts and crises in family businesses. In the article, the problem of crises in family businesses was expressed in the context of a sense of injustice felt by the employees who are not members of the senior's family in relation to the employees who are members of the senior's family. In the further part of the article, using the GDM model (in which the weights of the criteria were determined using the modified Thurstone's method), the authors presented a way to diagnose the occurrence of crises in family businesses for a sample of Polish family businesses using, among others, a questionnaire-based survey.

https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/GS-06-2018-0030/full/html?skipTracking=true

Streszczenie: W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań nad strukturą celów sukcesorów polskich przedsiębiorstw rodzinnych. Podjęto dwa cele badawcze. Pierwszy dotyczył identyfikacji celów stanowiących podstawę zachowań sukcesorów w kontekście sukcesji. Realizacja przebiegała w dwóch etapach: (1) dwa wywiady grupowe pogłębione (n = 14); (2) wywiady indywidualne (n = 27). Wynikiem było sporządzenie wstępnej struktury celów sukcesorów. Drugi cel związany był z opracowaniem modelu celów sukcesorów z wykorzystaniem Cluster of Grey Incidence. Osiągnięto go, przeprowadzając następującą procedurę: (1) określenie sekwencji zmiennych charakterystyk; (2) wyzerowanie sekwencji zmiennych; (3) obliczenie miar zachowania się wektorów; (4) obliczenie wartości bezwzględnego stopienia podobieństwa; (5) ustalenie współczynnika doboru i wyodrębnienia zbiorów podobnych charakterystyk systemu. Wyniki wykorzystano do opracowania klastrowego modelu celów sukcesorów polskich przedsiębiorstw rodzinnych. Ponadto wskazano, iż narzędzie Cluster of Grey Incidence spełnia wymagania badań na małych próbach.

https://www.dbc.wroc.pl/dlibra/publication/92882/edition/56929

 

Abstract: The publication presents the results of analyses developed for supporting the process of purchasing materials in the manufacturing process in the welding industry. The principal research problem in the article was to select a minimum number of features essential in taking decisions related to purchasing fluxes for welding processes carried out using the SAW method. To this end, the Clusters of Grey Incidence procedure, developed as part of Grey System Theory, was used.

Abstract: The present paper is the description of research on differences in the influence of family aspects on the functioning of family businesses in two cultural contexts: low and high. High-context culture was represented by family businesses from Mexico and low-context by family businesses from Poland. The research was conducted using a structured individual interview with family business owners. The collected research material was subject to analysis using Grey Incidence (Relation) Analysis – GRA (Grey System Theory). The results obtained point to a strong relationship of values and family aspects with the operation of a family business. It may therefore be assumed that the influence of family aspects on the functioning of family businesses in different cultural contexts is similar, both in Poland (low-context) and Mexico (high-context).
DOI: 10.21008/j.0239-9415.2016.070.16

Streszczenie: Celem zrealizowanych badań jest identyfikacja i uporządkowanie barier, jakie występują w procesie sukcesji związanych z osobą sukcesora. Cel główny podzielono na cele szczegółowe. Pierwszy związany był z identyfikacją barier napotykanych przez sukcesorów przed podjęciem decyzji o przejęciu firmy rodzinnej. Drugi polegał na empirycznej weryfikacji poziomu zagrożenia zidentyfikowanymi barierami w doświadczeniach sukcesyjnych następców. Trzeci pozwalał na wykorzystanie podstaw teorii szarych systemów (ang. Grey System Theory - GST) i metody badania podobieństwa (ang. Grey Incidence/Grey Relation Analysis - GRA) dla a) zbadania relacji miedzy poszczególnymi barierami a procesem sukcesji i określenia, które bariery mają największy wpływ na proces sukcesji; b) sprawdzenia istnienia zależności między wdrożeniem w przedsiębiorstwach planowania strategicznego a wynikiem procesu sukcesji; c) sprawdzenia istnienia zależności między istnieniem modelu biznesowego a wynikiem procesu sukcesji. (fragment tekstu)

http://yadda.icm.edu.pl/yadda/element/bwmeta1.element.ekon-element-000171486675

Abstract: The article presents results of research on the identification and evaluation of barriers faced by successors in family businesses during the first process of succession. The analysis of empirical material used grey systems theory, which was considered as an equivalent for the analysis of small samples and qualitative research. While conducting the literature review and empirical study, the authors concentrated on (a) the identification of barriers in the development of family firms and (b) eliciting the perspective of the new generation of owners in family firms entering the succession process through an empirical analysis of the assessed level of risk in relationships with family and business.
DOI: 10.1515/ngoe-2016-0010

Abstract: The article presents the model of successors' competencies in family firms. The model was created on the basis of empirical data collected in Poland and analysed with the use of Grey Clustering Analysis. At the first i.e. an empirical stage of the studies, a list of competences was identified which are estimated as significant for the successors. At the second stage, on the basis of significance assessment of the competences distinguished by the successors, a list of distinguished competences according to their significance level in a succession process was sorted out. At the third stage, using the basis of grey systems theory, the competences were classified according to their relation of similarities. As the result the successors' competency model was proposed.

http://www.researchinformation.co.uk/grey.php

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to analyse the relationships between the competency structure of the successors of family enterprises in Poland and dimensions like gender, self-awareness of development, taking their ideas into consideration in shaping the strategy of the firm and the size of the firm. Design/methodology/approach – Grey relational analysis was employed to analyse the empirical material in the paper. The results of the analysis served a more thorough qualitative analysis of the subject of the family enterprise successors’ competencies by comparing them to theoretical assumptions and other research within this scope. Findings – In the paper, the relation was shown between the structure of family firm successors’ competencies and the variables such as gender, development self-awareness, taking their ideas into consideration in shaping the strategy of the firm and the size of the firm.
Research limitations/implications – The research was conducted in Poland and therefore its generalisation has limited scope resulting from the cultural and historical conditioning. Practical implications – The results of the research may serve the creation of tools and methods of succession process management in a family enterprise.
Originality/value – The paper presents the possibilities of employing grey system theory in the research remaining within the scope of the subject of succession in family enterprises, as a tool complementing qualitative analysis.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/GS-03-2015-0007