Research Information System
27th International Conference on Knowledge Based and Intelligent Information and Engineering Sytems, KES 2023, Athens, Greece, 6 - 08 September 2023, vol.225, pp.452-467
The concept of power distance, one of Hofstede's cultural dimensions, is important from the perspective of influencing the behavior of societies and individuals. It also determines, to a certain degree, the successes and failures of companies. Consequently, ignoring cultural aspects, including power distance, in addressing management issues is a serious problem affecting organizational performance. In practice, however, unfortunately, it still often occurs. The aim of this study is to compare and assess the power distance index among representatives of academic communities of Türkiye and Poland (representatives of Generation Z) and to present conclusions and recommendations resulting from the research. The countries in which the comparative analysis was carried out were selected on the basis of significant cultural differences between them. In order to achieve the goal set out in the study, data were collected from representative samples of both communities (more than 430 people in total), and then power distance indices were calculated, assessed and interpreted using quantitative analysis methods. The data were collected at the turn of 2019/2020 with the application of the CAWI technique, and the online survey involved individuals belonging to Generation Z. The survey findings were first assessed in terms of demographic characteristics, and subsequently, power distance indices were established and compared between the two samples. It was found that there was a certain similarity in the values of the power distance index in both countries, with a higher ratio in the case of the Polish study participants. One of the limitations of the study was the size of the sample. However, it is important to indicate that the survey involved the most active representatives of Generation Z. The research into the power distance index in the regional analyses for Generation Z in crisis conditions: the COVID-19 pandemic, the highest inflation in this part of the world and a specific political situation (growing authoritarianism) may be seen as an undeniable achievement of the work. The study of power distance in times of crisis attempts to fill, at least to a certain degree, an existing research gap. The findings of this study may prove useful for business managers, especially in the context of international cooperation between Poland and Turkey. They may also be seen as an important source of new knowledge for researchers dealing with the impact of cultural factors on organizational management.