About us

Foundation "Institute for Private Enterprise and Democracy" was established at the beginning of 1993. It is one of the first in Poland independent research institutes and a leading Polish think tank. The Institute supports market reforms, development of democratic institutions and creation of friendly climate for economic activity by realizing projects, conducting objective researches and analyses, education and preparing recommendations for economic policy.

Main achievements of the Institute include initiating many public debates regarding important questions, with participation of Polish parliament and government representatives and other famous politicians, which enabled implementation of solutions suggested by the Institute's experts. Recommendations and solutions, suggested by the Institute's team, were often implemented by the authorities, e.g. solutions supporting innovativeness, technological loan as well as financing small and medium enterprises. Solutions promoted by the Institute contributed to decrease of taxes and reduction of barriers in running companies, monitoring of public authorities and conducting civic dialogue.

As an intellectual background of its founder - Polish Chamber of Commerce, the largest Polish organization representing entrepreneurs - the Institute has realized over 70 projects, prepared more than 80 reports, hundreds of legal acts and opinions, organized many conferences, workshops and seminaries, Polish and international. Daily newspapers and weekly magazines wrote about the results of the Institute's activity. Moreover, information about the Institute was broadcasted on TV and radio. So far the Institute has collected over 2150 press, radio and TV materials proving its achievements.

During its activity the Institute cooperates or has cooperated with many foreign organizations.

The Institute's activity includes:

• realizing projects (also co-financed by European Union),
• conducting researches,
• elaborating reports,
• preparing opinions on legal acts,
• organizing conferences, workshops, seminaries and trainings (Polish and international).

Fields of the Institute's activity:

• building democracy
• creating economic policy conducive for entrepreneurship development;
• deregulation of economy;
• development of private entrepreneurship, including SME;
• development of modern technologies;
• cooperation of science and business;
• development of labour market;
• development of business organizations;
• counteracting corruption;
• ethics in economic and self-government activity.

The Institute's team has created from the basics two Polish programs in the field of promoting ethics, which found many fans in all country. The business Culture Promotion Program "Business Fair Play" was established in 1998. Its aim is to promote ethics in economic activity as a set of standards of reliable behaviour in mutual relations between entrepreneurs and customers, contractors, employees, partners, local society as well as local and country authorities. In 2001 a parallel program addressed to self-governments "Community Fair Play" - Certified Business Location was created. Its aim is to promote communities creating especially favourable conditions for investors as well as showing outstanding attention for the needs of local society.

For more information about both programs please see www.fairplay.pl

The Institute has also created the Human Resources Management Standard ZFP-2007, IPED ("Employment Fair Play" Standard) - human capital management system, aimed at maximization of employees' involvement in creating organization's success. Standard ZFP-2007, IPED defines requirements within 15 processes regarding human capital management, which fulfilment is necessary to make the Standard work. The requirements include creation, implementation and constant improvement of management tools in order to control human capital management processes. Putting management questions in order helps in decision making process and enables mobilization of human capital for better development of the organization. This way it can effectively respond to changes both inside and outside the organization. For more information about the Standard please visit the web site www.praca.fairplay.pl

In the framework of its activity the Institute realizes every year many projects co-financed by European Union. To find out more about currently realized projects please see our home page!

Who we are

Mr Mieczysław Bąk, Ph.D. - President & CEO
Mr Mieczysław Bąk is also the Deputy Secretary General of the Polish Chamber of Commerce. He has been working for the Polish Chamber of Commerce since 1992 in the field of lobbing for private entrepreneurs and monitoring their situation. He was responsible for management of many researches regarding SME: access to financial resources, law culture, business ethics, social insurances, mergers and takeovers of companies, activity of entrepreneurs' organizations and NGOs, corruption, the Internet, functioning of law regulations, sponsored by the PCC, CIPE, PHARE, USAID, the German Marshall Fund and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. Mr Mieczysław Bąk cooperates with Polish and international institutions organizing development programmes for the private sector of business. Mr Bąk has graduated from the University of Warsaw with a Master's degree and was awarded a Ph.D. degree by Polish Academy of Sciences.

Professor Tomasz Mroczkowski, Ph.D. - Vice President, Director for International
Programmes and Senior Consultant
Mr Tomasz Mroczkowski is a professor of Management at the American University in Washington DC, USA, where he lectures on management comparative systems and international economic relations in MBA program. He has graduated from the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. He has obtained PhD degree from Krakow University of Economics. He is an author of more than hundred scientific works published in USA, UK, Japan and Poland. He is a member of Academy of International Business and European International Business Association. Mr Tomasz Mroczkowski lectured at different universities in Germany, France, Japan and UK (among others at universities of Sorbonne, Paris Dauphine, Cambridge, University of Copenhagen, HHL-Leipzig). Beside scientific activity he is a consultant for American and Japanese companies. He has also conducted management trainings for such companies as: ATT, General Motors, General Electric, Polaroid, Exxon and many others.

Professor Przemysław Kulawczuk, Ph.D. - Member of the Board, Director for Research
Mr Przemysław Kulawczuk is a research worker at the Department of Economy of University of Gdansk. He is an expert in the field of SME, consultant , author of many publications, among others regarding tax questions, non-formal sector, financing SME, economic development in rural areas, foreign investments, business ethics and many others.

Ms Anna Szcześniak - Proxy of the Board
Ms Anna Szcześniak has been involved with IPED since 1993. She is also President of the Board of "Przedsiębiorstwo Fair Play" (Business Fair Play) Ltd. She is a co-author of many publications and research reports on entrepreneurship development (supporting innovation development, foreign investments, business ethics, the Internet development, local development programs, promotion of investments and deregulation of economy). She is a coordinator of numerous researches and promotion projects, including "Business Fair Play" Program. Ms Anna Szcześniak has graduated from Warsaw School of Economics.

Ms Malwina Dąbrowa - Assistant to the President

Department of EU Projects and Communication:

Ms Paulina Bednarz - Director for EU Projects and Communication
Ms Paulina Bednarz has been involved with IPED since 2003. She has co-realized many works related to support of legislative process, civic society development and promoting CSR. She is a member of research team in projects regarding business ethics, legislation, ethics in self-government and enterprise activity, SME development. She has been involved in implementation of "Employment Fair Play" Standard for 6 years. As a trainer she conducted many workshops, trainings and conferences in the framework of realized projects for employers, employees, country administration (local and central level) and NGOs. She is a co-author of many publications and research reports, including report on CSR elements in human resources management and analysis of economic benefits from implementing CSR. She has finished a course of the World Bank entitled "Introduction to Corporate Social Responsibility - Poland". She graduated in Political Sciences from Pultusk College of Social Science and MBA (HR) from Kozminski University in Warsaw.

Marta Danielczuk - research and analyses

Agata Rozalska, Olga Baraniak - Public Relations

Department of events and publications:

Małgorzata Tymorek - Director

Piotr Michalik - Specialist for multimedia

Accountancy:

Elżbieta Smosarska - Head Accountant

Beata Sadowska (parental leave)

Piotr Bąk - Specialist for requests