Gender and Business Competences of Knowledge Workers in Poland

The purpose of the research described in this article is to verify the influence of gender difference and firm size on the business competencies self-assessment of knowledge workers in small regional enterprises of Lower Silesia region, in Poland, a transition economy. An individual survey was conducted on the basis of the questionnaire of business competencies. Two trials of 169 knowledge workers were constructed via an interpersonal network and sequential random sampling, with the use of passive experimental design. Several dimensions of business competencies are investigated. The results show that females working as knowledge workers in regional small enterprises in Poland manifest less levels of business competencies self-assessment than male colleagues. However, females have the highest scores in sphere of knowledge self-assessment concerning organizational units and organizational responsibility. The novelty is the first use the adapted questionnaire of business competencies self-assessment among knowledge workers in relation to gender and regional small and micro firms, in Poland.