Abstract

Purpose: The paper presents the results of a qualitative analysis of selected aspects of general business
environment. The author strives to answer the following question formulated in the context
of postcolonial deliberations: has the general business environment been affected by European
colonialism?

Methodology: Semantic and semiotic analysis of primary sources (statistical data and research
findings formulated by international organisations, such as the World Bank, OECD, UNIDO) and
secondary sources (scientific and research studies of Polish and foreign authors based on primary
sources); literature review.

Findings: In the postcolonial perspective, qualitative analysis shows neither a positive nor a negative
impact of colonialism on the contemporary general business environment. If certain signs of
its deterioration are observed, they are mostly due to the erosion of state capacity, whose origins
can be traced back to the Berlin Conference.

Originality: Papers on Postcolonial Management and Critical Management Studies (CMS) bridge
the gap in literature pertaining to management issues, especially in Poland. Due to their interdisciplinary
nature, Postcolonial Management and CMS cover a broad range of research areas (i.e.
theory of state and nation, sociology, economic history). They pertain to both economics an management, and are therefore difficult to classify.

Keywords