At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, due to political changes, Poland underwent a profound economic transformation and liberalization of the formal conditions for conducting business activities. These changes compelled Polish society to embrace and develop entrepreneurship. Years of experience indicate that women have played a crucial role in the growth and development of Polish entrepreneurship. By 2002, Poland had already achieved one of the highest rates of female self-employment in Europe1.
Studies show that women, as business leaders, often adopt a collaborative approach in their relationships with subordinates. Compared to men, they are more focused on compromise and mediation, possess stronger communication and interpersonal skills, are more willing to share knowledge through mentoring and coaching, and are oriented towards cooperation and democracy based on participation2. Given this, it can be assumed that women are a driving force in the creation and functioning of strategic business alliances.
According to data from the European Institute for Gender Equality3, 34.7% of board members in the largest publicly traded companies in the EU were women. In Poland, this rate was 23.8%, which was 3.4 percentage points lower than in 2023. The representation of women in CEO positions is significantly lower—the EU average is 8.8%, while in Poland, it stands at 22.2%, the third highest in the EU.
To increase the representation of women in top positions, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe adopted a directive aimed at improving gender balance among the directors of listed companies4.
The directive mandates that by June 30, 2026, member states must require the largest companies to ensure that at least 40% of non-executive directors and 33% of all directors come from the underrepresented gender. The directive’s authors believe this measure will positively impact women’s employment across the EU economy.
A 2024 survey, “Women in Business,” conducted by IMAS, shows that Polish entrepreneurs perceive women as more honest business partners than men (81.3% vs. 78.6%), more likely to meet deadlines (80.8% vs. 76.6%), and more communicative (79.3% vs. 77.3%). Women are also seen as more socially responsible (71.7% vs. 63%)5.
In summary, women play a key role in building business alliances in Poland, as evidenced by both historical data on high female self-employment rates and recent research highlighting their standout traits as business partners: honesty, communication, punctuality, and social responsibility. Despite this, their representation on the boards of Polish companies remains below the EU average, representing an untapped potential. New EU regulations introducing minimum thresholds for female representation by 2026 create an opportunity to fully leverage the female management style—centered on cooperation, compromise, and knowledge-sharing—in building strong and effective strategic alliances, which can serve as a significant competitive advantage for businesses.
Written by the University of Economics in Katowice team (Poland)
1 Lisowska, E. (2004). Business initiative of Polish women. CURRENCY AND EQUIVALENT UNITS, 45.
2 Mierzwa, D. (2025). Women’s Leadership in Contemporary Organizations in Poland and Other EU Countries–Social and Economic Aspects. European Research Studies Journal, 28(1), 100-114
3 https://eige.europa.eu/gender-statistics/dgs/indicator/wmidm_bus_bus__wmid_comp_compbm/datatable?sex=W&UNIT=PC&POSITION=PRES_BRD&NACE=TOT&col=time&row=geo
4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32022L2381
5 https://rzetelnafirma.pl/aktualnosci/kobiety-w-biznesie-mniej-ale-bardziej-odpowiedzialne