The cultural barriers of innovation development of the Polish economy

This paper is aimed at identifying the cultural obstacles hindering the development of the innovative Polish economy and recommends public activity reducing their negative influence. The article presents the results of evaluation of capability for cooperation and confidence of Polish society coming from European Social Survey and Diagnoza Spoleczna [Social Diagnosis]. The most important cultural barriers are incapability for cooperation, low level of confidence and society's mind-set. The development of entrepreneurship can be treated as the fundamental condition for the development of innovation. The currently realized model of development is moving the economy and society in Poland in the opposite direction. It is based on restricting the free market, the extension of the government in the economy and taking responsibility from individuals. This phenomenon reduces our chances at an improved standard of living in the future and the ability to compete in the global economy. We can see the increasing participation of the state in sectors where its presence is debatable, however where no one can replace it, it seems that government has abdicated (the health care sector, jurisdiction). Under such circumstances it is increasingly important to develop public activity in direction of cooperation, social capital and confidence.