Informal Relationships, Digital Competences and Agility in Organizations

Abstract

Building interpersonal relationships in organizations plays a very important role and directly affects long-term cooperation with partners. Informal and partnership relations have a particular impact on the agility of the organization, i.e., the ability to immediately respond to changes occurring in the business environment. The aim of this article is to assess the impact of interpersonal relations on the organizational structure and the level of use of digital competencies. According to the literature on the subject, agility in the organization and digital competences contribute to the effective creation and transfer of knowledge. The benefits of implementing an agile structure in an organization also include better management of changing priorities, open cooperation and communication, and greater awareness of the current situation in the organization. The article uses the results of original initial research conducted as part of an inter-university research project entitled "Interorganizational Relations in the Socio-Economic Economy". The research covered relationships in the organization in five areas. The research among the students enrolled in the Master of Business Administration postgraduate program at the Lublin University of Technology was carried out using a quantitative method using a developed survey questionnaire. The analysis of the results confirmed the influence of partnership and informal relations on the agility of the organization and the high level of digital competences implemented. A flexible approach to building relationships enhances the creation of a networked organization. Informal relationships in the organization allow for the building of a team that is more resistant to crisis situations as well as changes in customer needs and sectoral turbulence of the economy. An important aspect of agility is also the high level of using digital competences, which influences the ability to create and transfer knowledge.