Perception of the World Economic Crisis Against the Background of Other External Circumstances of Polish Holdings’ Operation

This article describes the way Polish holdings perceive their external environment, particularly after the 2008–2013 global economic crisis. The research covered 120 holdings functioning on the Polish market. The research was carried out in 2015 and the Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) method was used. The research proved that the external environment (both competitive and macro-environment) is a significant parameter affecting the functioning of Polish holdings. Unfortunately, the holdings perceived their environment mostly as a source of risks, not opportunities. The respondents recognised the global economic crisis as the most negative factor affecting their company. Interestingly, the younger the holding (the later established) and the less international experience it had due to the national origin of its dominant investor, the more the negative perception of the global economic crisis it had. The main symptom of the global crisis in the analysed holdings worsened with financial performance and a decrease in products/services sales.