The Role of Social Security and Appreciative Inquiry in the Work of a Social Service Manager

Jozef Mlynski; Lukasz Sulkowski; Robert Seliga; Joanna Wojcik-Chodorowska; Stanislawa Jung-Konstanty

doi:10.23762/FSO_VOL12_NO4_8

Published : 2024-12-31

Vol. 12 No. 4 (2024)

The Role of Social Security and Appreciative Inquiry in the Work of a Social Service Manager

Jozef Mlynski

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2475-9658

Lukasz Sulkowski

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1248-2743

Robert Seliga

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3306-904X

Joanna Wojcik-Chodorowska

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9924-5899

Stanislawa Jung-Konstanty

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0425-5193

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23762/FSO_VOL12_NO4_8

Abstract

The article focuses on the importance of social security and appreciative inquiry in the work of social service managers, with particular emphasis on the role of social workers. The first part of the article contains a theoretical section describing issues related to social security and presenting the basic assumptions of appreciative inquiry. The second part is devoted to the presentation of the methodological assumptions of the study, while the third part discusses the research findings and conclusions from a quantitative study conducted among employees of the Social Services Centre in Tarnów in 2024. The aim of the article is to examine the relationship between the role of social service managers and the use of appreciative inquiry as a tool to support work efficiency and social security. The research results indicate that the appreciative approach supports managers in effectively managing teams and implementing changes. The study has identified that the most significant roles of appreciative inquiry in the work of social service managers include boosting self-esteem by focusing on an individual's strengths, determining steps that the individual can take to achieve their set goals, and developing coping skills to deal with obstacles that may arise during the implementation of these goals. The article presents the concept of appreciative inquiry as a management tool and a means of creating positive change in the context of social services. It highlights the role of social service managers in shaping organisational reality through dialogue and collaboration, as well as the importance of positive emotions and visions of the future in the organisational transformation of the social services sector. The results of the study have practical implications and can contribute to the improvement of social service quality, ultimately raising the standard of living in various social contexts. The article also presents recommendations for implementing a monitoring and evaluation system to assess the effectiveness of actions taken by social service managers to enhance social security.

Keywords:

management, social security, appreciative inquiry, appreciative discourse, social work, social policy.

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Mlynski, J., Sulkowski, L., Seliga, R., Wojcik-Chodorowska, J., & Jung-Konstanty , S. (2024). The Role of Social Security and Appreciative Inquiry in the Work of a Social Service Manager. Forum Scientiae Oeconomia, 12(4), 139–155. https://doi.org/10.23762/FSO_VOL12_NO4_8

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