RAISING MANAGERIAL COMPETENCES IN THE FACE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

Objectives: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on all areas of human life has been great. The prevailing disease also turned out to be a challenge for managers and the entire educational environment, which is the genesis of this article. Therefore, the aim of this article is to compare interest in the issue of improving managerial competences in the period before and after the Covid-19 pandemic and to draw conclusions in this area. Material and methods: The article contains a presentation of the results of research relating to the need to improve competences by the management staff of the organization before the pandemic (2018) and after its end (2022). The research covered middle-level managers and small business entrepreneurs. Results: The obtained results prove that it is necessary to constantly adapt to new market conditions and requirements, and new competences are indispensable in order to do so. Respondents see the need to improve the level of their knowledge, opting for forms that will not absorb them excessively (e.g. self-improvement). The respondents emphasize the need to know international issues and law, and the main inspiration for improving competences is the changeability of the company’s operating conditions and concern for its fate. The COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes that, especially in such circumstances, improving managerial competences is indispensable. Conclusions: The obtained results undoubtedly show significant changes that have taken place in the way of performing professional functions, including managerial ones and shaping the competencies of managers, but also the complexity of the analyzed phenomenon and the problems articulated in this area. The analysis carried out and its results constitute an important guideline for management practice, mainly in relation to people holding managerial positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]