ABSTRACT
Mission statements overall are not actively used in the ports’ communication with outside stakeholders. The two strategic business units which did use mission statements both used them to define their customers, the service they aimed to provide, the geographical operating area that dominated their markets and the technology that they used. They also attempted to convey an organizational image for the port. All ports, including the operating terminals are continuing to undergo significant organizational changes. In general, both the Port Authorities and the Gdynia operating subsidiaries can be seen to have transformed internally very slowly away from static, centralised, strict hierarchical organizations which practised top-down planning in functional departments into lean, more flexible and more democratic organizations. But they are yet by no means of a dynamic character. The chapter outlines an analysis of the changing strategic management approaches adopted in Polish ports and recognised the speed and direction of change which is influencing the marketplace.
