Association as a legal form of industry business associations

This article presents a part of the results of research carried out within the research project N N115 043535 on Organization and functioning of associations of enterprises. The main objective of the project was an empirical identification of the organizational and legal forms as well as the identification of the objectives and functions of industry business associations in Poland. Associations are groups of companies from the same branch of industry, which promote their members’ common economic interests, particularly towards the environment, including government and regulatory authorities as well as other industries or sectors. Their presence in market economy countries is widespread and the associations are generally legal form of their constitution and operation. In Poland, the industry business associations operate in the form of chambers of commerce, associations of employers and associations. The main reason for such differentiation, deviating from the situation in other countries, is the legislation concerning the association in Polish law. It has consequences in the field of the subjective associations systems, relationships within the industry and under external relations, partly also in the areas of tasks and functions performed by business associations. The article presents the results of research conducted in the associations operating in the legal form of association.