The operating effectiveness of banking enterprises and the effectiveness of the Polish banking sector have been important areas of interest not only for bank managers, owners, investors or customers but also for supervisory authorities, including the NBP. It is reflected in prudential regulations concerning the conduct of banking activities, recommendations concerning best practices, the procedure submitting every institution to individual assessment and the way of conducting research and publishing results of effectiveness measurement for the Polish banking sector.

The article contains results of a study carried out among banks operating in Poland. It complements the analyses presented so far on the subject of effectiveness. The research project aimed at collecting data allowing to characterize the measurement of effectiveness conducted in banks, determine the objectives set, the scope of data supplied and methods applied of measuring results together with dimensions and areas of assessment as well as to show the frequency of calculations made and to sum up current modifications and anticipated directions of change.

This article concentrates on internal systems of results' measurement, needs and expectations of decision makers, as well as elements affecting bank management. It increases the value of the publication for people related to the banking sector on the daily basis, the more so that financial institutions tend to be rather reluctant to share this kind of data. The problems discussed concern i.a. organisational structures, the measurement of effectiveness, investor`s impact on the management of the controlled entity, objectives of measuring effectiveness, significance of information about costs and effectiveness, applied systems of cost accounting and methods of measuring effectiveness, as well as adapting measurement of results to current and prospective needs together with barriers for development.

It is worth emphasizing that in justified cases a division of studied entities into two groups was applied: banks with a majority share of Polish capital and banks with a majority share of foreign capital. It allowed to show some important differences in approach and level of development of effectiveness measurement. Finally, several recommendations are formulated aiming at guiding bank managers and decision makers towards choosing one way of organizing result measurement, enabling to run an institution more effectively. These recommendations should be viewed first and foremost as food for thought; they stem from the current market situation and from the behaviour of competitors. One should be aware though that while until now the possession of up-to-date, detailed and credible information about effectiveness, taking into account both the costs of risk and alternative costs, has been desirable, in the coming years it may become indispensable, particularly against the background of further rise in competition, i.a. from the foreign financial institutions and parabanking institutions.