Vol. 27 No. 5 (2025)

The article examines a meritocratic approach, a system in which a person’s career growth and prosperity are determined by their level of professionalism and an objective assessment of their achievements. Meritocracy is currently experiencing a peak in popularity. However, it is crucial to be aware of the potential risks of completely trusting in the principles of meritocracy. These risks encompass the impracticality of establishing equitable initial prospects for candidates pursuing career advancement; bureaucracy and corruption, which often result in the composing of reports on achievements that are frequently fictitious; an emphasis on personal accomplishment that supersedes collective achievements; subjective evaluation of merits; and the application of double standards in the interpretation of facts and regulations, contingent on the interests of the interpreter. An unbiased discussion of these issues should help to develop criteria for selecting leaders of change. These leaders should best represent the ideals of meritocracy. These include moral and professional authority, strategic thinking, the ability to anticipate crises, effective management, responsibility, decisiveness, and stress resistance. To systematize the primary risks of meritocracy and the standards for advancing change leaders, the article uses the 5×5 method, which was introduced by H. Mintzberg and modified by the author.

The article presents and tests a comprehensive methodology for analyzing the strategic planning documents of the Russian Federation. It studies how traditional Russian spiritual and moral values are implemented in these documents. This model facilitates the development of methodological approaches to identifying the value foundations of society and state development in strategic planning documents. The methodology also enables the creation of analytical instruments to identify value categories and establish semantic links between them and other elements of strategic planning. The authors’ approach overcomes the limitations of content analysis, moving us towards constructing a comprehensive semantic map.

The article provides a critical analysis of the current shift towards «value-based management» within the Russian public administration system. The assessment is based on the work of Israeli-American political scientist Yehezkel Dror, whose contributions are not widely recognized among Russian experts. Although Y. Dror’s so-called «normative-optimal» model appears to align with the «value shift» in Russia at the level of individual stages of the political-administrative cycle, the author identifies three key issues hindering the development of public values at the state level: (1) politicians disregarding the need to apply their declared values, primarily to themselves; (2) reliance on biased sociological knowledge resorting to controversial and potentially «formative» formulations; (3) previous failures in cultural policy, which have given rise to a specific from of «value-based self-governance» at the grassroots level.

The article analyzes public elements in the activities of companies with state participation. The study’s object is the relationship between private and public interests and the resulting conflicts between the state and private sectors. The authors acknowledge that the state effectively implements policies for private investors. However, they argue that institutional guarantees independent of the professional skills of individual managers are necessary to ensure greater legal certainty. Such guarantees may be based on a clearly defined distribution of rights and obligations among those involved in corporate relations. The study’s relevance stems from the lack of transparency in the decision-making process that affects the activities of economic entities to protect public interests. Current legislation does not adequately regulate this procedure. This creates commercial risks if decisions are not sufficiently justified or well-founded. To address this issue, the authors offer several recommendations for striking a balance between private and public interests in this area. In addition to domestic experience, the article examines foreign practice in managing companies with state participation. The article also traces the evolution of the relationship between the state and commercial organizations, which was primarily influenced by numerous economic crises.

Strategic management remains one of the most important tools for a company’s development, but its tools need to be constantly adjusted in the face of global uncertainty. The article examines the major international factors that impact a company’s strategic management, including political, economic, environmental, and other aspects. It highlights the significance of digital transformation and current global trends in this context. The author presents a correlation-regression model to assess the impact of these factors and calculate the quantitative indicators of uncertainty. The article examines other strategic analysis instruments and considers combining them to improve strategic planning and management. , especially in conditions of external uncertainty. However, for a preliminary analysis of the impact of various factors, which precedes the selection of specific instruments, a correlation-relational model for assessing their impact, presented by the author and designed primarily to prove the importance of strategic management in conditions of uncertainty, may be useful.

The article lists the primary causes of economic disputes between Russia, the US, and the EU over the division of the EU market concerning gas and oil products. It has been determined that these countries have contributed to the conflict’s escalation and have drawn Russia into the Ukrainian crisis in an effort to impede its potential. The authors look into the new paradigm of growth for the oil and gas complex sectors, technological development vectors, and potential directions of the Russian oil and gas complex for delivering commodities to the EU markets. At the same time, the country’s significant reliance on imported machinery highlights the necessity of addressing technological development challenges. It is imperative that policies be formulated in a way that benefits Russian businesses. According to the authors, this can be accomplished by focusing foreign investment on growing Russia’s processing sector, which will create businesses that will produce advanced machinery in the Russian Federation. Additionally, small and medium-sized businesses in the oil and gas industry need to intensify their operations. Eventually, this will stabilize domestic pricing and boost the economy overall by allowing the national market to be saturated with goods and resulting in stable prices for motor fuel and oils used for transportation, mechanisms, and aggregates.

In this era of rapid digital technology development, a lack of coordinated institutional frameworks for mapping economic ecosystems is one of the key issues. This results in fragmented data, inconsistent standards, and challenges in fostering interagency collaboration. The article presents an institutional mechanism for public management of mapping the ecosystem of a territory. The authors provide a brief analysis of contemporary approaches to public territorial management. The article clarifies the concept of public territorial management and highlights the features of the institutional mechanism of public ecosystem management. Additionally, it discusses the impact of digitalization on public management and the potential of the ecosystem approach. The article analyzes the current situation, problems, and prospects for the practical application and development of public management through mapping of a territory’s ecosystem.

The authors examine key concepts and methodologies. These concepts and techniques are used to integrate diverse functional areas of an enterprise effectively. These areas include technological, organizational, and regulatory components. The article emphasizes the importance of the ISO 9001 international standard in developing effective integrated management systems. These systems enable organizations to achieve high levels of operational efficiency and sustainability in rapidly changing business environments. After analyzing the evolution of approaches to integration, ranging from traditional reengineering methods to contemporary digitalization instruments like ERP systems, the authors identified several gaps in theory and practice of integration. These include the absence of unified models, methods that fail to adapt to local conditions, inadequate mechanisms for evaluating project effectiveness integration, and the challenges of combining heterogeneous information systems. To provide a thorough theoretical and practical foundation that may improve organizational efficiency and secure sustainable economic growth in the modern corporate environment, the article’s examples highlight the need for further research on integration challenges. The findings suggest that the organization’s business model needs to be adapted, its personnel should receive additional training during the transition to integration of the organization’s business processes.

The article discusses the prospects for developing some of the most prominent industries in the Republic of Tatarstan. These include tourism and hospitality, culture and the arts, as well as the creative industries. Within the framework of the «experience economy», the author examines the role of tourism as a key industry for the economic development of the Republic of Tatarstan. The study focuses on the use of modern instruments of state support and strategic initiatives, such as national projects planned for completion by 2025, as well as the development of the «supply-driven economy». The author examines the republic’s tourist potential in light of the development of the «supply-driven economy». The study’s findings contributed to the formulation of a concept for eco-tourism as a component of the experience economy, which was incorporated into the national project «Tourism and Hospitality Industry». This integration facilitates the implementation of practical solutions for the sustainable development of the region’s tourism industry. The author emphasizes the importance of creating a regional brand based on the region’s unique characteristics, such as its natural features, traditions, and culture.

The authors examine the peculiarities of applying the institutional approach in studying social phenomena within the framework of Russia’s social security system. The article outlines the main methodologies for researching social security’s institutionalization and identifies its distinctive characteristics within the Russian context. It should be noted that the formation of a social security mechanism requires a comprehensive analysis of all constituent elements and their interactions, and the institutional component plays a decisive role in the implementation of this mechanism, determining the internal structural characteristics and features of the institutional environment. The authors conclude that institutional processes determining social security must be updated to reflect current threats and challenges, and that studies of social security must take into account not only its current state but also these trends.

The article highlights the need of provide interoperability to facilitate efficient information sharing between public agencies, individuals, and legal entities engaged in managing transport safety. Using a particular incident as a model, the author explores the issues that emerge when exchanging information in civil aviation. The article analyzes the basic principles and levels of interoperability, proposing a revised model to ensure it. This framework allows for a customer-centric approach to be a key aspect of digital transformation. Insufficient compatibility of information systems is considered one of the risks negatively affecting the implementation of digital technologies in the strategic direction. At the same time, it should be noted that officially approved mechanisms designed to reduce the impact of this factor have not yet been developed. The study suggests recommendations for evaluating the degree of interoperability among organizations and for implementing this approach in Russia. In addition, it is emphasized that solving the complex scientific and technical problem of ensuring interoperability requires taking into account the results of fundamental and applied research, as well as a number of organizational and methodological aspects.

The study of emotions as a significant aspect of urban life is made possible by the affective turn in sociology. In sociology, the study of emotions is a relatively young but quickly growing area that looks at how emotions affect social interaction and behavior in urban settings. The article shows that socially conscious initiatives, including «smart cities», lose their efficacy when the emotional component is neglected in citizen engagement research. Empirical research (N = 67 experts) revealed institutional constraints (bureaucracy, high power distance) that limit the anthropocentricity of management decisions, as well as inconsistencies between the affective and rational dimensions of engagement. The findings suggest the necessity of incorporating sociological approaches to emotions into management cycles, such as gamification of participation and sensory audit of the urban environment. The author makes suggestions for incorporating the emotional element into procedures used in public administration. The scientific novelty of the work lies in its implementation of techniques from the sociology of emotions to the research of urban behaviors and offering suggestions for addressing institutional dysfunctions. In the context of “smart city” initiatives, the study’s findings can be applied to improve communication between citizens, specialists, and authorities.

The author emphasizes the importance of providing specialized training for employees interested in mentoring individuals new to state and municipal service, as well as implementing internal training programs («one employee teaches another one») to promote the professional development of state civil servants and municipal employees. Drawing on the experience of real sector enterprises is also necessary when adapting employees. This includes preboarding, onboarding, and offboarding. Preboarding occurs before an employee starts work. Onboarding occurs during the probationary period. Offboarding occurs after an employee leaves, with a view to both the possible return of the employee to their previous job and the creation of a positive image of state authorities and local self-government bodies. To enhance the effectiveness of state and municipal services, we should prioritize internal training opportunities for employees. This new approach to professional development enables young specialists to learn from employees with a high level of professional competence and ensures the successful transfer of knowledge in simulated professional situations.

The article explores how generative artificial intelligence technologies will transform higher education systems for executives. The author points out that AI has now become a new subject in the educational process, and its efficiency depends on how closely the content of training programs aligns with new management practices. We can see the widespread application of these information systems in education, public administration, and business. However, there is a significant lag in methodological understanding and formal regulation of their application. Therefore, developing guidelines and strategies for incorporating AI into executive education programs at higher levels appears pertinent. This article discusses the use of artificial intelligence agents in management practices and includes suggestions for their training course reflection. The author puts forward possible scenarios for incorporating artificial intelligence agents into university education programs. The research uses a specialized model to examine the extent to which new technology is being incorporated into the educational process. The data allowed us to develop a scenario map based on the actual forms of work done by university teachers.

The article discusses the views of Princess E.R. Dashkova, the director of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences and founder of the Russian Academy, on the goals, objectives, and methods of educating the managerial elite. The study aims to identify the key concepts in E.R. Dashkova's views on the education of the elite, as expressed in her written works and personal correspondence. The study employs a combination of historical and textual analysis methods (systemic, terminological, and discursive) and historical and situational analysis techniques. The author concludes that E.R. Dashkova's texts on upbringing and education clearly reflect her conceptualized views on the subject. This applies to the object of educational activity - the young generation of the managerial elite, its goal setting (preparation for «serving the Fatherland»), and the methodology for analyzing the educational process in Russia. Dashkova's concept of education relies on three principles: a) teaching by personal example, or more likely, training through practical learning; b) permanent supervision by the educator, regardless of the student's age; c) «reasonable» education focused on the needs of society. Her principles of education, which she refers to as «axioms», are the most fully developed part of her views. The influence of John Locke, Helvetius, and Holbach's theoretical constructs on E.R. Dashkova's views is clearly visible in these axioms. The least developed part of her approach are the methods of training young representatives of the managerial elite. It also includes the set of applicable instruments needed to achieve the expected result.