Goal-setting and hierarchy in economic systems: past and present

The article defines the value of intangible aspects of management. The goal-setting of business entities is considered as an ideal volitional relation, which forms a hierarchy according to the objectives of the society. It is shown that any historical economic system is based on the non-equivalent exchange between the ideal and material segments of the social division of labor. The article investigates the hypertrophy of the ideal segment of modern economy, which distorted the traditional principle of economic hierarchy based on spiritual and ethical principles. The historical context of the hierarchical structure of Russian economy is detected.