Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast @volnc-esc-en
Journal articles - Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast
All articles: 1832
Scientific article
The demographic agenda and transformations of the modern labor market require the concept of corporate social responsibility to be revised, including in the direction of supporting employees who have families. The aim of the study is to develop and test a comprehensive methodology for evaluating existing measures of corporate demographic policy in Russian organizations. Neo-institutional theoretical approach and the theory of employee loyalty served as a methodological basis for the inclusion of the institution of business in the implementation of demographic policy. The empirical study is based on our own methodology for comprehensive assessment ofcorporate demographic policy measures based on three indicators: employee awareness of the existence of measures, usefulness of measures for recipients, and demographic effectiveness. The information base includes materials from a survey of 1,000 respondents living in the Siberian and Ural federal districts. The research produced the following results: 1) the system of measures aimed at supporting Russian workers and their families is not yet extensive, comprehensive and sustainable; 2) we identified measures leading in information promotion, assessment of usefulness and potential impact on reproductive behavior; we also identified measures that are not common in Russian organizations, but have the potential to influence reproductive decision-making; 3) we determined the foundations of a corporate social policy strategy aimed at supporting the state demographic agenda and working out relevant corporate governance practices, focused on taking into account employees’ needs. The findings of the study form an idea of the in-demand vector of strategic planning related to the concept of corporate social responsibility, which, given the transformation of the modern labor market, is aimed simultaneously at supporting the state demographic agenda and strengthening corporate governance.
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Corporate social responsibility: assessment methods and the regional dimension
Scientific article
In order to implement all the delegated powers amid lack of economic and financial opportunities, it is necessary for the authorities to search for additional sources of development. One of the key economic actors is represented by business structures which possess a significant amount of financial, investment, labor and other resources. In this regard, it is relevant to develop mutually beneficial cooperation of authorities and business entities. An efficient form of such cooperation, as evidenced by world experience, is social responsibility. However, this practice is not widespread in Russia; Russian research do not pay enough attention to specific tools contributing to enhancing the role of businesses in addressing social and economic issues of territories. The present paper identifies current approaches to the understanding of social responsibility of business and presents the author's interpretation of this economic category. Based on the developed methodological tools, the author makes an appraisal of social responsibility of major chemical enterprises of the Northwestern Federal district...
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Scientific article
The low monetization of the Russian economy occasionally provokes serious debates on the necessity of its substantial increase in order to promote economic growth. However, this step will not change the crisis situation due to the counteraction of structural factors and flaws in monetary regulation. The study of the level of monetization in the periods of stagnation and decline in oil prices in the countries that export raw materials shows it is impossible to promote economic growth only at the expense of additional money supply. The policy of inflation targeting in commodity-based developing economies proves efficient only if commodity prices are growing, when monetary policy restrains excessive credit activity. At present, falling oil prices and a liberal foreign exchange regime stimulate high inflation and decline in credit activities. Therefore, during the time of negative commodity market conditions, it is necessary to readjust monetary regulation so that it could counteract deleverage processes in the real sector of economy. The dynamics of credit activities should become the main regulating indicator instead of the consumer price index. The Bank of Russia should start lowering interest rates if credit activities are declining, even if the consumer price index remains high. It will be possible to return to neutral monetary policy only after the falling trend in oil prices is reversed and credit activities increased.
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Could neighbourhood ties still be important for the migrants in a metropolitan city?
Scientific article
Although neighbourhood ties have diminishing roles in people's lives because the modern metropolis presents so much choice for its residents, they have not completely disappeared, especially for some groups. In metropolitan cities, migrants settle in the areas where other migrants from the same origin live. This situation represents more than socioeconomic factors, and the relationship forms that migrants maintain within and outside their neighbourhoods could be different from one migrant group to another. The aim of this study is to understand the importance of neighbourhood ties in the networks of the migrants in Istanbul, and to examine the type of ties by their geographical locations. According to the results of the analysis which demonstrates the concentration of different migrant groups in the districts of Istanbul, the focus is on the international migrants who came from Macedonia and old Yugoslavian countries (Sandzak region) and who live in Bayrampasa and Besiktas, and internal migrants who came from the biggest metropolitan city Ankara and its border city of Eskisehir and who live in Besiktas...
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Scientific article
The federal program on the formation of comfortable urban environment was initiated in Russia in 2017. Its aim is to improve local and public territories. The program implies the active involvement of citizens, which is taken into account in the Urban Environment Quality Index. On the basis of an empirical study, conducted using mass survey and expert interview methods in the towns of the Arkhangelsk Oblast, the authors analyze a degree of civic participation of residents in the implementation of projects to create a comfortable urban environment and assess the efficiency of existing mechanisms of interaction between society and government. We assume the theoretical provision that a social activity is the citizens’ work to transform the environment, carried out under the influence of external and internal factors. External factors include activities of municipal authorities to inform town residents about the program for creating a comfortable urban environment and to involve them in the implementation of projects. Internal factors are citizens’ personal interest and their meaningful participation in the program. The results of the sociological survey indicate a high potential for citizens’ social activity, which is a necessary condition for effective interaction between government and society and a successful implementation of the program. However, practical participation of urban residents remains weak. The main reasons are the lack of citizens’ awareness about the implemented program, the lack of clear ways of interaction between government and society, as well as an understanding of the program’s fundamental principles, which, in turn, leads to passivity and distrust toward the authorities. The authors conclude that, in order to increase civic engagement, we need a system of measures, which would allow adjusting the existing communication means between government and society and increasing the effectiveness of the program on the formation of a comfortable urban environment.
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Creation of the conditions for self-development of the northern territories: budget aspect
Scientific article
The article analyzes the reasons for and consequences of the low level of financial self-sufficiency in the Northern regions, it describes the approaches to the improvement of budget and tax regulation mechanisms in order to increase budgetary self-sufficiency in the territories and enhance their self-development. In addition, the article substantiates the proposals for increasing the share of tax revenues in the regional and municipal budgets and improving the redistribution of budget funds.
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Criteria and resources for social adaptation of Russia's population
Scientific article
The stress caused by social changes that Russia's population experienced due to the change of the socio-economic order forced them to choose adaptation behavior strategies: from active influence on the environment to avoiding problems. In these conditions, the developing branch of knowledge - the sociology of adaptation - was interested in the socio-economic aspects of the issue associated with changes in living standards, social status and economic behavior strategies of members of different stratification groups and the impact of different types of capital. However, studying adaptation as a component of social health is equally important. The goal of the present paper is to study social adaptation of Russia's population and identify its groups with different adaptation potential. We focus on adaptation in terms of resource and subject-activity approaches. European Social Survey data (Russia, sample size is 2,484 people) serve as an empirical base of our research. We consider social adaptation through the indicators of its result: adaptation level and through resources. We identify four latent variables using latent structural analysis of the observed variables that reflect different aspects of adaptation. Two of them characterize the result of adaptation: positive mental health and subjective activity (active behavioral practices in a changing environment). The other two are adaptation resources: internal (high adequate self-assessment, subjectivity, internal locus of control) and external (social support). Using latent-structural analysis we determine the grounds for stratification of Russian society according to the “social adaptation” criterion. We identify groups that are problematic in terms of the dynamics of adaptation processes in the case of the changes in the initial data such as an increase in the external load or a decrease in external resources. We reveal that from the standpoint of the subject-activity approach the maladjustment of an individual is connected with their alienation in professional activity. The novelty of our work lies in the fact that it implements an interdisciplinary approach to the study of social adaptation.
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Criteria of the digital well-being of the population: Current state and problems
Scientific article
The current stage of societal development is inevitably linked to rapid digital transformation, the results of which permeate the economy, governance, and virtually all spheres of life. This confirms the relevance of addressing this issue, expanding the information base, and developing tools for assessing the impact of these new conditions on human life. The paper focuses on the digital well-being of the population, with its aim being the development of methodological approaches for its measurement. The article provides a critical analysis of theoretical and methodological approaches to studying well-being and digital well-being, presents an original assessment methodology based on subjective data, and tests it using data from a 2021 representative survey of the population in the Vologda Region. The novelty of the results is confirmed by the proposal of a new assessment approach and the applied results obtained through its implementation, which expand the regional picture of digital development and allow for comparisons and typologization of regions based on the level of the population's digital well-being. The characteristics of the population's digital well-being in the region are analyzed across types of settlements, levels of education and income, and by gender and age characteristics. Many conclusions regarding the persistence of digital divides and obstacles to achieving well-being in the digital environment are confirmed, and the most vulnerable socio-demographic groups are identified. A significant influence of place of residence and age on digital well-being parameters is shown; other factors are less pronounced and require deeper study. The findings concerning society's acceptance of potential digital risks require separate discussion and research. The practical significance of the results is determined by their potential use for managerial purposes, including the strategic planning for achieving national and regional development goals, and the classification and typology of regions based on digital development characteristics. Furthermore, the availability of information on the population's digital well-being can contribute to enhancing the investment attractiveness of the region's IT sector, developing digital education, introducing high-tech goods and services to the market, and other areas of digital transformation
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Critical issues of alcohol safety in the region
Scientific article
The paper presents results of the research into the economic and socio-demographic indicators associated with the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages. It discloses the analysis of the alcoholic beverage market structure in the Vologda Oblast. The authors have identified the threshold of the safe alcohol production volume in the region taking into account the World Health Organization standards of alcohol consumption and the share of illegally produced goods. The article states that the increased alcohol production contributes to the rise in tax revenues, but the state fiscal policy to regulate the alcoholic beverage market leads to an increase in the share of shadow turnover. The authors have calculated the economic loss connected with the illegal production of alcoholic beverages in the Vologda Oblast. The alcohol consumption is a destructive socio-demographic process and one of the threats to the health of the nation. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to alcohol dependence, regression of the society and increases the threat to national and economic security...
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Cross-border investment cooperation in the arctic region: challenges and opportunities
Scientific article
The article considers the investment processes that take place in the foreign and Russian Arctic, the tools to attract investment and the possibility of accumulating best practices in the implementation of investment projects. Analysis of the data on planned, unfinished and cancelled projects in the Russian and foreign Arctic, including joint projects, allows us to reveal problems in cross-border investment cooperation. In the framework of global economic challenges, when discussing the opportunities for the Northern regions alternative to large-scale production and transportation, we determine the need to find new promising areas of investment, including infrastructure projects. On the basis of official, statistical and expert assessments, we analyze the priorities and directions of investment activities in the Arctic and the main tools to increase investment attractiveness and promote investment. We consider European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) Kolarctic 2007-2013 as an analytical case, since it is one of the most effective tools for providing financial support to multilateral cross-border cooperation projects in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region...
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Crowdfunding - a social technology of collective financing: foreign experience of application
Scientific article
The article dwells on the foreign experience of crowdfunding in the case study of a crowdfunding platform. It presents the results of the platform operation by categories of declared projects and the total amount of funding. Analysis of the popularity of the proposed projects, as well as their efficiency is performed in the article.
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Cultural identity as a factor in strengthening the integrity of Russia
Scientific article
The article discusses cultural identity as a driving force and a reserve for strengthening the integrity of the Russian state. The author analyzes the modern social and cultural situation in Russia, reveals the foundations of the phenomenon of contemporary culture, its role in society; he outlines the main directions of research into modern culture as a factor promoting the integrity of Russia.
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Culture and traditions as drivers of territorial development: The experience of Russia and China
Scientific article
The study reveals the significance of culture and traditions for territorial development through key perspectives of integrating culture with tourism and the production of unique goods possessing cultural-historical and artistic value. It is proven that the cultural and historical heritage of a territory contributes to economic development by enhancing its tourist appeal and stimulating consumer demand. The article systematizes current examples of practices implemented in the regions of Russia (Vologda Region) and China (Jiangxi Province) that are based on the cultural potential of the territory. These practices not only foster economic development but also possess a social effect of reproducing cultural patterns through socialization, upbringing, and familiarization with culture via verbal and non-verbal channels of information transmission. The analysis of the implemented areas of activity shows that both the Vologda Region and Jiangxi Province have significant cultural and historical potential for developing tourism and traditional industries. Considerable attention is paid to the formation of traditional values, including patriotism, social consolidation, and civic engagement. In conclusion, the article outlines common vectors of state policy for both territories, aimed at further developing the cultural-historical potential and its realization in the economy and in the reproduction of national cultures.
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Current issues in the development of a regional economic security monitoring system
Scientific article
The article addresses issues of economic security in Russia’s regions. The relevance of the study stems from the need to transform the country’s existing economic security framework in light of the considerable disparities among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The aim of the work is to develop an approach to monitoring regional economic security based on a vector entropy model. The research identifies three fundamental properties of a socio‑economic system – stability, resilience, and progressive development – to be used in the comprehensive monitoring of a territory’s economic security. The paper presents a vector entropy model that decomposes the total entropy of the system into components: measures of disorder, self‑organization, development, and stability, along with the results of testing the model on Rosstat data for Russia as a whole and for five constituent entities (Moscow, Moscow Region, Sverdlovsk Region, Vladimir Region, and Amur Region) covering the period 1992–2024. The monitoring results reveal regional differentiation in the resilience and adaptability of socio‑economic systems. An analysis of the entropy‑monitoring findings shows that, in the current period (since the early 2020s), the economic security of Russia’s regions is only partially assured. The mounting number of new challenges and threats exposes the limitations of the existing adaptation mechanisms. The observed rise in the system’s disorder, without a commensurate rise in self‑organization, indicates that its short‑term adaptive capacity is exhausted. The system’s dynamism comes at the price of greater vulnerability, as reflected by declining stability amid growing development. The conclusions underscore the need for a differentiated approach to ensuring economic security that takes regional specificities into account. The proposed model can serve as a tool for adjusting strategic directions, prioritizing government support measures, and building adaptive mechanisms to respond to emerging challenges.
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Scientific article
The goal of the present article is to evaluate the trends and identify key problems in the socio-economic development of municipal entities and in the development of local self-government, and to identify ways to solve the most acute of them. We consider trends in the development of municipal entities in their relation with the processes of reforming local self-government; the analysis uses not only statistics, but also the results of a local self-government monitoring held in the Vologda Oblast since 2007 in the form of a questionnaire survey of heads of municipalities. This distinguishes our present work from similar works of other scholars and forms its scientific novelty. To achieve our goal we used such scientific methods as economic, statistical and comparative analysis, generalization, expert survey, and a monographic method. We have found out that the main problems that impede efficient management of development of municipal entities are as follows: flaws in the legislation regulating the development of local self-government; lack of own revenue sources and insufficient financial support from the state; low efficiency of interaction with public authorities; lack of complete and reliable information on the socio-economic development of the municipality; non-involvement of the local population; limited powers of local self-government bodies in the sphere of economic development of the territory...
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Current problems of cooperation between Russian and Belarusian enterprises: region’s view
Scientific article
Under the unfavorable geopolitical situation, strengthening bilateral cooperation between Russia and the Republic of Belarus is of particular relevance. Currently, Russia is Belarus’ key trade partner. Despite serious challenges, sanctions and restrictions, Russian and Belarusian enterprises continue developing cooperation in almost all sectors of the national economy and achieving results. According to the results of the first 11 months of 2022, the historically maximum volume of mutual turnover of goods and services - 45 billion U.S. dollars - has been achieved. Analytical data and expert assessments show that the current environment makes it possible to intensify bilateral cooperation between enterprises of the two countries and bring it to a new level. On the other hand, as experts note, the existing situation may become a source of problems that hinder the potential of such cooperation. This condition determines the topic relevance and the purpose of the work. The research aims to identify the barriers to cooperation between the enterprises of Russia and the Republic of Belarus and develop proposals for their elimination. In order to achieve this goal, we have developed a toolkit, which was used to conduct an expert survey (indepth interview method) of managers of enterprises of Russia’s region (the Vologda Oblast), cooperating with counterparties from the Republic of Belarus. We carried out the selection of the expert group by means of the documentary method. The heads of six enterprises of the region, whose activities correlate with the structure of the volume of foreign trade turnover between the Vologda Oblast and the Republic of Belarus, took part in the survey. Approbation of the developed toolkit allows identifying certain problems arising in the course of bilateral cooperation: the problem of value added tax refund in the framework of foreign trade operations, the presence of customs restrictions, including on special-purpose products, the negative effects of economic sanctions and others.
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Scientific article
The transformations in the natural and socio-economic environment occurring in the Far North and the Arctic put forward the problem of regional sustainable development. This makes it necessary to address the task of finding strategic approaches to the management of the nonstandard Arctic region, considering the national interests of many states, including the Russian Federation, which dominates territorially in this region. Taking into account the size of the Arctic space and the extreme conditions of economic management, it seems relevant to comprehend the experience of international cooperation in the Arctic and analyze its use for socio-economic development in the entire Arctic region. The aim of the article is to analyze the current stage of international cooperation so as to find answers to the challenges of socio-economic development of the Arctic region. To achieve the goal, we have analyzed the state policy features of the Arctic states based on strategic planning, thus the northern states are able to adapt to the changing natural, socio-economic and geopolitical conditions. We considered approaches in the implementation of projects to develop mineral deposits on the continental shelf of the Arctic Ocean. With the support of international cooperation we give examples of nature management aimed at harmonization of economic interests of business entities and the need to preserve the environment quality in the Arctic. The scientific novelty consists in the critical analysis of the international cooperation features in the Arctic and its readiness to participate in overcoming the new challenges of the Arctic development. The practical relevance of the study lies in the fact that its findings can be used in the educational process in universities, as well as at the state level by executive and legislative authorities in the development and implementation of state policy in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, considering the features of international cooperation.
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Scientific article
The article deals with the targeted form of social welfare benefits-subsidies for rent and utility services in the Republic of Komi. The article analyzes the programmes on the payment of housing and utility services: benefits, rent subsidies. It reveals the reasons for territorial differences in average monthly rates of rent subsidies per one family and significant variations of these indicators among the region’s municipal entities.
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Current state and prospects of family policy in Russia: socio-demographic analysis
Scientific article
The goal of the work is to analyze the measures and expected results of the state family policy, including the activities of the national project “Demography” (2018), affecting the interests of the family, which allows us to determine the prospects of family policy. The article is based on the analysis of state documents on the strategy of demographic and family policy, official statistics, population censuses and sample surveys of Rosstat. We identify the effectiveness of family policy measures taking into account the differentiation of socio-demographic development of regions. To do this, we use methods of descriptive statistics and multidimensional data analysis - dispersion and cluster analysis. The cluster analysis makes it possible to form typological groups of regions depending on the dynamics of fertility, poverty level and the development of the preschool care system - the most important indicators characterizing the implementation of family policy strategy. Economic support measures, the effectiveness of which has been proven in a number of studies conducted in countries around the world, are very important for Russian families. However, the impact of these measures has its own specific features in connection with the differentiation of economic development of regions, opportunities for the development of social infrastructure, and maintenance of a decent standard of living for families with children; it is important to take all this into account in the development of family policy. The analysis of the effectiveness of family policy suggests the need to change the structure of implemented measures. Family policy should be long-term and systemic; it should be aimed at creating conditions that increase the independence of the family in modern society and economic relations. Often, in the course of formation of a strategy for activities in the field of family policy, there is no clear link between the goals of activities and indicators of its achievement. Complex issues that need to be addressed in the interests of the family (for example, providing opportunities for parents to combine family and professional roles) and that need to unite the efforts of various actors, including employers, remain outside the focus of family policy. The intersection of activities and expected results does not allow us to assess the effectiveness of individual strategic documents in the field of family policy.
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