State — Region — Branch — Enterprise: System Sustainability Framework of the Russian Economy

Abstract

This paper investigates sustainability factors of the Russian economy as a multi-level, multi-entity and multi-aspect socio-economic system from the system perspective. The economic system sustainability concept is formulated as an ability to maintain preconditions for the development by supporting and effective using of economic system structure. The leading role of the community of economic entities at different levels (including the state as the entity of international relations, regions as the entities of Federation, enterprises as the business entities) in the economic sustainability is demonstrated. The necessity of the economic entity network “extension” by strengthening the sustainability of economic sectors is emphasized. The research into the internal basic system structure of an economic entity and external structure of its immediate surroundings in socio-economic, administrative-and-managerial and market environments using the results of the new economic systems theory contributes the evidence of the similarity of these structures to the conclusion. It is shown that each of the systems includes (together with an entity itself) four systems of different types (object, environment, process and project). The entity’s system environment has the same structure in administrative-and-managerial interlevel interactions. This makes it possible to combine the problem of the entity’s sustainability and the issue of the balanced system structures forming the economic entities’ internal and external environments. The method of calculating the index of such balanced systems is given. Recommendations on the selection of economic policy measures aimed at ensuring system sustainability of the Russian economy in the period of crisis are provided. It is shown that such a policy should be carried out in accordance with the principles of economic entity protection; balanced system of the economic entities’ internal and external environment; economic entities’ corporate solidarity regardless of their level in the management hierarchy.