Russian Business Research Articles

Building a digital consulting architecture for small and medium-sized businesses in Russia

The paper deals with the integration of marketing consulting services in small and medium-sized businesses based on the resources of digital economy and digital products. The methodological apparatus of the research includes methods of analysis, classification, analogy and induction. The role and necessity of consulting services in the conditions of digitalization of economic processes are analyzed. The consulting market is analyzed and the importance of marketing consulting services for the modern digital economy is consid ered. The study described peculiarities of small and medium-sized business organizations’ management in the context of integration of digital technologies for the implementation of marketing consulting services. The key factors influencing the role of marketing consult ing services in the digital economy are identified. Popular digital products that consulting companies can use in their work are examined. As part of the research for the effective im plementation of digital consulting architecture as a basis for the development of marketing consulting services aimed at supporting small and medium-sized businesses, analyzed the market of digital products that meet the needs of the modern market and contribute to the development of companies.

The Impact of Sanctions on the Level of ESG Transparency in russian Companies after the Start of the Special Military Operation

Under the conditions of sanctions restrictions, there has been a change in the ESG involvement and ESG transparency of Russian companies. At the same time, the nature of such changes, as well as the impact of sanctions, ownership structure and industry affiliation, remains insufficiently studied. The article examines the level of ESG transparency of Russian business before and after the start of a special military operation in 2022, considering the ownership structure and industry affiliation of companies. The study sample includes ESG transparency estimates for 75 Russian public companies for the period from 2021 to 2023. According to the results of the study, it was revealed that after the start of the special military operation, there was a decrease in the level of information transparency in all three ESG aspects, especially in terms of social information and corporate governance information. In addition, it was found that the change in the level of ESG transparency varies depending on the ownership structure and industry affiliation. The results obtained can be used by investors, creditors and other stakeholder groups when making decisions about cooperation with certain companies, taking into account the specifics related to the capital structure and business profile.

Discussion of the first factory laws of the Russian Empire in the metropolitan press

The article provides an overview of the publications of the leading periodicals of St. Petersburg and Moscow on the factory laws of 1882–1886, which ensured the labor protection of children, adolescents and women, regulated the relations of workers and business owners concerning the conditions of employment, the issuance of wages, the imposition of fines, etc. The liberal press called for the further development of this legislation, as well as to expand the rights of workers, up to the resolution of strikes with economic demands and the creation of trade union organizations. Conservative publications opposed any self-organization of the factory population and any form of strike struggle. Some of them («Russian Business», «Modern News») They criticized the adopted laws, which, in their opinion, infringed on the interests of the owners and did not correspond to the relations that, allegedly, had long been established between workers and employers. M.N. Katkov, the influential publisher and editor of «Moskovskiye Vedomosti», on the contrary, demanded an all-out strengthening of state regulation at industrial enterprises. His ideas were formed in the 1880s. The concept of «guardianship» is based on strict administrative custody of «factory people».

Стратегическое развитие российских нефтегазовых компаний в условиях экономических санкций

The article examines the positive and negative impact of external environmental factors on the Russian oil and gas business in Russia. PESTLE-analysis by the expert method was carried out, on the basis of which the most significant risks for the gas business – reduction of sales in the European market and ban on oil and gas equipment supplies – were identified using quantitative assessments. The impact of sanctions on the operational results of PJSC “Gazprom” was investigated, revealing a substantial decline in revenue and profit from sales, primarily due to the imposition of anti-Russian restrictive measures. These negative trends were partially mitigated by an increase in gas supplies to China and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), as well as growing domestic market demands, which altered the geographical structure of sales volumes. Within the framework of a long-term development program, the article substantiates the potential for diversifying gas export supplies to Asia-Pacific countries and identifies revenue growth reserves through the gasification of Russian regions using statistical methods. Additionally, the advantages of redirecting supplies of key oil and gas equipment to Chinese manufacturers were identified, which could significantly reduce both the delivery time and costs by up to 40 %.

The Interests of the American Corporate Sector in the Context of Fragmentation of the Global Economy and Conflict with Russia

The study of the strategies of American companies on the Russian market since February 24, 2022, occupies a special place in the research of modern Americanists and international experts. This is because no other country has experienced the Western "cancel culture" to the same extent as Russia. The article examines the main strategies adopted by American companies in 2021-2023, their main challenges and opportunities for continuing operations in modern geopolitical circumstances. As the analysis reveals, American business in Russia has taken several different paths: exiting the market, suspending operations, reducing investments, delaying the process of departure from the Russian market, and maintaining operations. The paper discusses various options for American companies to continue operating in Russia, analyzing the causes and effects of their withdrawal in the short and long terms. The final section of the paper is devoted to the prospects for the continuation of American businesses in the Russian market.

The main approaches to assessing the comparability of ESG business practices in Russia

Relevance. Sustainable Development Goals and ESG practices are an integral part of Russian business today. The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals is aimed at meeting the interests of a wide range of stakeholders. To assess the ESG result, the business uses the services of rating agencies that compile ratings and rankings, providing a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the level of sustainable development of the company. However, the results obtained are often assessed by experts as irrelevant and have a number of disadvantages in terms of their comparability.The purpose is to show the variety of existing approaches and methods that are applicable in current conditions to assess the comparability of ESG practices.Objectives: to present the existing techniques and techniques for evaluating ESG practices; to analyze the bottlenecks in the existing methodological base for ESG assessment; to assess the prospects for further development of the methodology for evaluating ESG indicators and to make recommendations for the further development of the ESG assessment system in Russia.Methodology. The methodology presented by the author lies in the field of research of two sciences –sociology and economics. The application of an interdisciplinary approach allows using the expert interview method to identify the bottlenecks which are necessary for analysis and accounting, and the economic and statistical functionality will allow calculations that ensure comparability of the presented indicators.Results. As a result of the consideration of the main approaches to the assessment of ESG indicators the set of methods and techniques was identified, which forms the basis of the methodological base for evaluating ESG practices. An analysis of existing techniques has revealed a number of bottlenecks that require careful analysis and accounting. Assessing the need for comparability of ESG indicators, expert opinions were divided, which characterizes the ambiguity of the unification process of ESG indicators.Conclusions. Due to the changing geo-economic and geopolitical conditions, the angle of consideration of ESG practices in Russia has changed dramatically. The degree of government involvement has increased. In the current conditions, the development of methodological recommendations becomes particularly relevant when it comes to determining the proper Russian prerogatives of sustainability.

«Двойственность» как характеристика российской деловой культуры

Contemporary concepts of sociology of management are based on the fact that, despite the universalization of managerial practices caused by business internationalization, national culture creates a context of business interaction, adds originality to the national business culture, determines the behavior of employees of a com-pany and has a serious influence on organizational culture and management technologies. Russian business culture has developed along a complex trajectory, sometimes borrowing “advanced” western standards and practices, sometimes turning towards the East, but its constant tendency is to seek own identity, relying on soci-ocultural roots and spiritual-moral values. The author’s understanding of the phenomenon of business culture is presented in the article and on the basis of the analysis the following are highlighted most striking character-istics of Russian business culture can be considered to be the irrationality of management (decision-making based on experience or intuition), duality of the value system (simultaneously the manifestation of collectivism and individualism, masculinity and femininity of culture, acceptance of both “Western” and conservative tradi-tional values), contradictions of “Russian character” (from submission to rebellion, from militancy to mercy and compassion), high power distance, paternalism etc. In general, it is the unique Russian contradiction, “duality”, which becomes the most frequently encountered characteristic of Russian business culture in scientific litera-ture.

Russian Language in the Field of Civil Service: Problems of Development and Using Borrowed Vocabulary

The article is devoted to the difficulties of mastering and errors in the use of foreign words in oral and written business (office) communication in Russian. The relevance of this topic is explained by the special speech responsibility of representatives of socially significant professions who use Russian as the state language, as well problems arising in the implementation as of the provisions of the Federal Law “On the State Language of the Russian Federation” as amended on February 28, 2023. The article substantiates the thesis about the need to take into account not only the lack of Russian analogues, but also other factors when using borrowed words. Of great importance for collecting language material was the author’s many years of work experience at the Faculty of Additional Education at the North-Western Academy of Public Administration (now the North-Western Institute of Management of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation), in the executive authorities of Saint Petersburg and North-West Russia, in the Interregional Resource Center under the Administration of the Governor of Saint Petersburg. Theoretical methods (analysis, synthesis, historicism) made it possible to identify subjective and objective difficulties in mastering, typical errors in the use of borrowed words, as well as update ways to overcome them, which can be of practical importance for the conscious implementation of this law and improving the culture of Russian business (official) speech.

Strategic actions of the largest foreign companies in Russia in the first years of strengthening sanctions against Russia

ABSTRACT We evaluated the performance of the largest Russian subsidiaries of multinational corporations in 2020-2024. For this, we explored the ‘Forbes 50 Largest Foreign Corporations in Russia’ lists for 2020–2024. The 2020 and 2021 lists differed by a few companies. The 2021 and 2022 lists differed by a half, mostly because of the exit from Russia of 16 ‘super-giants’ (global corporations with total revenues above US$ 100 billion) of different industries. Simultaneously, ‘Forbes 50 Largest Foreign Corporations in Russia 2023’ accommodated almost 20 companies with smaller worldwide sales. In 2023, 13 more companies left ‘Forbes 50 Largest Foreign Corporations in Russia’ and 13 companies entered this list. Such ‘new entrants’ to the world of Forbes are from China, Turkey, Belorussia, and several other countries, including the countries that do participate in sanctions against Russia. In general, only 18 companies from the ‘Forbes list of foreign companies in Russia 2021’ remained in the ‘Forbes list of foreign companies in Russia 2024’. The ‘Forbes list of foreign companies in Russia 2024’ may be considered a list of companies that made a choice to try to continue business in Russia and withstand both the Western sanctions and Russian measures against ‘unfriendly countries’.

The impact of anti-Russian sanctions on the Chinese multinational corporations' activities in Russia

Subject. This article discusses the prospects for the development of Chinese transnational enterprises in a changing geopolitical environment. Objectives. The article aims to assess the impact of international sanctions on the investment activity and the range of activities of Chinese companies in the Russian market. Methods. For the study, we used systems and comparative analyses. Results. The article finds that Chinese corporations are cooperating and interacting with the Russian market in a cautious manner due to fears of secondary sanctions and the risk of losing reputation with European partners. The question of the expediency of the rapid development of Chinese business in Russia in the context of high costs for attracting financing and the volatility of the Russian ruble exchange rate remains debatable. Conclusions. The impact of anti-Russian sanctions on the activities of Chinese multinational corporations in Russia cannot be unambiguously assessed. Despite the difficulties, unique opportunities are opening up for Chinese corporations to take the place of European companies in the Russian market. To develop the activities of Chinese transnational corporations in Russia, it is necessary to create the parallel imports volumes.

Russian Business and the Authoritarian Welfare State

Authoritarian regimes widely involve non-state actors in social welfare to increase output legitimacy and regime stability. Despite the volume of corporate social investments, the role of private companies in authoritarian welfare is still poorly understood. This study analyzes the functioning of corporate social programs in the Russian authoritarian welfare state by focusing on corporate grant competitions and corporate volunteering as means of engaging both the local population and the companies’ employees in the regions. Drawing on stakeholder theory, it investigates how companies position themselves as welfare providers and how they legitimize their role with regard to key stakeholders, including state officials, employees, and the local population. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews with company representatives and key stakeholders in four Russian regions: Kemerovo, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region, Tiumen′, and Volgograd. In addition, corporate social reports from 2018 and information for beneficiaries were evaluated to identify program guidelines, motivations, and stakeholder assessments. The study argues that companies play an important role as welfare providers through the financial support of social organizations and employee initiatives at the regional and the local level. By providing social investments in geographically defined “territories of presence,” Russian companies pursue a double legitimation strategy, both demonstrating their social responsibility and loyalty toward the regime and strengthening authoritarian welfare provision through private social investments. With a detailed analysis of corporate social programs, this study contributes to our understanding of the specific conditions and mechanisms of social policy in authoritarian regimes and the place that companies occupy within it.

Ensuring the performance of external communications: An informal classification of target groups

The increasing influence of the investment community on business sustainability highlights the need for a compre hensive understanding and accurate segmentation of this audience. The research aims to identify consistent criteria for intra group differentiation in the perception of financial reporting information among members of various stakeholder groups in or der to improve the performance of external communications management. Methodologically, the study rests upon stakeholder theory, which is supported by expert assessments, structural-logical analysis, and multidimensional discriminant analysis. The study draws on authentic data of a survey on the quality of corporate reporting information conducted in the fourth quarter of 2020 among 52 representatives of the Russian business. The research identifies motivationally-rooted statistically significant discrepancies in the probability of correlating some survey participants with their functional group formed on a formal basis. We discuss the relevant criteria for an informal division of respondents into groups based on subjective judgments about qualitative characteristics of corporate financial reports. These criteria include variations in estimates of complexity of reporting standards and functionality of cost indicators based on the concept of fair market value. The revealed criteria for motivational and func tional identification within stable subgroups of financial statement users formed within functional groups represents the scien tific novelty of this study. The results contribute to a deeper understanding of the relevant criteria for the group structure of the investment community, which constitutes the target audience for corporate reporting. These findings can be utilized to refine the formal classification of users of reporting information, as well as to adjust other components of corporate management systems with the aim of enhancing the effectiveness of external communications.

The state and prospects of development of insurance for small and medium-sized businesses in Russia

In modern conditions caused by the instability of the national economy, the role of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the country's economy is increasing many times. Insurance is a reliable tool for protecting entrepreneurs from risks and ensuring the sustainability of their business. The purpose of this article is to study the current problems and prospects for the development of SME insurance in the context of external economic sanctions and market volatility. The object of the study is the SME insurance system in Russia. Scientific work contributes to the theory of insurance, in particular, to substantiate the need for insurance in the development of entrepreneurship and its role for the country's economy. The results of the study can be used to develop measures of state support for SME insurance, as well as to improve insurance products aimed at entrepreneurs.

Problems and prospects of digital development of small and medium-sized businesses in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus

In the modern world of rapidly developing technologies, digitalization has become not just a trend, but a vital condition for the successful functioning of any business, regardless of its scale. In Russia, as in many other countries, digitalization processes have taken a leading position among development priorities. Today digitalization implies the active and widespread introduction of modern digital technologies, automation tools and innovative solutions in all areas of business, which means a transition from traditional, manual methods of work to automated processes based on digital data. Digitalization is of particular importance for the development of Russian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It is this segment of the economy that is the most dynamic, flexible and adaptable to changes in most developed countries of the world. The introduction of digital solutions in small and medium-sized businesses will improve their competitiveness, create new jobs, strengthen economic growth and make Russia more competitive at the global level. The article examines the results of a study of the state of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia and the Republic of Belarus, the degree of implementation of digital technologies in small and medium-sized businesses in the two countries. Based on the results of the comparative analysis, a conclusion was made about the positive dynamics of the development of both the SME sector as a whole and the level of its digitalization, the directions of digital development of small and medium-sized businesses in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus were determined.

Territories with special regimes — the engine of Russian economic development

There are more than 50 territories with preferential regimes for business in Russia, and their number is constantly growing. Over 19 years of existence, special economic zones (SEZ) have attracted almost two trillion rubles of investment and created more than 50 thousand jobs. The article examines the main types of territories with preferential regimes, their advantages for investors and residents, and discusses the current situation with the development of SEZs in Russia, including problems and prospects. Particular attention is paid to the role of management companies in the development of SEZs, and key factors contributing to the successful development of territories with special regimes are highlighted.

Формирование корпоративной культуры бережливого производства в современных условиях

The current stage of development of the national economy is associated with the formation of technological sovereignty of the country. Harsh sanctions, existing restrictions on access to certain market segments, digitalization and other challenges form an explicit request to Russian business to transform approaches to the organization of production, aimed primarily at increasing labor productivity, which is possible due to several main factors: the development of the production and technical base, maximizing the use of people-human capital and optimization of organizational factors. The first factor is quite costly and time-consuming in terms of implementation. The development of human and organizational factors can be carried out through lean production tools, the main problem of which is the significant resistance of personnel to new introductions. The work of foreign and domestic scientists and practitioners in the field of lean manufacturing and corporate culture has been studied, which allowed to formulate the author's definition of “corporate culture of lean production”, which allowed to develop a model of corporate culture of lean production at three levels of management (TOP, Middle, Down Management). The proposed model of transformation of the existing corporate culture into a corporate culture of lean production is considered in three planes with the designation of the stages of formation of a new corporate culture. It is noted that only voluntary adherence to a new ideology can maximize the effectiveness of innovations.

Natural Therapeutic Resources of the Russian Federation: Updated Legislation and Medical Aspects of their Application

The article outlines the provisions of the modern regulatory framework that regulates the work of health spa (sanatorium) organizations and the use of natural healing resources for therapeutic purposes. The legislative innovations, the main tasks and problems of the development of the spa and resort industry from a medical point of view are described. The historical background of the development of the spa and resort medical industry in the context of natural resources is presented. It describes the development of health resort business in Russia from the emergence of the first sanatorium to the present day.

Research of Practices of Formation and Development of Human Capital in Companies of Various Industries on the Russian Market

Almost all global trends create a synergistic effect, which increases the importance of forming and developing human capital to ensure the survival of companies in the market and their confidence in the future, regardless of their size and type of activity. However, despite the unflagging and continued interest of the scientific community in the issues related to human capital, there are still many “white spots” in this area. The aim of this work is to explore the approaches to forming and developing human capital applied by companies doing business in Russia in the current realities and modern conditions, to identify industry specifics and to outline recommendations. To achieve this goal, the authors conducted a questionnaire survey of managers of enterprises from different segments of the economy. As a result of the analysis of the obtained data, the conclusions were made that not all organisations have a generally accepted definition of HR and not everywhere there are procedures for its assessment. The problems related to personnel development, creation of competitive labour conditions for employees, search for potential employees and internal filling of vacancies were also revealed. The methodology of this work is based on a systemic approach and surveying, as well as general scientific methods such as synthesis, analysis, comparison, and generalization. Research results: Despite the fact that, in the opinion of the authors of the study, it did not consider all the problems of human capital formation and its impact on the sustainability of organisations, the obtained results allowed for the identification of the peculiarities of approaches to forming and developing human capital, considering industry specifics, and can be useful to develop practical recommendations for managers of companies aimed at improving this activity. Originality: This study presents, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of the approaches to forming and developing human capital in companies across various industries in the Russian labor market.

Стратегирование развития малого бизнеса в Российской Федерации

At the present stage of development of the Russian economy, under conditions of increasing external and internal challenges, such as sanctions and limited access to foreign technologies, there is an increasing need for the development and implementation of strategies that promote the sustainable development of small businesses. These circumstances are of particular relevance in the context of the desire to ensure economic independence and increase the competitiveness of the national economy. In this regard, this study is aimed at identifying and systematizing the basic principles of strategic management, adapted to the operating conditions of small businesses in Russia. The authors of the article focus on the theoretical foundations of strategic management, including SWOT analysis, macro-environmental analysis and strategic planning, and their applicability to small businesses. Based on an analysis of scientific literature, monographs and practical studies, the authors identified key aspects that should be taken into account when formulating development strategies for small enterprises. The article highlights and details the main practical recommendations for increasing the sustainability and competitiveness of small businesses, including adaptation to changing external and internal conditions, as well as optimal allocation of resources and innovative development. In conclusion, it is concluded that strategic planning and management, based on in-depth and comprehensive analysis, play a key role in ensuring the long-term development of small businesses in Russia.

Risks of “Social Legitimacy” of Corruption under Sanctions: Assessment of the Sentiments of the Regional Business Community

Introduction. In the context of a large-scale sanctions regime, the intensification of anti-corruption work requires special attention among a number of adjustment measures related to structural changes in the economy and changes in supply logistics. Sanctions become a trigger for the emergence of new corrupt practices. The purpose of this article: using sociological analysis methods, to identify the “social legitimacy” (admissibility, acceptability) of corrupt behavior in the business community as a risk factor for the growth of corruption in unfavorable conditions of sanctions pressure. Materials and Methods. The article is based on the results of a sociological study conducted by the authors using a questionnaire survey to assess the level of business corruption in 2021 pre-sanction and in 2022‒2023 sanction years for the Russian economy among the business community of the Sverdlovsk region (n = 500 annually). In order to compare regional trends with all-Russian ones, the results of sociological studies were used: “Business Barometer of Corruption in Russia” and “Consequences of the introduction of sanctions for Russian business.” Results. Risks to the social legitimacy of corruption under sanctions have been identified: against the general background of a negative assessment of corruption by the business community, there has been an increase in the number of supporters of the position that corruption can help solve pressing business problems, as well as those who are neutral towards corrupt business practices; an increase in the desire of the business community to justify the use of corrupt behavior patterns with the usual “that’s the way it is in Russia” has been revealed. Another risk is the dissonance between values and behavior: “In general, corruption is bad, but in a crisis situation, in my daily practice, I can, even must, use corrupt schemes”. Discussion and Conclusion. The life position of the business community, in which corruption is accepted as an inevitable norm of social interaction, turns out to be a barrier to anti-corruption work. The need to intensify sociological research to study the culture of everyday life in the Russian business community has been recorded. The results obtained can be used by government agencies, the chamber of commerce and industry; the union of small and medium-sized businesses, representatives of the business community to intensify anti-corruption work.