Socio-economic Ecosystem Research Articles

The ecosystem approach as the basis for the formation and development of ecosystems in ecosystem economy

The article substantiates the prerequisites, prospects and advantages of applying the ecosystem approach in the economy. The landscape of ecosystems is analyzed, and the possibilities of their classification by type are established. Similarities and differences in the formation and development of economic and socio-economic ecosystems, as elements of the ecosystem economy, are created for the joint development of new system solutions and services for integration into the single market and the achievement of the goals of sustainable socio-economic and ecological development.

Vocational educational ecosystem of an industrial enterprise: concept, features, experience

Introduction. In modern conditions of rapid scientific and technological development, the training of highly qualified personnel is one of the most important tasks for most countries of the world. In this regard, it is of interest to study productive forms of interaction between education and the real sector of the economy. The aim of this research is to study the content of the vocational educational, to identify its features and development prospects. Methodology and methods. Systematic and comparative analysis was used to study the characteristics and significance of the vocational education ecosystem. In order to assess the influence of the vocational educational ecosystem on the formation of human capital of the enterprise that initiated its creation, two groups of its employees (30 people each) who received vocational education in educational organizations of the vocational-educational ecosystem and in other organizations were interviewed. In order to assess the impact of the vocational educational ecosystem on the development of human capital, a survey was conducted of 95 enterprise employees with higher education and experience from 3 to 25 years. The method of group assessments, questionnaires, and the Mann-Whitney U-test are applied Results. Analysis of the literature made it possible to identify the educational ecosystem as a special socio-economic ecosystem that has systemic characteristics, but has its own characteristics, expressed in the specificity of the goal, the presence of a special composition of key stakeholders and non-hierarchical connections between them. Using the example of the vocational educational ecosystem of a large machinebuilding enterprise in the Rostov region (Russian Federation), its specificity and importance for the enterprise are shown. A survey of industrial enterprise workers who received education in educational organizations of the vocational educational ecosystem and other educational organizations showed that the average period of professional adaptation for the first group was about 4.9 months, and for the second group – 9.9. Similarly, satisfaction with the practical skills acquired during the training process differs between the two groups of respondents. To assess the period of professional adaptation U = 75 at p < 0.01, to assess satisfaction with practical skills U = 264 at p < 0.01. 71.6% of surveyed enterprise employees at the second stage noted that over the past year they received new professional knowledge from employees of the academic sector. Conclusion. The key advantage of the vocational educational ecosystem is the pronounced practice-oriented orientation of training and the reduction of the period of professional adaptation of graduates, as well as the availability of opportunities for interaction between enterprise employees and representatives of universities or scientific organizations to resolve professional issues.

От образовательного кластера к социально-экономической экосистеме

The article considers the educational cluster from the position of ecosystem during its transition to the solution of social and economic problems. The systemforming elements of the educational cluster have been determined, the reflexive analysis of their functional relations and interdependence has been presented, methodological approaches for studying the transition of the educational cluster into the socio-economic ecosystem have been formulated (system-situational, integrative, synergistic). The empirical basis of the study was the system of the “Northern Educational Cluster” in Krasnoturinsk, Northern Management District of the Sverdlovsk Region.

An Ecosystem Approach to Balanced Territorial Development

Relevance. The problems of sustainable development of rural areas are extremely relevant nowadays, especially in the context of deepening localization and the increasing role of territorial and natural resources. research objective. The purpose of the article is to develop theoretical and methodological aspects of sustainable development of territories, encompassing rural areas with small urban settlements, based on the ecosystem approach to form a unified multi-level strategy for the development thereof. Method and data. The paper substantiates an application of the ecosystem approach to the development of rural areas in increasing the efficiency of rural businesses, budgetary spending through prioritization of state support recipients, stimulating sustainable development of enterprises and the industry, and increasing the consistency of regional economic policy. The conceptual foundations of this approach are presented, and an algorithm to select participants in a rural ecosystem is proposed. results. The proposed approach allows operationalizing self-organization processes in an ecosystem, ensuring a balance of interaction processes of its participants. The research results have contributed to solving the problem of territorial socio-economic ecosystem formation by proposing an algorithm to select target indicators for achieving sustainable development goals, taking into account the specifics and development trends of territories. Conclusions. The conclusions arising from the conducted research provide scientists, government bodies with the necessary information for a better understanding of practical mechanisms to provide balanced territorial development, ensure the move from fragmentary unsystematic measures of state support to effective differentiated and targeted regional policy of rural areas.

Управление уровнем риска в условиях цифровой трансформации социально-экономических экосистем

For successful development, modern socio-economic ecosystems require mastering and using advanced technologies for risk management. The purpose of this study is to analyse the metho­dological problems of identifying risk factors when a business enters a socio-economic ecosystem resulting from changes in the environment characteristics and digitization of the economic space.
 In this study, the authors use the methodology and applied tools of the operational theory of risk management and systemic economic theory to investigate the risk management and identify its features. It is substantiated that socio-economic ecosystems built on digital multi-stakeholder platforms can be viewed as fundamentally new socio-technological institutions. The paper demonstrates different levels of risk management within the digital ecosystem and the emergence of a new tool  user or consumer control  in risk management.
 The paper reveals that risk management in modern socio-economic ecosystems is tightly linked to the values of the new generation of consumers: safe environment and overall socially responsible businesses.

Changes in the human resources market as a key factor of political decisions

The human resources market is a derivative of the key market for goods and services, the growth of which ensures economic growth in the country. However, it is efficient human resources that enable rational use of natural potential, ensure capital reproduction and new technologies creation. Changes in the labor market can fundamentally transform socio-economic ecosystem and affect the level of political stability in the country. For example, in the 2010s, imbalance in the United Kingdom human resources market provoked political instability that forced the government to withdraw from the European Union. The purpose of the research is to identify impact of the labor market on political decisions on the example of the United Kingdom, to determine causes of disequilibrium in the human resources market, to highlight stages of the European Union and stages of Great Britain’s exit from it, and to present the results of Brexit at the level of the economy and the labor market. The article relies on historical-logical and comparative methods of research, comparison of macroeconomic indicators dynamics on the basis of a systematic approach. Statistical data of the World Bank and the Office for National Statistics allow us to confirm mutual influence of the labor market and the policy of the country’s government.

Directions of economic analysis based on the results of mapping the ecosystem of the territory

Subject. The article investigates economic relations based on the analysis of mapping the territory of the ecosystem. Economic analysis is one of the main tools of ecosystem management aimed at socio-economic ecosystem communities development. Convergence of mapping the territory’s ecosystem and various methods of its analysis enables to understand the nature and features of various types of ecosystems, identify key growth points and promising directions of ecosystem dynamics. Objectives. The aim is to systematize directions of economic analysis based on the results of mapping the ecosystem of the territory. Methods. We employed content analysis of scientific papers, logical and systems methods. The research algorithm includes a review of previous studies, the research problem formulation, systematization of directions of economic analysis of territory’s ecosystem, discussion of possibilities of designing development strategies based on the economic analysis. The methodology rests on the system concept and the paradigm of sustainable development (sustainable production). Results. The paper offers a systematized table showing the areas of economic analysis of territory’s ecosystem. Conclusions. The study formulates opportunities for designing sustainable development strategies based on economic analysis and mapping the ecosystem of the territory. It identifies possibilities of strategizing the development of territory’s ecosystem on the basis of economic analysis, by mapping the territory’s ecosystem, using the case of the Tyumen Oblast.

Features and challenges of the modern labor market

In recent decades, there has been a dynamic transformation of the socio-economic eco-system, in general and its components in particular. Cardinal changes in the values and motives of economic decisions, the compression of the time continuum of the life cycle of products and enterprises are reflected in the financial and resource market derived from the commodity market. The employer-employee relationship is changing, there are more disagreements, since the requirements of the organization and the expectations of the applicant often differ significantly. Modern employers do not have enough professional competencies of employees, it is important to combine a range of knowledge, skills and personal qualities. The author of this article presents the features of the modern labor market, the results of employers’ research on the demand for specialists. The work methodology is based on scientific research methods of cognition, such as statistical and comparative analyzes, questionnaires and the method of expert assessments, a systematic approach. The study reveals the indispensability of such employees’ qualities as scale and critical thinking, a high level of stress tolerance, the ability to combine the roles of a leader and a team member depending on the task, skills for evaluating large information arrays and digital competencies. The conclusion is formulated about the need for applicants to strengthen not only hard skills, but also to constantly develop soft skills to compete against the challenges of the labor market.

Is the concept of sustainable forest management still fit for purpose?

The concept of sustainable forest management was developed in the 1990s and puts ecological, economic and socio-economic ecosystem functions on the same level. However, society is now making new and complex, not necessarily mutually compatible, demands on forests, for instance in the fields of climate change, renewable energy and biodiversity conservation. Policy instruments that address these societal demands and translate them into legally binding regulations have far-reaching consequences for forest management and put pressure on the traditional, non-legally binding framework for international forest policy. Faced with these radical changes, we conclude there is a need for an in-depth review of the concept of sustainable forest management.

Russian University Cities: Expectations vs. Reality

This article proposes an approach to the analysis of the role of universities in the socioeconomic ecosystem of their host city, which makes it possible to pinpoint the specifics of the university city phenomenon in modern Russia. The study uses the theory of functional specialization of complexly organized spatial systems as its underlying methodology. To address specific research questions, methods of comparative, evolutionary and economic-statistical analysis are used. As a result of the study, the authors establish the specifics of the spatial distribution of universities in Europe, the USA and the Russian Federation; and substantiated the choice of Tomsk, Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg as the relevant research sample for the Russian Federation. The article proposes the methodology for assessing the role of universities in the socio-economic space of the city comprising: a set of calculated economic and statistical indicators; analysis of the established practice for deciding if to represent a particular city as a scientific and educational center in strategic management directives; and integral interpretation of the results obtained. The analysis of the leading scientific and educational centers in Russia stated above indicates that in no city the share of the university sector in the overall number of the city’s employees, or its population, reaches 20%–the key threshold for establishing the predominance of universities in the functional the structure of a city. At the same time, the economic dominance of Tomsk universities in their city (the total income of Tomsk universities exceeds the city’s budget, which is unique for Russia) became the basis for positioning the city as the “student capital city” of the country. Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk, which exceed Tomsk in absolute terms, such as number of universities and total number of students studying in the city, lag Tomsk in the sphere of symbolic representation. The article concludes that, due to the specifics of its genesis and evolution, the phenomenon of a university city in Russia receives a new significance, reflecting the diversity of relationships between a large city and a complex, hierarchical system of universities operating in the socio-economic space of a common territory.

Green packaging materials design and efficient packaging with Internet of Things

In our symbiotic society, managing waste in a sustainable manner presents a challenge. Green packaging design must follow the principles of sustainability, that is, reducing the consumption of packaging materials, refilling packaging containers, recycling and recycling packaging materials, and degrading packaging materials, but how to implement its basic ideas into conventional product design and development In order to form a practical overall pattern of the green packaging design process, it is the key to the universal acceptance and application of green packaging design. The goal of this study is to create a long-term solution for disposing of single-use food packaging waste. The Internet of Thing (IoT) technologies and alternative management techniques for throwaway food containers are the designed model for the suggested solution. The key to running cold chain logistics in a sustainable and low-carbon manner is proper optimization modeling, which also provides the required groundwork for creation of a data-driven modeling system. The final efficiency of the packaging throughout circulation is crucial for achieving constant loss minimization and efficient supply, as effective packaging is required for loss control. Therefore, it is crucial to figure out how to make use of these continually collected data and ways to develop a extra precise packing efficiency control mechanism in the cold chain for agri-products. By concentrating on the idea of data-driven assessment modeling as well as the dynamic creation mechanism of complete packaging efficiency, researchers continuously monitored the viability of this topic. The assessment of efficiency index system and approach for data-driven assessment described were evaluated using the packaging efficiency of cold chain for table grapes as an instance. The solution encourages the creation of regional socio-economic ecosystems for a circular economy.

Индустрия 5.0: основы создания системной тетрады киберсоциальных экосистем

The internal structure of the ecosystem is isomorphic to the structure of the tetrad - a complex of four stably interacting systems: object, environment, process and project. The system paradigm proposed by G. B. Kleiner (the essence, concept, features and structure of socio-economic ecosystems are studied) makes it possible to identify the features of ecosystems of various types and purposes, to determine the natural system structure of ecosystems, to reveal the essence of the processes of interaction of ecosystem components with each other and with the external environment, to effectively represent functioning and interaction of system components for a wide class of socio-economic ecosystems of Industry 4.0. Currently, Europe and Russia are actively discussing the next mega-stage of the socio-economic development of mankind - the concept of Industry 5.0 and the cyber-social ecosystems corresponding to this concept. The results of the application of G. B. Kleiner’s ecosystem tetrad to describe cyber-social ecosystems as strategic objects of Industry 5.0 are presented. Based on the model of neuro-digital intelligence of the tools of strategic goal-setting and planning of Industry 5.0, a formal model of the system tetrad of cyber-social ecosystems is proposed, which is the development of the ecosystem tetrad of socio-economic systems proposed by G. B. Kleiner. The applied researches and approbation of the developed methods, models and tools, the system tetrad of cybersocial ecosystems were carried out using the example of creating the Starbase cybersocial ecosystem by SpaceX. The experience of development presented in the architecture studies of the system tetrad of the Starbase cybersocial ecosystem can be successfully generalized and applied in a large number of different companies, in various fields of activity: rocket science, mechanical engineering, military-industrial sector, etc. The presented Kleiner-Babkin system tetrad is a universal archetypal model of cyber-social ecosystems Industry 5.0 creating fundamentally new opportunities for research in this area.

An Ethical Framework for Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Cities

The digital revolution has brought ethical crossroads of technology and behavior, especially in the realm of sustainable cities. The need for a comprehensive and constructive ethical framework is emerging as digital platforms encounter trouble to articulate the transformations required to accomplish the sustainable development goal (SDG) 11 (on sustainable cities), and the remainder of the related SDGs. The unequal structure of the global system leads to dynamic and systemic problems, which have a more significant impact on those that are most vulnerable. Ethical frameworks based only on the individual level are no longer sufficient as they lack the necessary articulation to provide solutions to the new systemic challenges. A new ethical vision of digitalization must comprise the understanding of the scales and complex interconnections among SDGs and the ongoing socioeconomic and industrial revolutions. Many of the current social systems are internally fragile and very sensitive to external factors and threats, which lead to unethical situations. Furthermore, the multilayered net-like social tissue generates clusters of influence and leadership that prevent communities from a proper development. Digital technology has also had an impact at the individual level, posing several risks including a more homogeneous and predictable humankind. To preserve the core of humanity, we propose an ethical framework to empower individuals centered on the cities and interconnected with the socioeconomic ecosystem and the environment through the complex relationships of the SDGs. Only by combining human-centered and collectiveness-oriented digital development will it be possible to construct new social models and interactions that are ethical. Thus, it is necessary to combine ethical principles with the digital innovation undergoing in all the dimensions of sustainability.

The Influence of Entrepreneurial Motivation on the Valuation of Socioeconomic Benefits of Business Incubator Functions

This paper aims to evaluate whether the reasons an entrepreneur starts a business influence their assessment of the contribution of business incubators to society. The influence of business incubator functions was found to be positively valued by entrepreneurs in the socioeconomic ecosystem, according to the results of our empirical SEM study. This study contributes in helping to understand the opinions that entrepreneurs have as protagonists in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, according to their reasons to start a business, on the functionality of incubators, and the sustainable contribution of such entities to socioeconomic benefits in society.

Assessment of Enterprise Life Cycle Based on Two-Stage Logistic Model: Exemplified by China’s Automobile Manufacturing Enterprises

Enterprises in socio-economic ecosystems, like organisms in natural ecosystems, have life cycles. Since the enterprise life cycle theory was proposed, how to measure the enterprise life cycle has been a hot research topic. In order to assess the life cycle of an enterprise, a two-stage logistic model was proposed in this research, based on ecological theory and a population dynamics model. The first-stage logistic model measures the internal inhibition coefficient, intrinsic growth rate, and theoretical upper limit of enterprise development scale. The second-stage logistic model deals with the theoretical upper limit of enterprise development scale in the declining period, and measures the intrinsic growth rate, internal inhibition coefficient, and the theoretical upper limit of enterprise development scale in the declining period. In this study, an empirical analysis is conducted with Chinese automobile enterprises, which shows that an enterprise should withdraw from the market by insolvency liquidation or restructuring when both the intrinsic growth rate and internal inhibition coefficient are less than zero. Finally, this paper proposes the evaluation matrix of intrinsic growth and market potential. This matrix can intuitively give the evaluation method of the enterprise life cycle.

Феномен риска в условиях цифровой трансформации социально-экономических экосистем

The relevance of the work lies in the need for creative understanding of the processes of evolutionary transition from a hierarchical management system in favor of the modular interaction of economic agents operating in socio-economic ecosystems in the context of modern digital transformation. The purpose of the article is to study the phenomenon of risk in the context of the digital transformation of socio-economic ecosystems based on the generalization and systematization of scientific sources in the field of research and analytical interpretation of statistical indicators of the digital transformation of the Russian Federation and its regions. Theoretical conclusions and practical proposals of scientists-economists specializing in the field of economic theory, systems theory, innovative economics, economic security, risk management were used as methodological foundations. It has been established that digital transformation is accompanied by certain risks for socio-economic ecosystems of various levels, creating threats for development purposes. It is substantiated that the main risk of the success of the digital transformation of socio-economic ecosystems at present is a significant differentiation of the regions of the Russian Federation in terms of the level of development of IT infrastructure, the availability of human resources and information security. It was revealed that in Russian economic science there is a tendency to spread the use of the definition of "socio-economic ecosystem" from stable, highly integrated cluster-type formations to regional and interregional levels and to identify their development indicators with the criteria for sustainable development of territories. The conclusion is formulated: the phenomenon of risk in the context of the digital transformation of socio-economic ecosystems is that, along with positive effects, a whole range of new threats and risky situations appear that impede the achievement of the desired development goals, predetermining the use of a constructive approach in public and sectoral management based on the integration relevant competencies, innovative technologies and management practices.

Exploring Business Ecosystem Dynamics Using Agile Structuration Theory

The authors' background interest is in innovation and entrepreneurship as elements of business strategy. Business ecosystems are viewed as complex adaptive systems, and engagement with such systems is explored utilising an analytical technique based on an agile structuration theory model. In this model, motivated knowledgeable agents act within an institutional (structuration) framework to implement a business idea, drawing on accessible resources from a broader business ecosystem and then learn from the outcomes. In a particular instance, this learning may lead to enhanced agent absorptive capacity, to an adaptation of an institutional framework, and to enhanced ecosystem resources that may be built on in another instance. Formal and informal interaction across boundaries is seen as important in accessing a broader socio-economic ecosystem which may be time-place sensitive. Longitudinal studies of one business model innovation and one technological innovation case, both embedded in the same regional business ecosystem, provide an illustration of the model's application.

Megapolis as a Symbiosis of Socio-Economic Ecosystems: The Role of Collaboration

In recent years, smart and ecological urbanism and transformations into the new models of city making have become a global mainstream. These are models of the smart city, the eco-city, and the eco-megacity. The article proposes a conceptual approach to the formation of the eco-megacity as a qualitatively new phenomenon in the post-industrial economy. The prerequisites for the transformation of a megapolis into an eco-megacity have been analyzed. The key characteristics of the new phenomenon have been revealed. The role of collaboration as the main factor in increasing the efficiency of interaction processes between ecosystem actors and between ecosystems themselves has been presented. The relationship of the formed ecosystem approaches and the groups of actors during implementation of an institutional project in the megapolis have been determined. It allows for the transformation of a megapolis into an eco-megacity. The ant colony optimization algorithm for studying the symbiosis of socio-economic ecosystems in the megapolis has been proposed. The authors have attempted to contribute to the development of theoretical and methodological aspects of the emerging eco-megacity concept as a new phenomenon of the modern economy.

Inventory of the fauna and flora of the Northeast new ecosystem of Bizerte lagoon (Tunisia), Southeastern Mediterranean sea

Bizerte lagoon is a valuable socio-economic ecosystem which is renowned for its significant biodiversity and its strategic position in the Mediterranean and in northern Tunisia. It is characterized by an important biodiversity and a high biological productivity, which makes of it a nursery for several marine species. It is also a place of brood stock maturation for others and a feeding area for many migratory species. Its shores and maritime space host lots of human activities, such as coastal fishing, shellfish farming, maritime traffic, recreational fishing and nautical sports, besides 277 industries spanning several sectors of activity such as leather and textile as well as the refining of hydrocarbons and the steel industry. These activities cause severe pollution and result in many anthropogenic disturbances. The aim of this work is to study the sanitary state of Bizerte Lagoon using a biological and ecosystem approach that exploits bio-ecological indicators at the scale of specimen, population, community or whole ecosystem. The findings of this study have revealed the following facts: the peri-lagoon part of the Northeast zone is distinguished by an interesting biological diversity. According to statistical descriptors, the most abundant and frequent zoological groups are gastropod mollusks followed by crustaceans. In terms of diversity indexes, the values obtained showed that the Northeast zone has a poor to mediocre ecological status. This research demonstrates that Bizerte Lagoon is undergoing an anthropic pressure that has been jeopardizing the biodiversity of this ecosystem.

Феномен риска в условиях цифровой трансформации социально-экономических экосистем

The relevance of the work lies in the need for creative understanding of the processes of evolutionary transition from a hierarchical management system in favor of the modular interaction of economic agents operating in socio-economic ecosystems in the context of modern digital transformation. The purpose of the article is to study the phenomenon of risk in the context of the digital transformation of socio-economic ecosystems based on the generalization and systematization of scientific sources in the field of research and analytical interpretation of statistical indicators of the digital transformation of the Russian Federation and its regions. Theoretical conclusions and practical proposals of scientists-economists specializing in the field of economic theory, systems theory, innovative economics, economic security, risk management were used as methodological foundations. It has been established that digital transformation is accompanied by certain risks for socio-economic ecosystems of various levels, creating threats for development purposes. It is substantiated that the main risk of the success of the digital transformation of socio-economic ecosystems at present is a significant differentiation of the regions of the Russian Federation in terms of the level of development of IT infrastructure, the availability of human resources and information security. It was revealed that in Russian economic science there is a tendency to spread the use of the definition of "socio-economic ecosystem" from stable, highly integrated cluster-type formations to regional and interregional levels and to identify their development indicators with the criteria for sustainable development of territories. The conclusion is formulated: the phenomenon of risk in the context of the digital transformation of socio-economic ecosystems is that, along with positive effects, a whole range of new threats and risky situations appear that impede the achievement of the desired development goals, predetermining the use of a constructive approach in public and sectoral management based on the integration relevant competencies, innovative technologies and management practices.