Vol 30, No 2 (2024)
OPENING ADDRESS
8-9
MANAGEMENT IN A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Metamorphoses of digital multi-subjectivity: the regulatives of soft governance vs a programmed society
Abstract
The article is devoted to an urgent and controversial topic– the spontaneous formation of regulators for managing the behavior of subjects in the virtual world in the context of digital transformation and hybrid social space and the impact of these processes on the social order. The diversity of subjects (multi-subjects) is represented both by traditional subjects of society in the virtual space (representatives of government bodies, citizens and their associations included in digital communications), The diversity of subjects (multi-subjects ) is represented both by traditional subjects of society in the virtual space (representatives of government bodies, citizens and their associations included in digital communications), the transformed form virtual reality, that is the actor of virtual reality with a high level of anonymity; and by techno-subjects (products with built-in artificial intelligence algorithms (chatbots, neural networks, digital twins, etc.) showing some elements of subjectivity (the possibility of influencing the behavior of communication participants, the possession of technosubjects by a social body (according to V.Tikhonov). Soft governance is considered as a democratic style of subject-subject management through influencing culture, con-sciousness, behavior with the transfer of necessary powers to participants and the use of informal communication methods. The regulatives of programmed society have high risks of blatant manipulation by authorities or anonymous power contenders. The regulatives of Soft governance have a dual basis: the establishment of laws, rules and instructions for all types of subjects, regulations for coordinating the interests of partners in participatory interactions, the development of a resistant reaction to manipulative influences, technical and technological services in ecosystems and digital platforms. But soft governance regulatives have signs of a latent and manipulative nature also. It is concluded that it is necessary to include all these aspects in the problems of the scientific discipline "Sociology of Management".
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):10-24
10-24
Hybrid control systems: from ontological reflection to conceptualization of the phenomenon
Abstract
As the practices of using digital means in various spheres of life and at the levels of ensuring its regulation, it becomes more and more urgent to consider the nature and consequences of hybridization of social and digital relations, the results of which are now manifested at all levels of social management: social (interaction of the state and society), organizational (managerial, sectoral), local (territorial and interpersonal interaction). In this context, a dual perspective of hybridization emerges: technocratic (unification, modernization, and control from above). In this context, a dual perspective of hybridization arises: technocratic (unification, modernization and control from above) and socio-contextual (taking into account needs and interests from below, development taking into account life strategies). From a technocratic perspective, hybridization can be viewed as an idealized product (object) of the evolution of artificial regulatory systems, as the embodiment of the ideal form, structure of algorithmization of human activity, and follow the unfolding path of technocratization of public life. However, already today we are witnessing failures in the processes of digital transformation of territories and in the operation of hybrid management systems, the purpose and functionality of which are more likely to be configured to build and reproduce technocratic principles of management organization, which gives rise to the imperatives and determination of hybrid objects over hybridizing management entities, reduces sensitivities to spontaneous processes of socio-network grouping. The latter phenomenon is proposed to be considered and studied as a mechanism for launching the formation (localization) of hybrid control systems within the framework of the theoretical construct of the sociology of control called the "sociocultural body of problem solving".
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):25-36
25-36
CURRENT PROBLEMS OF MANAGEMENT IN THE FIELDS OF EDUCATION AND LABOR
Subjectivity of the academic community in the conditions of managerialist management
Abstract
The article analyzes the negative effects of managerialist management on the subjectivity of the academic community. The aim of the research: to establish a correlation between the decrease in the subjectivity of the academic community and the managerialist model of higher school management. Two methods were used to collect empirical information: a mass survey of teachers at four universities in Rostov region and the analysis of normative-legal documents regulating the application of managerialist norms to the higher education system. The result of the operationalization of basic concepts (subjectivity, academic community, managerialist management) was the definition of three empirical indicators: 1)perceptions of the academic community about the traditional goals of higher education; 2)resources of the academic community to achieve managerialist goals; 3)the presence of deformations in the professional ethics of academics and teachers. The study confirmed the hypothesis that the implemented managerialist policy has a negative impact on the academic community, reducing its subjectivity. Dysfunctions are manifested in two areas of professional activities of scientists and teachers. The first one is caused by the peculiarities of managerialism. Managerialism in any socio-cultural and socio-political conditions inevitably leads to the substitution of goals for the means of their achievement. This occurs due to the absence of reliable indicators for effective managers to assess the quality of reproducible results of their activities by scientists and teachers. The second direction is related to the loss of freedom in decision-making at meetings of historically established in universities sustainable social practices (meetings of the department, academic councils, dissertation councils, etc.). This is due to the administrative subordination of the academic community to the managerial tasks of the bureaucracy.
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):37-51
37-51
Organizational and managerial context of project-based learning development in higher school
Abstract
The article is devoted to the study of the organizational and managerial context of the development of project-based learning in Russian universities. The sample of the study is represented by twelve universities of different types (federal, research, reference) Volga, Ural, Siberian and Southern Federal districts. Based on the traditional analysis of official documents posted on the official websites of universities, an assessment of key aspects of university policies in the implementation of project-based student education was carried out, reflecting the development of the organizational infrastructure of the analyzed practice and forming an environment of social interaction between students, teachers, curators, employers and representatives of educational management. The development of assessment tools was based on the methodology of systemic, organizational and managerial, process, situational and temporal approaches. The purpose of the study is to analyze the organizational and managerial context of project–based education in Russian universities.It is established that the institutional practices of implementing project-based learning in the universities under study have different resource capabilities and are implemented along different trajectories that have their own logic. The study recorded that in the information space, and accordingly in the organizational and managerial environment, diversity is represented in determining the goals and effectiveness of project training. The demarcation lines in the existing organizational and managerial models are strategic forks that ensure: the mass or selectivity of project-based education in universities; orientation towards educational and/or product results; integration of project-based learning into the educational process or the implementation of students' project activities beyond their educational activities. The dependence between the organizational design of project training and its resource provision – regulatory, personnel, and information support is revealed. The scale and intensity of managerial innovations associated with the transition of the educational process to project-based learning formats are more typical for universities included in the “Priority-2030” university development program. They determine not only serious institutional and organizational changes, but also the transformation of social interaction practices in higher education.
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):52-69
52-69
Managing professional socialization of women in engineering and technical work: challenges and solutions
Abstract
The article explores the management of professional socialization of women in the engineering and technical fields, an important aspect in the context of global efforts towards achieving gender equality and sustainable development. In the face of socio-political instability and considering the adoption of the National Strategy for Action in the Interests of Women for 2023-2030, this topic is particularly significant for Russia. The study aims to analyze the problems and challenges faced by women in the engineering and technical sectors and to identify effective measures to support their professional socialization. The research is based on biographical interviews with female educators (N=19, 2019) and practicing engineers, as well as expert interviews with university representatives (N=25, 2024) and document analysis. The study identified two main issues: limited involvement of women engineers in research activities and gender inequality, along with limited career opportunities for women in this field, which is often characterized by an organizational environment that does not fully adhere to gender equality principles. Key challenges in achieving gender equality in the engineering and technical sectors have been identified, including ensuring equal conditions for women's professional growth and overcoming persistent gender stereotypes about their professional roles and capabilities. Solutions proposed include measures to increase women's involvement in research and support their professional development, as well as creating favorable conditions for career advancement in the engineering and technical fields.
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):70-82
70-82
MODERN MECHANISMS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUTH POLICY
A proactive schoolshooting incident prevention system: what matters?
Abstract
Scientific research on schoolshooting has been actualized in the early 21st century, but incidents have been recorded much earlier, since the late 16th century. The article focuses on the causes and explanation of the mechanism of imitation, a significant driving force in schoolshooting. Examples of cases are given to illustrate the effect of the copycat mechanism and measures to prevent the spread of the 'copycat effect' are argued. The paper identifies the key features that unite terrorism and schoolshooting, which provide a strong case for considering schoolshooting incidents as a new type of terrorism. The similarity of schoolshooting incidents to terrorist acts is argued through the description of common characteristics, such as ritual and demonstrative nature of violence, planned and symbolic nature of violence, cultural determination, and group identification. This paper focuses not on the scientific problem of studying schoolshooting as a special phenomenon, but on the problems of creating, organizing, and managing a proactive system of schoolshooting prevention. The results of the analysis of American practice of development and application of threat assessment system to prevent schoolshooting are presented. The description of necessary elements of the complex system for prevention of schoolshooting incidents is presented, the definition of the proactive system is given.
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):83-98
83-98
Manageability of youth media volunteering: characteristics of activity and organizational conditions
Abstract
The article is devoted to the study of the experience of young Russians in media volunteering, with the objective of identifying the potential of this type of prosocial activity and determining the conditions for its expansion among youth. The analysis of scientific literature and the results of a sociological survey of youth in the Sverdlovsk region aged 14 to 35 years enabled us to identify the factors and characteristics that facilitate the activation of the subjectivity of the youth in media volunteer initiatives. It was found that in order to increase the manageability of digital volunteering among youth, potential media volunteers must understand the value of their activities in the media. It is necessary to expand interaction not only between the organizers of volunteer activities and volunteers, but also between volunteers and beneficiaries. This condition is also connected with the need to broadcast in the public space both the initiatives themselves and the qualitative changes in the lives of beneficiaries that have occurred thanks to the help of media volunteers. The next important element is the choice of communication channel with potential volunteers. Social networks and online platforms are the most convenient and easy to use for both the organizers and the volunteers themselves. It has been demonstrated that if modern youth possess fundamental digital literacy skills, the primary motivation for participation in media volunteer initiatives among young Ural residents is the prospect of acquiring new knowledge and skills for their professional development. The study indicated that for the effective management of this type of volunteering, a supportive digital environment, which is currently being established in our country through the implementation of federal digital platforms, is crucial. Young Russians are well acquainted with both the "Dobro.RF" online platform and the online portal "We decide to". The results obtained can be used by organizers of social projects in the non-profit sector to improve the efficiency of recruiting young volunteers and expand their functionality.
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):99-115
99-115
PROMISING METHODS AND TOOLS OF REGIONAL MANAGEMENT
Managerial style as an indicator of the nature of interaction between regional authorities and the population
Abstract
The article presents an analysis of respondents' perception of the regional management style as a factor characterizing the managerial communication system. Based on the secondary conceptualization of empirical data (6021 field documents) obtained in 2019-2020 in 12 regions of the Russian Federation during a self-filling questionnaire based on a quota sample calculated for each region according to Rosstat, the author conducted a study of the relationship between respondents' characteristics of the regional management style with agreement with it, concern about the shortcomings of the regional management system and assessments the work of the vertical of power from the federal to the local levels. The author identified a number of patterns, based on which it was concluded that groups of respondents who define the regional management style differently agree with it to varying degrees, demonstrate concern about the shortcomings of the characterized management system in different ways and evaluate the final result of the activities of the power and management vertical. Respondents who define the management style as authoritarian and clan-based tend to be more concerned about the shortcomings of the management system for the most part than respondents who characterize the management style as democratic, collegial, liberal or vague. Respondents who define the management style as authoritarian tend to evaluate the final result of the work of authorities at all levels lower than respondents who believe that the management style is democratic, collegial or uncertain.
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):116-132
116-132
Experience in conducting human-dimensional examination of innovative projects
Abstract
The article proposes methodological and methodological foundations for conducting a human-dimensional examination of innovative projects for the agro-industrial complex. The concept of human-dimensional expertise is proposed as an interdisciplinary assessment of the significance and forecasting of the prospects for use, socio-economic efficiency, risks, threats and consequences of the implementation of intersectoral innovation for the quality of life of a person, territorial population, and society. The article provides a step-by-step technology for conducting a human-dimensional examination. An example of such an examination is presented on the example of one of the projects of the Scientific and Educational Center "Innovative Solutions in Agroindustrial Complex" (Belgorod Region) on the topic "Creation and implementation of technology - an innovative analytical tool for assessing and shaping human resources in the agro-industrial complex of the Belgorod Region". As part of the demonstration, estimates of the main and industry indicators are presented, the positive and negative human-dimensional effects are highlighted, the conclusion on the conditions and restrictions on the implementation of innovations in the agro-industrial complex is justified. It is proposed to consider the proposed innovation for two levels of implementation: administrative-regional and individually-locally. The concentration of risks and negative probabilities identified by experts at the second level made it possible to put forward a proposal to refine the innovation before its final use, which made it possible to prevent possible social risks for the industry and the region.
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):133-145
133-145
A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON MANAGEMENT PROBLEM RESEARCH
On the issue of rethinking the conceptual foundations of management as a social phenomenon
Abstract
Social and digital technologies are exposing the impact of governance on society. It acts as a factor that simultaneously solves problems and poses threats to all of humanity as a result of mistakes, personal interests, and unforeseen consequences. With the growing influence of management on social processes, questions arise not only about how management is structured, but also what place it occupies in society. There is a need to rethink the phenomenon of management. Despite the prevalence of the term “management,” its understanding is far from ambiguous. An additional complexity is associated with the absence in foreign scientific literature of a term identical to the Russian word “management”. The article proposes that management is understood as a social phenomenon manifested in the activities of individual and group subjects, which is aimed at interfering in the natural course of events to bring them into line with subjective ideas. In this interpretation, management serves as the basis for the emergence of an artificial component.To understand the place given to management in sociology, the article analyzes the main sociological paradigms based on the typologies of K.Dubar, R.Collins, J.Ritzer. In the usual dualism, objectivism-subjectivism, structure-agent, society-personality, macrosociology-microsociology and the desire to overcome them, management is given a secondary, auxiliary role, and disciplines studying management (sociology of management, sociology of organizations) are given the place of industrial sciences. Each of the sociological paradigms is a response to the challenges of its time. The modern world is characterized by the growth of man-made artificial reality with a simultaneous increase in uncertainty. This actualizes new challenges, the answers to which the author proposes to look for in the problem field of management, expanding it to a general sociological theory. For this purpose, the social space is described as the intersection of the “natural-artificial” and “determined-uncertain” axes.The author sees an important difference between the sociology of management and other disciplines in the study of not only what one should “know in order to foresee, and foresee in order to be able,” but also how this “can” can be realized. The study of management covers the theory and practice of social and, rising to abstract levels, it does not lose pragmatism (it takes into account how knowledge is applied by social individuals in practice to solve real social problems).
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):146-160
146-160
ACADEMIC EVENTS
Risks of social change: political projection (based on the proceedings of a scientific symposium)
Abstract
The material presents a summary of the key presentations and the general direction of the discussion that unfolded during the scientific symposium "Risks of Social Change: Political Projection" held on 22 May 2024. The speakers presented the results of research on socio-political processes, including risks for modern states and political systems, as well as the prospects for eliminating global threats to modern Russia. The discussion achieved the main objectives of the event: discussion and clarification of existing scientific approaches to analysing modern social, political and socio-cultural changes, considered possible prospects, as well as short- and medium-term risks for the future of Russia.
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):161-163
161-163
GREETINGS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Gennady V. Osipov –95!
Abstract
Editorial Board of the journal "Science, Culture, Society" and the staff of the Institute of Socio-Political Research of FCTAS RAS sincerely congratulate Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor Gennady Vasilyevich Osipov on his 95th birthday!
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):164-166
164-166
Vilen N. Ivanov – 90!
Abstract
Editorial Board of the journal "Science, Culture, Society" and the staff of the Institute of Socio-Political Research of FCTAS RAS heartily congratulate their dear colleague on his Anniversary. Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor Vilen Nikolaevich Ivanov– 90!
Science. Culture. Society. 2024;30(2):167-169
167-169