The board work experience diversity and the performance of Russian companies

The goal of this study is to empirically assess the influence of the board of directors’ work experience diversity on the performance of Russian non-public companies. The board work experience diversity is measured by the diversity index proposed by the authors, as well as by the number of work experience types and categories. Russian boards are characterized by a low level of diversity, directors with work experience in the same company prevail, on the second and third places is the experience in other enterprises in the industry and the experience in the group of related companies. It has been established that there are no prevailing combinations of experience in industrial companies. A positive influence of the directors’ work experience diversity on the increase of companies’ return on capital from 2017 to 2019 was found. The analysis is based on the data from a 2018 survey of industrial managers conducted by the Higher School of Economics.

On some approaches to increasing performance and cost-efficiency of Russian regional AIDS centers

The paper discusses the problem of counteracting the spread of HIV/AIDS in Russia. This disease is the main cause of death for the Russian working-age population, which annually takes tens of thousands of lives and hinders the achievement of such goals of the Russian state policy as preserving the health and well-being of Russian people. The principal elements of the system of HIV/AIDS counteraction are regional AIDS prevention and control centers (AIDS centers), whose improvement of performance is required by the “State Strategy for Counteracting the Spread of the HIV Infection in the Russian Federation for the period up to 2020 and beyond”. In this paper, based on the proposed modification of M. Porter’s care delivery value chain model, we demonstrate the ways of enhancing the performance of a regional AIDS center by increasing the value of its services and reducing the costs of their provision due to strengthening the channels of transferring information about HIV/AIDS to the population, improving the accuracy of predicting new registered cases of HIV/AIDS, as well as perfecting public procurement of the necessary medicines and consumables. Our calculations are based on real data of the Perm AIDS center. As a result, relevant recommendations are formulated for the leadership of the Perm AIDS center on the ways of interaction with the population, prediction of new HIV/AIDS cases, and conducting public procurement of drugs and consumables for the needs of the center.

Companies’ competitiveness in the context of food embargo: Brand orientation of Russian food producers

In this paper, based on an empirical study of 198 Russian companies-food producers, an attempt is made to identify the features of brand orientation realization in the context of the food embargo. The data was collected using a questionnaire based on a brand orientation scale, developed under the circumstances of the Russian market features. The data collected are analyzed using hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster analysis. As a result of the cluster analysis, a typology of Russian companies-food producers is formed, four clusters are identified, differing in the level of brand orientation and the specifics of brand management activities: 1. high brand orientation, 2. medium brand orientation focused on communication, 3. low brand orientation focused on research, 4. no brand orientation. Each cluster is described by eight parameters that reflect the characteristics of brand management: the focus of the company's brand management activities, brand identity, employees, positioning, brand values, communications, visual identification, and performance evaluation. For each cluster, the features and limitations are identified, which determines the behavior of the companies in the Russian market. The article also defines the marketing features of the Russian food market caused by the introduction of the food embargo, reveals a change in the structure of foreign food suppliers to Russia, as well as a change in the level of competition among companies operating in the Russian market. In addition, the results of the cluster analysis were compared with the data of the TGI Marketing Index, which revealed the correlation between the indicators of brand effectiveness and the level of brand orientation implementation.

The determinants of returnees’ decision to come back to Russia

The article examines the determinants of the returnees’ decision to come back to Russia. Returnees from developed countries possess high levels of both human and social capital which allow them to contribute to the organizational outcomes of the emerging market firms. Moreover, researchers consider the influx of returnees to developing countries as a solution to the brain drain. Russia is experiencing brain drain as the highly skilled specialists’ outflow from the country exceeds their inflow. However, there is lack of studies examining returnees in the Russian context. Using a sample of 90 returnees from developed countries working in Russia, we found that career opportunities and expectations of high wages in Russia, as well as family reasons have the greatest impact on returnees’ decision to come back to Russia. Talent management practices aimed at attraction, development and retention of returnees, appeared to have a significant influence on the respondents’ decision to return and find employment in a Russian company. At the same time, upon their return, the returnees experienced difficulties in finding a job and a salary adequate to their experience and knowledge. It turns out that companies in Russia do not fully appreciate knowledge and experience that returnees have and the contribution they can make to the development of the company. The research results have both theoretical and practical significance for the development of migration policies and practices at the country and firm levels.

Motivating employees to acquire digital skills

Motivating the working population to master digital skills is an important condition for the digital transformation of the Russian economy and companies. The article examines the relationship between the general level of motivation for learning digital skills and a number of factors, assesses the average level of motivation for four groups of skills, and compares the level of motivation between groups of workers and their motives. Empirical data were obtained by conducting an online survey of the working population in March 2020, the target sample was 116 respondents. It was revealed that the general level of motivation of workers to learn decreases with the increasing complexity of digital skills. The hypotheses about the relationship between the level of motivation and the perceived difficulty of using information and communication technologies and previous learning experience were confirmed. Differences between the groups of workers in the level of motivation and the degree of mastering specialized digital skills, related to the nature of the work were revealed. A higher interest in mastering this group of skills, as well as the degree of mastering them, was demonstrated by the group of managers. The strongest motive for acquiring digital skills is the need to use them at work.

Determinants of return to work after maternity leave in Russia: A logistic regression approach

This paper aims to identify the determinants of return to work after maternity leave in Russia. Can an organisation influence employees’ decision about withdrawal from the market after leave arrangement, or does it fully depend on the contextual and personal characteristics of the employee, as assumed by the discourses of merit and choice? Logistic regression analysis helps to answer the raised questions, referring to responses of 721 mothers with previous working experience. The research revealed that employers indeed can improve inclusion of employees with childcare commitments, fostering their return after the maternity leave. Despite high regional diversity of Russian population, contextual specificity barely influences the decision of employees regarding their returning to work with the same employer, similarly to their level of education, firms’ equity or amount of children. Among personal characteristics, income was found to play an important role in return decisions, as well as the age of the smallest child. The paper contributes to the debates on the fluidity of gender and work identity as well as organizational control over the identity work.

The relationship between CEO personal traits and technology companies’ performance at different stages of the life cycle

This article reviews how CEOs of technology companies can be successful for firm performance at different stages of the life cycle. The object of the research is the technology companies of the United States of America. Such companies are given special attention today as they represent a key driver of the new economy cycle. Importantly, organizations of the technology sector are largely dependent on the personalities of their CEOs, who determine the vector of development, main activities and overall functioning of the firms. The study analyzes the relationship between the traits of the company leader and firm behavior at different stages of the life cycle of 244 technology companies.

Сonsumer food choice: Factors, current state and expected changes

Consumer food choice is based on many factors. As income-related restrictions decrease, the range of factors ceases to be limited only by price factors and is complemented by a number of non-price factors. The article provides a critical literature review of internal and external factors affecting consumer choice, including the proposed transformation of the composition and priority of factors in an economic recession and pandemic. As a result, authors obtain classification with factors considered in terms of declared, behavioral and physiological types of information. The allocation of various information types allows to focus on factors that require additional research using different methods of information collection. Specific factors that influence the food choice among youth, which are necessary for the formation and adjustment of food habits during adulthood, are considered separately. The authors propose a starting point for a comparative analysis of the factors influencing the consumers food choice, particularly in case of rapid environmental changes. In the article, a new research agenda, requires additional discussion and attention, is proposed and structured. The results could be useful for brand manufacturers and retailers developing their marketing strategies, as well as for adjusting government restrictions on the consumption of unhealthy and stimulating healthy foods.