Ideas and Ideals

In the modern world, tourism, as an industry of interconnected sectors, infl uences the development of specifi c sectors of the economy and performs social and cultural functions. The article presents the author’s position, based on summaries of existing approaches and considering the paradigms of urbanization theory, that urban spaces today serve as a unifying sphere for various types of tourism, which are viewed as structural components of urban tourism. Based on the research fi ndings, the author provides a unique interpretation of the concepts ‘urban tourism’ and ‘urban tourism services market’, characterizing the urban tourism services market of Novosibirsk by highlighting various types of tourism resources – cultural-historical, architectural, infrastructural, etc.; the necessity for theoretical exploration of specifi c aspects of the urban tourism services market is argued. In particular, the possibility and necessity of implementing a conceptual economic model for assessing the current state and forecasting the development of the urban tourism services market based on the identifi cation of basic factors of its functioning – demand potential and supply potential – are justifi ed. The role of investment policy in the development of the urban tourism services market and the possibility of using cluster tools to activate demand and stimulate the sale of urban tourism services in the metropolis are outlined.

The article presents the results of a study assessing the impact of economic freedom on economic growth and public welfare, which is based on a formalized theoretical representation of degrees of freedom in the form of a parabolic curve with an optimum and deviations from it. This notion of economic freedom echoes the vision of socially useful ‘private vices’ described in Bernard Mandeville’s “The Fable of the Bees”. The evaluation tool is a theoretical-analytical economic-mathematical model of economic reproduction, refl ecting the dynamic process of production and distribution of a public product. Imitation of the development of the socio-economic system with different degrees of economic freedom and in conditions of institutional transformations leading to a change in the degree of freedom confi rmed the expediency of striving for the optimum of freedom. At the same time, contradictions were revealed that arise in the simulated system due to the ambiguity of the interests of economic agents involved in the reproduction process. It also shows the contradictory nature of the institutional reforms themselves, which have far different consequences for different social strata with overall positive changes in the economy.

Institutions (norms and rules) play an important role in the development of any socio-economic system, and largely determine its direction and speed. Economic freedom is one of the most important ‘products’ generated by the institutional environment. Strictly speaking, there is no unambiguous understanding of this phenomenon, but there is an almost universally accepted opinion that without freedom it’s diffi cult to achieve success in economic development and thereby ensure the growth of public welfare. The degree of freedom determines the extent and forms in which the interests of economic agents, related to the desire to obtain private benefi ts, which ultimately benefi ts the whole society, can manifest themselves. Bernard Mandeville, who can be considered the “petrel of economic freedom” almost the fi rst among scientists and philosophers of Modern times, addressed this issue long before the founders of classical political economy and presented his judgments in allegorical form in “The Fable of the Bees”. Mandeville’s understanding of economic freedom as an opportunity for the manifestation of socially useful ‘private vices’ differs markedly from the interpretations of economic freedom that currently prevail and on the basis of which the relevant international indices are built. Nevertheless, Mandeville’s views, which were frank and devoid of any hypocrisy, served as the ideological foundation of modern views on economic freedom as an extremely useful, but very contradictory phenomenon in people’s lives.

The history of international economic sanctions is simultaneously old and relatively young. The fi rst sanctions recorded in written history were applied in ancient times, but the newly introduced punitive economic measures received legal status only after the First World War. At fi rst, sanctions were not given much political signifi cance and there were not many of them. The situation changed radically after the Second World War and especially after the collapse of the USSR. The rapid increase in sanction activity over the past two decades is a manifestation of the desire of the United States and its satellites to protect their position as a world hegemon. The punitive economic apparatus, the most powerful in the United States, is set up for sanction activity and generates restrictions and prohibitions as the main products of its activity. To paraphrase the philosopher Rene Descartes, the western sanctions government offi cer use to say: “I authorize, therefore I exist”. International economic sanctions are losing their original function as a means of preventing military confl icts and are turning into an economic weapon. But, paradoxically, attempts to interpret them as an instrument of economic policy are not valid, if only due to the fact that working with the categories of “effi ciency”, widely used in economic science, is impossible in the case of sanctions. Instead of “effi ciency”, the term “effectiveness” should be used, but measuring the latter, unlike “effi ciency”, is impossible; therefore, the phenomenon of sanctions, as such, largely goes beyond the scope of economic science. The nature of modern sanctions is perverse. Their use not only entails economic degradation and destruction of the institutional structure of society in the target countries, but also causes damage to the sending countries. Most modern sanctions are illegitimate and have no moral justifi cation. Sanctions and their systematic application are nothing more than a geopolitical weapon used to undermine the sovereignty of independent states. This article shows the historical evolution of the sanctions mechanism, its degeneration and transformation into a stable institutional entity.

In recent decades, space has begun to be viewed as an important economic resource, an engine of global competition and technological development, capable of having a multiplier effect on the development of the entire economic system of a country. It is a necessary factor in global communication and information. Each state can use space for peaceful purposes, since it is a common resource for all countries. That is why the space industry is the object of the careful study by many researchers and a special sphere of government regulation. The top three leaders in the space industry are the USA, China and Russia. The purpose of this article is to conduct a comparative analysis of the development of the space industry in the USA, China and Russia, as well as to develop recommendations for improving the regulation of the Russian space industry based on foreign experience. The author selected the following characteristics as the main parameters of comparison: 1. Signifi cant space achievements, 2. Industry fi nancing, 3. Structure of the space industry, 4. The scale of private space sector development, 5. Motives for international cooperation in the fi eld of space exploration.

Based on the analysis, the features of space industry development in each country were identifi ed. Special attention in the study is paid to the Russian space industry. In particular, it was found that the main structural feature of the Russian space industry, in contrast to the USA and China, is the signifi cant predominance of state-owned companies over private enterprises. This is associated with the lack of the necessary regulatory framework in our country and, as a consequence, the underdevelopment of the market for space products and services. At the same time, Russia can be considered a leader in terms of funding for the space industry (as a percentage of GDP), but in absolute fi nancial indicators (in millions of dollars) Russia lags signifi cantly behind the United States and China. In addition, Russia adheres to the practice of participating in international cooperation in the space sector, based primarily on political factors rather than economic motives, which fundamentally distinguishes its approach from the approach used by the United States. The article proposes a number of practical recommendations, the implementation of which, according to the author’s opinion, will contribute to increasing the effi ciency of space activities in Russia.

The growing specialization and formalization of economic knowledge threatens to break away from the general scientifi c base that forms the worldview of the researcher. An urgent task is presented in the reintegration of basic methodological principles and categories of science into modern social science and economic theory. The article conducts a comparative analysis of the works of K. Marx and K. Popper, who made revolutionary changes in the methodology and ideological attitudes (conceptual frameworks) of scientifi c knowledge. Marx’s contribution focuses on dialectical and historical materialism, the doctrine of the economic basis of society and the change of socio-economic formations; Popper’s contribution focuses on his trial and error method with falsifying interpretation of results and the concept of successive three worlds of the universe. Popper’s criticisms of Marxist doctrine (essentialism, elements of mythology, teleologism) and the counterarguments of consistent Marxists are evaluated. The paper characterizes Popper’s positions on the realism of scientifi c knowledge, the world of predispositions, fl exible management in animate and inanimate nature, the world of mental states of consciousness and the world of the objective content of thinking. Their commonality with the provisions of dialectical and historical materialism (the material nature of objective reality, the theory of refl ection, the role of objective mental forms and ideological social relations) in the formation of the ‘world of objective knowledge’ is shown. The insuffi ciency of Popper’s epistemology for the study of the economic basis of social life is revealed. Based on a str uctural and logical analysis of the methodological principles and theoretical positions of Marx and Popper, the paper outlines the paths to the development of a system of concepts that brings together the complementary results of their apparently opposing research programs. Also presented are sources showing the relevance of the ideas of Marx and Popper in modern methodological and socio-economic literature. It is concluded that the world of objective knowledge (the key category of Popper’s social science) is part of the socio-economic life of society (in its Marxist interpretation), which, in turn, is incomplete without taking into account the realities of this world and needs additional study from the appropriate angle.

In modern marketing, researchers are focused on the omnichannel approach due to the growing number of communication channels and sources of consumer information about brands. This paper examines the complexity and multifactorial nature of the omnichannel approach in the formation of customer experience and marketing communications in the digital environment. The article discusses the concept of a “Consumer Journey Map”, which refl ects the stages of making a purchase decision, after-sales interaction and the customer experience formed within this path. This approach allows you to defi ne and analyze the touchpoints with the consumer and information messages at each stage of the consumer journey in order to create a positive brand image. The consumer’s journey is formed by the sequential passage of a number of points of contact, which may belong to the brand, its partners or be independent. This affects the degree of brand control over the information at each of these points. Particular attention is paid to the complexity of tracking the entire variety of contact points through which the customer passes on the way to making a purchase. The management of this variety of points from the standpoint of a single communication environment of brand and consumer interaction is the subject of omnichannel marketing research. Within the framework of this study, the author considers the evaluation of the effectiveness of marketing channels at the stage of preparation for purchase. These channels may be underestimated, since in terms of direct return on marketing investments, they lose to the fi nal pre-purchase channels, but they play a key role in shaping the customer experience leading to subsequent purchases. The article presents the results of a study of online communication based on a company providing educational services. This study demonstrates the relationship between the volume of investments in paid promotion channels and the total revenue from online channels. The results of the study emphasize the importance of the omnichannel approach in modern communication, where the buyer interacts with the brand in various channels and perceives communication as a single continuous process, even when switching from one channel to another.

Based on the analysis of a number of macroeconomic and sectoral indicators, it is established that in January–April 2024, there was an economic decline compared to the corresponding period in 2023. Moreover, the extent of the decline is increasing month by month. It is noteworthy that the authorities, as in the past in the USSR, are turning a blind eye to the decline. The causes of the decline are determined by the combined impact of both cyclical factors (Western economic sanctions, overstrain from military expenditures) and long-term trends of a decline in fi xed assets and a reduction in the workforce, as well as the qualifi cations of personnel at all levels. The future prospects of the Russian economy are determined, along with ensuring effective economic policy and building a functional state system, by the level of escalation of the confl ict in Ukraine and the extent of economic sanctions. In the event of signifi cant escalation of military actions, what will be required is a transition to a wartime economy with a high share of military expenditures in GDP, a reduction in consumer spending and non-productive investments, mobilization of labor resources in favor of the armed forces and the military-industrial complex, and the introduction of a rationing system for main food products, as well as the nationalization of several companies. The success of this structural maneuver is determined by the organization and qualifi cations of the state apparatus. In the case of moderate escalation of military actions and economic sanctions, the radical nature of structural and institutional changes will decrease.

The article focuses on modern methods of quantitative analysis of fi nancial instruments based on the Markowitz portfolio theory, which allows designing optimal portfolios of fi nancial instruments under the assumption of extreme rationality of investors and game theory, which allows taking into account the factor of player interaction between those participating in fi nancial markets. The relevance of the research topic concerns the need to improve the quality of fi nancial decisions made in conditions of increased volatility of fi nancial markets. An initial set of fi nancial instruments was built, consisting of fi fty alternative options for placing funds. A preliminary analysis of the initial set of fi nancial instruments allowed us to narrow it down to ten elements that are most preferable for placing funds. The classic Markowitz portfolio model, which assumes maximizing the expected return on a portfolio at a given level of risk, is complemented by auxiliary constraints that allow taking into account individual investor preferences. The presented six modifi cations of Markowitz portfolios help to identify the dynamics of the quantitative characteristics of portfolios depending on the individual preferences of investors. Expected profi tability and expected risk, estimated from real fi nancial data, are accepted as quantitative characteristics of portfolios. The game model is constructed in the form of a game with nature, which allows taking into account the complex nature of player interaction, which in most cases is not characterized by antagonism. The game model is designed to select the optimal net strategy of the investor, which takes into account various fi nancial market conditions expressed by a market index (market portfolio). The study of the game model is implemented on the basis of the integrated Hodge-Lehman criterion regarding profi tability and risk. Its use made it possible to take into account the individual level of investor confi dence in the available fi nancial information. In the process of practical implementation of these techniques, results were obtained that allow us to conclude about the degree of sensitivity of optimal investment strategies to individual preferences and perceptions of investors. The constructed models can be used to update the content of professional training of students in the higher economic school system, as well as to set up courses of additional professional education

The work identifi es the problem of discrepancy between the rapidly growing importance of national economic security (NES) of Russia and the degree of its scientifi c elaboration according to such criteria as clarity in defi ning the subject of NES, methodology for studying NES, mechanisms for connecting scientifi c research with education and practice of NES.

The article is devoted to the study of the dynamics of teacher and scientist staff. The research is carried out using a new method developed by the author – the Flow Method. The novelty of the Flow Method begins with a change in the idea of the object of study. In traditional approaches, an object is fi xed, and is studied from different sides in different periods of time; the Flow Method focuses the researcher’s attention on the movement of resource fl ows in the economic environment. In such a movement of resources, the following are distinguished: infl ows, outfl ows, accumulations. Normally, the movement of resources is balanced.

It is appropriate to consider sanctions as the most important component of a hybrid war, aimed at unbalancing the resources of the national economy by blocking fl ows. The study showed that the representation of the movement of resources by the Flow Method differs from traditional representations in statistics and accounting.

Approbation of the Method in diagnosing the state of personnel in scientifi c and educational institutions showed strategic threats to the national security of the Russian Federation. Since 2015, the number of scientists and teachers with an academic degree has been continuously decreasing. The fl ow method allows us to dispel the myth that if scientists leave region A, they will simply work in another region. This study refutes such a hypothesis. Scientists, in particular, can change their specialty, leave the country, etc. The noted situation is similar for all 16 cities with a population of over a million in Russia, including Moscow and St. Petersburg and 18 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The infl ux of young scientists is decreasing while the workforce continues to age. If we ignore the results obtained, then in 5–10 years, for example, the Omsk region will begin to lose the ability to train specialists with higher education, not to mention candidates and doctors of science. A similar situation awaits other regions.