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The purpose of this chapter is to study the key components of well-balanced information economy. The authors offer a hypothesis that progressive development of information economy in the country depends on the balance of its components. The methodology of the research is based on using the method of comparative analysis and analysis of statistical information for determining the state, tendencies, and dynamics of development of the main components of well-balanced information economy. The research allowed for generalization of certain empirical data on structural components of well-balanced information economy of Russia. The performed research showed that there is a difference in approaches to determination of the essence of information economy and variety of approaches to its structure. Also, there is a sustainable tendency of growth of the key components of information economy: in the sphere of production of means of information equipment, reliability of functional equipment grows, its weight and dimensions reduce, and energy saving ratio increases; in the sphere of production of information products, variety of products grows and limits of their usage expand – from professional activities to application in households; service sphere in information economy is the fastest growing component – especially in the sphere of telecommunication systems. Russia is peculiar for imbalance between separate components of information economy, which is deepened by excessive dependence of domestic market of the information and communication technology (ICT) on foreign suppliers; as a result of which Russian companies lag behind their rivals. Hence, formation of well-balanced information economy requires symbiosis of efforts of the state, private business, and scientific community. Qualitative growth of economy is possible with technologies that allow evaluating the current state of markets and spheres and conducting effective forecasting of their development, as well as reacting to changes in the situation in national and world markets.

This article aims to explore informal entrepreneurial activities in ethno-cultural clusters in the Russian South. It evaluates the agglomeration economy efforts of ethno-cultural communities and the formation of a new operations of the informal sector. The transition of the ethnic project “Obukhovsky Choir” from an informal to a formal enterprise is considered as unfinished. The emphasis is pointed at the barriers affecting the process and extra-economic factors influencing entrepreneurship activities in ethno-cultural clusters in Russia.

For investigation of the informal entrepreneurship in the Southern Russian agglomeration, in-depth interviews method has been used. The paper researched concept of entrepreneurship and cultural entrepreneurship through the interviews, trying to distinguish the core factors influencing activities of Obukhovsky Choir. These questions concern motivation to enter entrepreneurship activity, regional and local policies affecting the overall situation, core values (ideology) of these types of activity, the role of institutional and other contexts, spatial distribution and social capital influence.

The case of the Rostov agglomeration demonstrates the delayed development of ethno-cultural clusters and attempts to closure activities of communities into local political space. Rostov agglomeration has not stepped through the threshold and involved ethno-cultural communities in the formation of the “common good” conception. While Rostov agglomeration is still attractive for labour migration and migrants' entrepreneurial initiatives, local government does not support such intervention into the stable regional market. These steps delay the development of ethno-cultural clusters and contradict communication between ethnic communities, autochthonic population and local administration.

The case chosen for analysis is Cossack music entrepreneurial space as a salient sample of ethno-cultural cluster with powerful economic potential. It could be used for further consideration of ethno-cultural cluster as a source for socio-economic modernization of Russian multicultural agglomeration where established ethnic communities' communicative style strategically provides support or opposition to the local administration initiatives.

The purpose of the work is to model disproportions in development of regional economy of Russia and to determine perspectives and recommendations for overcoming them and achieving the balance of the economy. The applied methods are based on Popkova's methodology of calculation of “underdevelopment whirlpools,” which allows conducting dynamic modeling of disproportions in development of regional economy. The research is performed in three consecutive stages. At the first stage, the dynamic model of development of the Russia's regional economy is compiled with the help of the methodology of “underdevelopment whirlpools” in federal districts of the Russian Federation based on GDP per capita. At the second stage, the key factors of emergence of disproportions in development of the Russia's regional economy are determined and models of multiple regression of development of the Russia's regional economy are compiled. At the third stage, target parameters of the determined factors are set for reducing the “underdevelopment whirlpools” in the Russia's regional economy by automatized solution of the optimization task with application of the simplex method and recommendations for overcoming the disproportions in development of the Russia's regional economy are compiled. As a result, it is concluded that regional economy of Russia is not well-balanced, as it has deep structural disproportions. These disproportions are caused by insufficient attention to peculiarities of regional economic systems during development and implementation of regional strategies of state management of economy. For more precise accounting of the influence of the key factors of appearance of disproportions and highly-effective management of them for overcoming the “underdevelopment whirlpools,” the algorithm of overcoming the disproportions in development of the Russia's regional economy is developed by the authors, which envisages various managerial measures depending on peculiarities of each Russian region.

Purpose: The purpose of the chapter is to study the process of evolution of modern business systems, to distinguish its main stages, and to determine the peculiarities of the modern stage of this process. For compiling a fuller dynamic model of evolution of modern business systems, this research is performed by the example of modern Russia – which is one of the most vivid representatives of countries with transitional (forming) economy and which is thus peculiar for very intensive transformation processes in business as compared to the countries that implement the concept of market economy.

Methodology: The methodology of the research is based on the method of logical analysis (analysis of causal connections) and the method of comparative historical analysis, with the help of which regularities of development of modern business systems are distinguished and stages of their evolution are determined. The method of formalization is used for graphic presentation of genesis of modern business systems.

Conclusions: As a result, four stages of evolution of modern business systems are distinguished: paternalism (1991–1997), commercialization (1998–2007), balancing (2008–2017), and technologization (since 2018). Each of the distinguished stages has its peculiarities, and the following regularities and tendencies of development of modern business systems are observed in the process of their evolution: increase of competition in business environment, increase of regulation of business from the state and society, and growth of size of business systems, which leads to complication of their structure, with increase of flexibility of business culture. Sufficiency of adaptation means with modern business systems is substantiated.

Originality/value: The determined outlines of the current stage of evolution of modern business systems allow compiling two following forecast scenarios of their further development, oriented at the period until 2025: scenario of well-balanced development of modern business systems and scenario of increase of disproportions in development of modern business systems. Implementation of these scenarios is possible in any socioeconomic system. Depending on strategic goals and priorities, each system may select the most optimal scenario and conduct the corresponding management of development of modern business systems.

The policy of strategic diagnostics in the modern economy of Russia's regions is built in a contradiction. The expected growth of the share of material production in GRP was not confirmed. Analysis of economic indicators allows stating the expected tendency in dynamics of development of tertiary spheres. A dominating element of structural changes of economy is consumer market.

Several methodological approaches to defining the category “consumer market” are distinguished: marketing, institutional, reproduction, and economic.

For formation of methodological foundations of evaluation of consumer market, several methodologies are systematized. A methodology including two stages of evaluation of development of consumer market is offered: diagnostics (first stage) and forecasting (second stage) of the region's consumer market.

According to evaluations obtained by the authors, a strategic factor of structural changes in Russia's economy is regions' consumer market. Its well-balanced development ensures acceleration of progressive structural changes in economy. A dominating factor in the structure of consumer market is trading sphere, and a tool of structural changes is trading the goods of local and domestic manufacturers.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current skills gap in both generic and skill areas within the construction industry in Queensland, Australia.

An internet-based survey was administered to collect the opinions of construction employees about the workplace-training environment and their perceptions towards training. The survey intended to address the following research questions, specifically in relation to the construction industry.

The survey results reveal that whilst overall participation in workplace training is high, the current workplace training environments do not foster balanced skill development. The study reveals that in the current absence of a formal and well-balanced training mechanism, construction workers generally resort to their own informal self-development initiatives to develop the needed role-specific theoretical knowledge.

The findings of the research are based on the data primarily collected in the construction industry in Queensland, Australia. The data are limited to a single Tier 2 construction company.

The findings of this study can be utilised to suggest improvements in the current (or develop new) workplace training initiatives.

The research suggests that workplace training has positive relationship with career growth. The results suggest that in the construction industry, employees are generally well aware of the importance of workplace training in their career development and they largely appreciate training as being a critical factor for developing their capacity to perform their roles successfully, and to maintain their employability.

This paper is unique as it investigates the current skills gap in both generic and skill areas within the construction industry in Queensland, Australia. So far no work has been undertaken to identify and discusses the main method of workplace learning within the Tier 2 industry in the context of Queensland Australia.

The purpose of the paper is to develop a model of distribution of human and machine labor at intellectual production in Industry 4.0.

The basis of the methodology of the research is regression analysis. The analyzed variables are independent variables that characterize the level of development of human and machine labor in the economy of a country; dependent variables that reflect the effectiveness of the production, marketing and innovative business processes in the economy of country according to “The Global Competitiveness Report” (World Economic Forum); and dependent variables, which show the share of the sphere (agriculture, mining industry, processing industry and service sphere) in the structure of GDP of a country according to the statistics of the World Bank. For determining the change of regression dependencies in dynamics in the interests of reduction of the probability of statistical error, the research is conducted for 2010 and 2018 with application of trend analysis.

Based on the full selection of modern countries that conduct digital modernization, the authors determine statistical dependencies of effectiveness of business processes and development of the spheres of economy on the intensity of application of machine and human labor. This allowed determining significant differences in automatization of business processes: perspectives of application of machine labor are the widest in production and the narrowest in marketing, differentiated logic of organization of intellectual production in different spheres of economy and the specifics of automatization of business processes and spheres of economy in countries of different categories, one of which has to be taken into account during organization of intellectual production in Industry 4.0.

The developed model of optimal distribution of human and machine labor at intellectual production in Industry 4.0 will allow reducing disproportions in effectiveness of different business processes, development of different spheres of economy and growth rate of developed and developing countries. This explains its contribution into provision of well-balanced development of the modern global economic system.

The chapter studies the problems of formation of regional mechanisms of modernization and development of infrastructure of regions and the country, which are determined by complexity of attracting private capital in financing of infrastructure, which is limited by a long return period and the level of profitability of projects. The mechanism of public–private partnership is offered, which allows leveling high risks of implementation of infrastructural projects under guidance of the state. Also, the methodology of foresight control is studied, which is the last stage of modernization and development of infrastructure of regions and the country, as innovational tools of forecasting the future, which is aimed at leveling the risks, allows determining and neutralizing the danger of nontarget usage of invested financial resources, and seeing the threats to internal environment and external environment.

This chapter elaborates on the perspectives of financial development of countries of Central Asia and China through cooperation with Russia. The authors determine financial resources for the development of the countries of Central Asia and China and figure out possible scenarios for attracting additional financial resources and conclude that financial resources have a decisive role in socioeconomic development. It is substantiated that the increase and expansion of cooperation with Russia are the preferable scenario for attracting additional financial resources. The authors recommend expanding cooperation with Russia within the implementation of the selected optimal scenario are given.