Alexander Prokhorov

...a Russian is a man of two-sided action: he can live one way or the other, and in both cases he remains intact.

A. Platonov. Chevengur

PREFACE

The book brought to your attention is surprisingly, almost mockingly relevant, because it treats the most fundamental problems of Russian life, explains the things that make up the essence of any problem of any of our days.

All roads lead to this Rome. One can begin to describe - either in general or in detail - the nauseating transition period in which Russia is said to be in its second decade in a variety of terms. You can, for example, talk about revolution, you can talk about the collapse of a superpower, you can even use official pseudo-entities: perestroika, democratization, building the rule of law. Each of these methods allows us to understand something of what is happening; but an attempt to move from phenomenology to any serious understanding of events inevitably leads - no matter where we start the proceedings - to management problems. The Soviet Union collapsed due to the inadequacy of the communist system of government for its contemporary challenges; The new Russia has been and is being distorted due to the unresolved problems of governance in our contemporary conditions at all levels, from the kitchen to the Kremlin. The fact that the systemic crisis that gripped the country in the early 1990s was, and remains, precisely a crisis of governance did not become a commonplace only due to the reluctance of our fellow citizens - normal people! - think about unpleasant things.

If you do start thinking, then you need to think about exactly this - about the Russian model of management. I believe that most of us intuitively understand that this is a meaningful term, that governance in Russia is almost invariant in relation to the most radical changes in the structure of the state, that the 17th and 91st years of the basic principles turned everything upside down, it would seem, in the life of the country this very model has not been changed at all. However, it is not so easy to prove this statement coherently, and therefore the proof turns out to be fascinating in itself. When A.P. Prokhorov’s manuscript fell into my hands, I finally moved from leafing through to reading, stumbling upon a calm and thorough description of one of the most specific features of the Russian management model, parallel structures, where goals and methods were considered as two absolutely equal examples “promotion” of Alexei Stakhanov - and the rector of the Trinity Monastery Sergius (the future St. Sergius of Radonezh). Having reached this place in the book, you will probably agree with me: there is no stretch there; the tasks of establishing the primacy of party functionaries over line leaders in the 1930s and monastic reform in the 14th century were indeed solved in extremely similar ways - launched from above and picked up locally by “great initiatives.” To be happy or sad that Russia is from Gostomysl to Timashev remains by itself - a matter of conviction and temperament, but you need to know this - and after reading Prokhorov’s book, you will know this for sure. It was not by chance that I quoted gr. A.K. Tolstoy: after his famous “History of the Russian State”, which forever explained to us in iambic trimeter that our land is rich, but there is just no order in it, it seems to me that it is not often that works have appeared that so undeniably prove the organic integrity of Russian history.

And also, after reading this book, you will receive a coherent and, in my opinion, convincing explanation of the duality that is familiar to us all in assessing this very Russian model. After all, on the one hand, we know from the cradle that everything in our country is done crookedly, that management decisions ninety-nine times out of a hundred are blatantly ineffective and simply incompetent. On the other hand, we have every reason to be proud of the enchanting, unparalleled achievements of domestic managers who solved problems that were obviously unsolvable: for example, the creation “from scratch” of completely combat-ready Red and White armies; for example, the massive transfer of industry to the east at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War - but you never know, there are many more memorable examples for everyone. On the one hand, the Russian model of management is obsessed with leveling and practically eliminates competition - on the other hand, it somehow mysteriously manages to, at an acute moment, when it is necessary to solve an insoluble problem, to promote people capable of solving it to key positions. Both of these groups of judgments, according to Prokhorov, are equally correct, but I won’t retell how they are combined into a single system - you can read it for yourself now.

The reading ahead of you, I won’t hide it, is not fun. The prospects for improving the quality of management in Russia, according to Prokhorov, are not very rosy: “Russia is not the only country that tried (and is still trying) to consciously replace its management system with a more suitable one. So far, no one in the world has succeeded in this.” The author, of course, does not say this directly, but he clearly connects hopes for good changes (which, in his reasonable opinion, should begin at the enterprise level), for modernization (and not replacement) of the Russian management model, with a change of generations - in the plural. In other words, both the current and (two? three?..) next generations of domestic managers need to die out before the management system can more or less clearly change for the better. To be honest, it seems to me that some islands of improved governance have already begun to emerge in Russia. But even if this is not the case and it is still necessary to die out, then it would be good to die out properly - at least to fall headlong in the right direction. By reading the “Russian Model of Management”, we would like to believe that we will increase our chances of achieving this.

Alexander Privalov, scientific editor of Expert magazine.

The paradox of Russian management: inefficiency and effectiveness

Public opinion endows the Russian management model with seemingly mutually exclusive qualities. On the one hand, this management is ineffective because it is not initially aimed at efficiency, at minimizing costs to achieve maximum results. And management decisions (economic, military, social and others) are usually made incorrectly, and they are carried out in a suboptimal manner. This means that the primary cells of the management system (economic, military, social, religious), as well as higher management bodies, are not functioning in the best way.

Any work performed in our country could be done cheaper and with better results. This is common knowledge, and everyone knows deep down in their hearts that they are doing their job poorly and their organization is also not working correctly, and there is nothing to say about the state. The family buys the wrong things and spends money in a suboptimal way. The company is not operating optimally. And in public organizations everything is not “intelligible”, and in schools and universities they teach the wrong thing, and they teach it poorly. Jokes and songs are written about this, films are made and plays are staged. Russians are very self-critical in assessing the effectiveness of their actions, but in the end (over a long period of time) the people are always right.

But, on the other hand, this does not prevent our compatriots from confidently believing that there are significant advantages in their management system, as in their entire way of life. And if we look at the results achieved, we will find that there really are advantages - the ultimate goals that the country as a whole, the state or a large social group set for themselves are, as a rule, achieved. “The true defender of Russia is history: for three centuries it has tirelessly resolved in favor of Russia all the trials to which it subjects its mysterious destiny,” F. I. Tyutchev wrote about this.

In some cases, success was achieved thanks to the state (territorial expansion and foreign policy authority of Tsarist and Soviet Russia, scientific achievements of the mid-20th century), in others - in spite of it and even in the fight against it (for example, the flourishing of Russian classical literature in the 19th century and the rise of " Russian avant-garde" in painting of the early 20th century).

Unreasonable government structure? Of course, it is unreasonable, everyone has known this for several centuries, and everyone has heard many examples. Nevertheless, public opinion for the same few centuries took for granted the fact that this unreasonable state structure ensured the steady territorial expansion of Russia and the strengthening of its influence in the world.

There were periods of Russian hegemony in Europe - for example, the second quarter of the 19th century, when Russia was the “gendarme of Europe.” Russia captured a sixth of the globe, and there was a period in the 20th century when about half of humanity was under the direct or indirect leadership of Moscow. Throughout the history of mankind, only very few states have succeeded in this, so Russia is governed, perhaps not very effectively, but, in any case, effectively.

And what Russian doesn’t like to talk about the problems of governance in his country! A.P. Prokhorov's book invades the area of ​​Russian managerial mythology. What is the Russian management model? How to use its features in practice? Which features of our national management model are a myth and which are reality? In what cases and why do our management defects turn into advantages? Is our management model good or bad? What are its prospects?

Problems familiar to everyone are viewed from an unusual angle. As a result, a motley mosaic of phenomena covering thousands of years of Russian history is formed into a coherent system of views (one might even say, a theory) that allows us to answer the above “eternal” questions. A.P. Prokhorov discovers specifically “Russian” types of management structures and procedures, describes special management technologies mastered by our compatriots in the past and present. The author managed to reveal entire layers of Russian “selfhood”... Magazine “Vlast” The value of this book is not only in the rich factual material and paradoxical historical parallels. In my opinion, she, more than others, has the right to claim a holistic conceptual study of the features of Russia’s economic development, and not so much to solve problems as to formulate them competently, but making a diagnosis is no less important than writing a prescription... Vedomosti newspaper

Alexander Prokhorov's book invades the area of ​​Russian management mythology. What is the Russian management model? How to use its features in practice? Which features of our national management model are a myth and which are reality? In what cases and why do our management defects turn into advantages? Is our management model good or bad? What are its prospects?

Problems familiar to everyone are viewed from an unusual angle. As a result, a motley mosaic of phenomena covering thousands of years of Russian history is formed into a coherent system of views (one might even say, a theory) that allows us to answer the above “eternal” questions. The author discovers specifically “Russian” types of management structures and procedures, describes special management technologies mastered by our compatriots in the past and present.

The book is addressed to a wide range of readers.

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About the book Alexander Prokhorov “Russian model of management”

Surely, many people have had moments in their lives when, during a taxi ride, a talkative driver, without ceasing, talked about what changes the domestic authorities needed to make to improve living conditions and overcome the crisis. It’s quite funny to hear about such topics from the mouth of a taxi driver, but the person involuntarily listens to the information and becomes part of the conversation. Analyst Alexander Prokhorov decided to go much further than just talking about management with a taxi driver and conducted an entire study, displaying the results in his book “The Russian Model of Management.”

The work will help to understand what this “domestic management model” is, what features it has, how it is developing and whether it is promising. The author examines the specific and cultural aspects that influence the formation of the Russian people’s concept of a “model of governance” of a power. As a result, with the help of the book “Russian Model of Management” a person has the opportunity to become familiar with the curious components of the term and put together a full-fledged theory of views from a motley mosaic of phenomena.

Alexander Prokhorov found precisely “Russian” types of management structures and procedures, so reading the book will be interesting for absolutely all residents of Russia. In the process of familiarization, an understanding comes that the domestic management model is a certain sequence consisting of stable and unstable phases of development. As indisputable evidence, Alexander Prokhorov provides an incredible number of facts, both in a historical and modern sense. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that the book can hardly be called useless. The “Russian model of management” is an excellent assistant in solving a certain class of problems, which is especially important in today’s current realities.

Reading this competent research is really fascinating, because it is carried out at the level of macro-psychology of the average Russian worker, so it clearly cannot leave anyone indifferent. Many readers note the genuine honesty and frankness with which the author talks about certain models. There is no falsehood or attempts to extol Russia, only the truth, the truth and the truth again! Since such things are not often found among literary works, “The Russian Model of Management” really deserves attention.

On our website about books, you can download the site for free without registration or read online the book “The Russian Model of Management” by Alexander Prokhorov in epub, fb2, txt, rtf, pdf formats for iPad, iPhone, Android and Kindle. The book will give you a lot of pleasant moments and real pleasure from reading. You can buy the full version of the publication from our partner. Also, here you will find the latest news from the literary world, learn the biography of your favorite authors. For beginning writers, there is a separate section with useful tips and tricks, interesting articles, thanks to which you yourself can try your hand at literary crafts.

Quotes from the book “Russian model of management” by Alexander Prokhorov

Control systems in an unstable phase.

The more critical the situation, the wider the powers of parallel management structures.

In the absence of parallel structures that enjoy the trust of top management, they are created anew (like the guardsmen of Ivan the Terrible), or the functions inherent in parallel structures are assigned to those units that are characterized by the greatest manageability and controllability of top management. Under Peter I, they were guards units and a specially created institute of fiscals.

Parallel management structures owe their appearance in Russia to the system of localism and the reforms of Ivan the Terrible. “In military affairs, the anachronism of parochial orders was felt especially acutely. Appointments to the highest voivode posts based on the principle of “breed” and nobility sometimes led to catastrophic consequences on the battlefield. The Boyar Duma and the nobility did not allow the abolition of localism... For this reason, the “verdicts” on localism were half-hearted, a compromise in nature. They... made some changes to the military command structure. New laws allowed the government to appoint as comrades to the commander-in-chief (certainly the most “thoroughbred” of the boyars) less noble, but more courageous and experienced governors, who were henceforth protected from the parochial claims of all other governors.”

Parallel management structures owe their appearance in Russia to the system of localism and the reforms of Ivan the Terrible.

Since the bulk of current management work is carried out by relatively autonomous cluster cells, control functions can only be assigned to parallel structures subordinate to the Center and “foreign” in relation to the cluster cell.

He, in turn, brings with him several employees, placing them in non-managerial positions, but allowing him to control information about the movement of material and financial flows and personnel policies. As a result, a parallel management structure arises, embedded in the cluster and functioning in the interests of the parent organization.

Russia has invented a “pendulum” control system in which alternating stable and unstable periods are mutually exclusive, but in total they achieve the desired result.

Russia has invented a “pendulum” control system in which alternating stable and unstable periods are mutually exclusive, but in total they achieve the desired result. Is this Russian know-how really not used in any country in the world? Is it possible that the characteristic difference, the fundamental feature of the Russian way of life, government structure, national mentality does not have similar features with the way of life, government structure and mentality of other peoples? Or is it possible to find some analogues of the Russian management model and find out that its key features are a special case of some more general pattern?

The management system in Russia is structured in such a way that the processes of mobilization and redistribution are decisive (and in a calm, non-crisis state, maintaining readiness for mobilization). When, during a period of unrest, the state weakens or collapses, any group of people who happens to be nearby and rides the redistributive structures and processes becomes the dominant class of society.