Lebedeva N.A., Rusetskaya O.V. Strategy of the small cities of the USA and Russia: the general and special
Natalia Aleksandrovna Lebedeva
Candidate of Economic Sciences, Chairmen of the Management Board, Association for Economic Development of Territories
7-ya Krasnoarmeyskaya St., 25A, 190005 Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation
Olga Vasilyevna Rusetskaya
Candidate of Economic Sciences, Head of Department, International Center of Social and Economic Researches “Leontyevsky center”, 7-ya Krasnoarmeyskaya St., 25A, 190005 Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation; Associate Professor, Department of Economics and Management of Enterprises and Production Complexes, Saint-Petersburg State University of Economics
Sadovaya St., 21, 191023 Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation
Abstract.
The purpose of the study is to identify similarities and differences in the understanding of the strategic planning and the methods used for planning in the United States and Russia. The study investigated and compared: a) recommendations for the development of strategies and b) the texts of the strategies of American and Russian towns. Russian strategies are grouped by the time of their development: stage 1 “the creative individual strategizing” (late-1990s – early 2000s) and step 2 of the “mass strategies of the pattern” (early 2010s to present). The comparative tables were compiled for the presentation of the characteristics of guidelines and strategies. It is revealed that guidelines for the development of strategies in Russia and in America are very close whereas the strategy itself varied in each country. The Russian strategy of the first stage is more similar to the American one whilst those of the second stage are more different. There are notable differences in the language of the documents. “Scientific” socio-economical language is used in Russian strategies whereas American documents are written simply – in the language of business and management. The main difference is that the American strategies are more pragmatic, they always provide specific investment or other projects which the local community relies on. They are based on community generated ideas reflected in the vision and in the mission of the city. The American strategy is moving away fr om a narrow understanding of the economic development and starts to take into account the development of society, environment, human capital. This is wh ere the American and Russian approaches converge, as the Russian one was initially using a complex vision. The overall context in modern Russia is pushing small towns to be embedded into the vertical system of government and is making them write strategies according to a template that is clear to the upper management level and thus they have a chance to be co-financed.
Key words: strategic planning, strategy, small cities, city settlements, Russia, USA, comparative analysis, limited resources, self-development.
ATTACHMENTS: /4_Lebedeva_Rusetskaya.pmd.pdf