CC BY
32Research article UDC 339
doi: 10.47576/2782-4586 2022 2 36
CONFLICTS BETWEEN PARTICIPANTS OF CLUSTERS AND SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES AND METHODS OF THEIR RESOLUTION
Derkach Daniil S.
National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
Abstract. The purpose of this Chapter is to determine the drawbacks of the existing approaches to conflict resolution for participants of clusters and participants of special economic areas in modem Russia and to determine the alternative approaches, which would allow overcoming these drawbacks. The method of regression analysis is used for determining the effectiveness of the existing approaches to regulation of conflicts between participants of clusters and special economic areas. The authors determine the dependence of the indicators of growth and development of the Russian economy on the indicators of development of clusters and special economic areas in Russia in 2012-2018. It has been found that the essence of conflicts between participants of clusters and special economic areas is different for different business processes. Approaches to conflict resolution are narrowed down to contesting the concluded agreements, which destabilizes the integrated economic structures, or to ignoring the conflicts, which contributes to the monopolization of clusters and special economic areas. Selection of the method depends on the market share and power of subjects of the conflict, resulting in deficient conflict resolution and an increase of internal disproportions of integrated economic structures, as well as reduction of their effectiveness. The key peculiarity of conflicts between participants of clusters and special economic areas and approaches to their resolution compared to the conflicts that emerge in other types of integrated economic structures is irregularity. This means that balance of cooperation and competition in clusters and special economic areas contributes to their stable functioning and development, and conflicts in them do not frequently appear - they are rather exceptions. Thus, standardization of the practice of conflict resolution, which is most preferable for other types of integrated economic structures (mergers and acquisitions, technological parks, and innovative networks), is not popular in cluster unions and special economic areas. Mediation is offered as a preventive practice that precedes alternative methods of conflict resolution for the integrated economic structures. An algorithm of mediative conflict resolution for participants of clusters and special economic areas is developed.
Keywords: approaches to conflict resolution, participants of clusters, participants of special economic areas, alternative methods of conflict resolution, mediation.
For citation: Derkach D. S. Conflicts between participants of clusters and special economic zones and methods of their resolution. Journal of Monetary Economics and Management, 2022, no. 2, pp. 36-44. doi: 10.47576/27824586 2022 2 36.
КОНФЛИКТЫ МЕЖДУ УЧАСТНИКАМИ КЛАСТЕРОВ И ОСОБЫХ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИХ ЗОН И ПУТИ ИХ РЕШЕНИЯ
Деркач Даниил Сергеевич
Национальный исследовательский Томский государственный университет, Томск, Россия
Аннотация. В статье анализируются подходы к разрешению конфликтов для участников кластеров и особых экономических зон в современной России. Для определения эффективности существующих подходов к регулированию данных конфликтов использован метод регрессионного анализа. Авторы определяют зависимость показателей роста и развития российской экономики от показателей развития кластеров и особых экономических зон в России в 2012-2018 гг. Установлено, что сущность конфликтов между участниками кластеров и особых экономических зон различна для разных бизнес-процессов. Подходы к разрешению конфликтов сужаются до оспаривания заключенных соглашений, что дестабилизирует интегрированные хозяйственные структуры, либо до игнорирования конфликтов, что способствует монополизации кластеров и особых экономических зон. Выбор метода зависит от доли рынка и власти субъектов конфликта, что приводит к неполноценному разрешению конфликтов и увеличению внутренних диспропорций интегрированных экономических структур, а также снижению их эффективности. Ключевой особенностью конфликтов между участниками кластеров и особых экономических зон и подходов к их разрешению по сравнению с конфликтами, возникающими в других типах интегрированных экономических структур, является неравномерность. Это означает, что баланс сотрудничества и конкуренции в кластерах и особых экономических зонах способствует их стабильному функционированию и развитию, а конфликты в них возникают не часто, а скорее являются исключениями. Таким образом, стандартизация практики разрешения конфликтов, наиболее предпочтительная для других типов интегрированных экономических структур (слияний и поглощений, технопарков, инновационных сетей), в кластерных объединениях и особых экономических зонах не популярна. Медиация предлагается в качестве превентивной практики, предшествующей альтернативным методам разрешения конфликтов интегрированных экономических структур. Разработан алгоритм медиативного разрешения конфликтов для участников кластеров и особых экономических зон.
Ключевые слова: подходы к разрешению конфликтов; участники кластеров; участники особых экономических зон; альтернативные методы разрешения конфликтов; медиация.
The integration of economic subjects could be implemented not only in their own interests (e.g., strengthening of market positions during mergers and acquisitions), but also in the national interests (e.g., increase of competitiveness and economic growth just like with technological parks and innovative networks), and in the interests of development of regional economy. In this case, the integration takes the form of territorial sectorial economic clusters and special economic areas. Together with a common advantage—combination of cooperation and
competition (and, therefore, high effectiveness) -these integrated economic structures have their own specifics.
Clustering allows for development of the top-priority spheres of the region by means of complex horizontal and vertical integration of the involved business structures. This helps to establish stable relations with intermediaries and have the most profitable terms of supply of resources, as well as to provide support of regional authorities and growth of tax revenues of the region from activities of the cluster, and formation of the
brand of the cluster's products with increased competitive advantage and sustainable loyalty of the region's residents.
Creation of special economic areas allows developing territories that are lagging behind. In a climate of deficit of the federal budget, national support for development of these territories is a challenging task; creation of special economic areas allows attracting private investments in their development. Emphasis is not made on individual spheres of regional economy here. An additional advantage of special economic areas is wide opportunities for attracting direct foreign investments. Intensification of underdeveloped regions allows leveling the disproportions in development of regional economy and ensuring its well-balanced development.
Thus, the key advantages of clusters and special economic areas are their high flexibility and adaptability to specifics of regional economy. Popularity of these advantages in modem Russia emphasizes the importance of improving the methodology of resolving the conflicts that inevitably occur in clusters and special economic areas and are associated with the integration of business structures, each of which seeks its own commercial interests.
The purpose of this Chapter is to determine the drawbacks of the existing approaches to conflict resolution for participants of clusters and special economic areas in modem Russia and to develop alternative methods which would allow overcoming these drawbacks.
Theoretical foundations and practical examples of organization of activities of clusters and special economic areas are studied in the works of Ambroziak and Hartwell (2018), Chen et al. (2018), Frick et al. (2018), Gonzalez-Bravo et al. (2018), Pal and Mukherjee (2018), and Perchinunno et al. (2018). The role and value of clusters and special economic areas for quick growth and well-balanced development of regional economy in modem Russia, as well as related problems, are reflected in the works of Boyko and Usmanova (2018), Inshakova, Goncharov, and Kazachenok (2018), Inshakova, Goncharov, and Deryugina (2018), Popkova et al. (2017, 2018, 2019), Pozdnyakova et al. (2017), Sukhodolov et al. (2018), Tarakanov et al. (2019), and Zorin et al. (2016).
At the same time, approaches to dispute resolution for participants of clusters and special economic areas are not elaborated sufficiently in the existing publications. The method of
TABLE 1 - Dynamics of the indicators of development of clusters and special economic areas, index of global competitiveness, and index of economic growth of Russia in 2012-2018
Clusters
Special Economic Areas
Index of Annual Revenues Labor Revenue Labor
Global Growth of Par- Efficiency, of Par- Efficiency,
Competi- Rate of Number ticipants, RUB Mil- Number ticipants, RUB Mil-
tiveness, Econo- of Partici- RUß Mil- lion per of Partici- RUB mil- lion per
Points 1-7 my*, % pants lion Capita pants lion Capita
Year У^ y2 *i *2 *< *5 *6
2012 4.2 3.518 105 17.4 1.5 246 29,726 4.7
2013 4.2 1.279 112 17.8 1.7 299 50,143 5.3
2014 4.2 0.718 118 18.2 2.0 356 53,391 4.1
2015 4.4 -2.838 125 18.5 2.2 439 64,654 4.0
2016 4.4 -0.248 130 18.4 2.5 525 115,186 5.4
2017 4.5 1.400 137 18.9 2.8 656 156,101 5.5
2018 4.6 1.444 145 19.2 3.1 671 195,862 5.9
*in constant prices
Source: compiled by the authors.
regression analysis is used for determining the effectiveness of these approaches. The authors determine the dependence of the indicators of growth and development of the Russian economy on the indicators of development of clusters and special economic areas in Russia in 2012-2018.
Dynamics of the values of these indicators are shown in Table 6.1. The results of regression analysis are shown in Tables 6.2-6.5.
The results of the regression analysis demonstrate the absence of statistically significant regression dependencies of the value
of the global competitiveness index and the rate of economic growth on the values of the indicators of development of clusters and special economic areas in Russia in 2012-2018. Almost all F-significances and r-values exceed 0.05— therefore, regression dependencies are not observed at the level of significance a=0.05, and
factor variables are included into the models of multiple linear regression.
This means that the approaches to conflict resolution for participants of clusters and special economic areas applied in modem Russia, are ineffective and thus hinder their development and expected advantages.
TABLE 2 - Regression Dependence of the Global Competitiveness Index on the Indicators of Development of Clusters
in Russia in 2012-2018
Regression Statistics
Multiple R 0.9639
R-square 0.9292
Normed R-square 0.8584
Standard error 0.0609
Observations 7
Dispersion Analysis
df SS MS F Significance F
Regression 3 0.1460 0.0487 13.1213 0.0313
Leftover 3 0.0111 0.0037
Total 6 0.1571
Coefficients Standard error t-stati sties R-Value Lower 95% Upper 95%
Y-crossing 4.4443 2.7929 1.5913 0.2098 -4.4440 13.3326
Xi 0.0316 0.0354 0.8924 0.4379 -0.0810 0.1442
XI -0.1810 0.2536 -0.7138 0.5269 -0.9881 0.6260
X3 -0.3102 0.6869 -0.4516 0.6822 -2.4961 1.8757
Source: calculated by the authors.
TABLE 3 - Regression Dependence of the Global Competitiveness Index on the Indicators of Development of Special
Economic Areas in Russia in 2012-2018
Regression Statistics
Multiple R R-square Normed R-square Standard error Observations
0.9609 0.9232 0.8465 0.0634 7
Dispersion Analysis
df
SS
MS
Significance F
Regression 3 0.1451
Leftover 3 0.0121
Total 6 0.1571
Standard Coefficients Error
0.0484 0.0040
12.0281 0.0353
T-Statistics R-Value Lower 95% Upper 95%
Y-crossing 4.1616 0.4393 9.4732 0.0025 2.7635 5.5596
X4 0.0005 0.0008 0.5962 0.5931 -0.0021 0.0031
X5 0.000001 0.000003 0.5485 0.6215 -0.000007 0.000010
X6 -0.0330 0.0728 -0.4536 0.6809 -0.2648 0.1987
Source: calculated by the authors.
TABLE 4 - Regression Dependence of the rate of Economic Growth on the Indicators of Development of Clusters in
Russia in 2012-2018
Regression Statistics
Multiple R R-square
Normed R-square Standard error Observations
0.8121 0.6596 0.3191 1.6056 7
Dispersion Analysis
df SS MS F Significance F
Regression 3 14.9828 4.9943 1.9374 0.3003
Leftover 3 7.7337 2.5779
Total 6 22.7165 Standard
Coefficients Error t-Statistics R-Value Lower 95% Upper 95%
Y-crossing 112.3179 73.6275 1.5255 0.2246 -121.9975 346.6333
Xl -1.3703 0.9327 -1.4693 0.2381 -4.3385 1.5978
Xi -0.8735 6.6853 -0.1307 0.9043 -22.1490 20.4021
X3 33.3002 18.1074 1.8390 0.1632 -24.3257 90.9261
Source: Calculated by the authors.
TABLE 5 - Regression Dependence of the Rate of Economic Growth on the Indicators of Development of Special
Economic Areas in Russia in 2012-2018
Regression Statistics
Multiple R 0.7594
R-square 0.5767
Normed R-square 0.1533 Standard error 1.7904
Observations 7
Dispersion analysis
df SS MS F Significance F
Regression 3 13.0996 4.3665 1.3622 0.4028
Leftover 3 9.6169 3.2056
Total 6 22.7165 Standard
Coefficients Error t-Statistics R-Value Lower 95% Upper 95%
Y-crossing 2.9071 12.4043 0.2344 0.8298 -36.5688 42.3830
X4 -0.0269 0.0231 -1.1651 0.3282 -0.1004 0.0466
Xs 0.0001 0 0001 0.8403 0.4624 -0.0002 0.0003
\6 0.8311 2.0565 0.4041 0.7132 -5.7135 7.3758
Source: Calculated by the authors.
Logical analysis of the essence and specifics of interaction between participants of clusters and special economic areas allowed compiling characteristics of the emerging conflicts and methods of solving them (Table 6.6).
As shown in Table 6.6, the reasons and
essence of conflicts are different for different business processes. Thus, during sales, the reason of conflicts consists in competition between participants of clusters and special economic areas for state orders. The essence of conflict is dissatisfaction with results of certain
auctions. During supply, the reason of conflicts consists in differences in the conditions of supply for different participants of clusters and special economic areas; the essence of conflict consists in dissatisfaction with supply contracts concluded by certain parties.
During production, the first reason of conflicts is the need for joining the resources; the essence of conflicts consists in complexity of the implementation of certain joint projects. Another reason of conflicts within these business processes consists in the need for transfer of technologies and information; the essence of conflicts consists in dissatisfaction by the terms of exchange of technologies and information. During innovations, the reason of conflicts consists in competition for innovations, while the essence consists in difficulties with certain innovative processes.
The methods of conflict resolution are narrowed down either to contesting the concluded agreements, which destabilizes the integrated economic structures, or to ignoring the conflicts, which contributes to the monopolization of clusters and special economic areas. Selection of the method depends on the market share
and power of subjects of the conflict, resulting in deficient conflict resolution and severe internal disproportions of integrated economic structures, as well as their reduced effectiveness.
Thus, the key peculiarity of conflicts between participants of clusters and special economic areas and the methods of their resolution, as compared to conflicts that arise in other types of integrated economic structures, is irregularity. This means that balance of cooperation and competition in cluster unions and special economic areas contributes to their stable functioning and development, and conflicts in them are rather exceptions to the rule.
Thus, standardization of the practice of conflict resolution, which is most preferable for other types of integrated economic structures (mergers and acquisitions, technological parks and innovative networks), is not popular in clusters and special economic areas. That's why there is a proposal to use mediation as the method of conflict resolution for these integrated economic structures. The suggested algorithm of mediative conflict resolution for participants of clusters and special economic areas is shown in Figure 1.
TABLE 6 - Characteristics of Conflicts Between Participants of Clusters and Special Economic Areas and Methods of
Solving Them
Characteristics of Conflicts
Business Process at Which Conflicts Arise
Sales
Supply
Production
Innovations
Reason of conflicts
Essence of conflicts
Methods of conflict resolution
Drawbacks of methods (negative consequences)
Competition for Different terms Necessity for Necessity for Competition for state order of supply for joining resources transfer of tech- innovations participants nologies and
information
Dissatisfaction Dissatisfaction Complexity of Dissatisfaction difficulties with with results of with certain sup- implementation with certain cas- certain innova-certain auctions ply contracts of certain joint es of exchange tive processes
projects of technologies and information
Contesting and Contesting and Cooperation (joining the resources Contesting and reconsidering thereconsidering the or transfer of technologies and reconsidering the results contracts information) with damage to own contracts
profit
*Or conflict resolution in favor of the most competitive participants
Instability of integrated economic Loss of competitive advantages Instability of structures and reduction of attractiveness of integrated struc-
integration tures
*Or gradual monopolization of integrated economic structures
Source: Compiled by the authors.
As shown in Figure 1, according to the presented algorithm, clusters, and special economic areas function in the conditions of market self-regulation. This means the absence of an established body of conflict resolution in
their organizational structure but allows for the presence of a managing company and other regulators (generally appointed by federal and regional authorities), which exercise the monitoring, control functions etc. but are
1. Market self-regulation of integrated economic structure
end of tliis function Og mediators and their dismissal
3. Inviting experts and representatives of the public
Supply or production
3. Inviting representatives of the Chamber of commerce
3. Inviting experts for innovations (e.g.. from universities)
' 1 r 1i
4. Selecting the optimal variant of solving the conflict
not involved in conflict resolution. In case of emergence of a conflict, the most preferable mediator is selected (depending on the business process):
- During conflicts that involve sales, experts in the sphere of state order and representatives of the public who are interested in provision of the corresponding public benefits are invited;
- During conflicts that involve supply or production, representatives of the regional branch of the Chamber of commerce are invited; and
- During conflicts that involve innovations, experts in innovations (e.g., from regional universities or research institutes) are invited.
The invited mediators select the optimal variant of a new conflict. The function of mediators terminates here, and they are removed from the integrated economic structure. This algorithm is cyclic—that is, return to the first stage occurs before the emergence of the next conflict.
Thus, it has been found in the course of the research that a serious drawback of the existing approaches to conflict resolution for participants of clusters and special economic areas in modem Russia consists in the dependence of effectiveness of their application on the status of the subject in an integrated economic structure.
Thus, participants of clusters and special economic areas with the highest market power can and prefer to contest the concluded contracts in their favor, while less influential subjects of these integrated economic structures have to ignore the conflicts.
This drawback is a reason of gradual monopolization of clusters and special economic areas, resulting in their reduced effectiveness. Mediation is offered as a method of conflict resolution, which allows eliminating this drawback. Its advantage, as compared to alternative approaches (and preventive practices) to conflict resolution, which are applied in other types of integrated economic structures (mergers and acquisitions, technological parks, and innovative networks), consists in flexibility and adaptability, which helps to achieve the following:
- Interactive selection of the mediator which ensures its independence and competence for solving a specific case and which allows for optimal resolution of conflicts, protecting the interests of all parties concerned; and
- Saving resources due to absence of regular governing body in the organizational structure of cluster or special economic area and inviting mediators for solving certain conflicts.
This advantage ensures high accessibility of
the offered alternative—mediative—procedure and special economic areas in modem Russia of conflict resolution for participants of clusters and its simple and quick institutionalization.
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Information about the author DERKACH DANIIL S. - National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia
Информация об авторе
ДЕРКАЧ ДАНИИЛ СЕРГЕЕВИЧ - Национальный исследовательский Томский государственный университет, Томск, Россия
