1 Department of Personnel Management and Psychology, Finance University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.
2Department of Personnel Management and Psychology, Finance University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.
3 Department of Management, Finance University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.
4 Department of Personnel Management and Psychology, Finance University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.
5 Faculty of psychology of the Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Moscow, Russia.
6 Institute of International Relations, Ulyanovsk State University, Ulyanovsk, Russia. Abstract
The importance of the study is determined by an insufficient level of trust of the population in the economic reforms conducted in the country. Unfortunately, a considerable part of Russians experience, a strong disappointment in the reforms of the 90-s as well as a protracted «period of transition» to a more developed economy and social sphere. The successes of some countries (like China, India, Vietnam…), that have smaller resources but were able to mobilize their intellectual and managerial potential for more stable social and economic development, aggravate such mistrust. In this connection, this article is directed to identifying or revealing the major causes of such mistrust and the search for the ways of increasing trust. At the theoretical level external and internal variants of approval/disapproval of the authorities’ reforms and various types of trust in the authorities and reforms are also analyzed. The specific features of trust in reforms in various age and social groups of the population have been identified in empirical research (in students and specialists who are working currently and connected with the economy, business and management). The article contains the results of the theoretical analysis of the problem of trust by the population to the reforms of the authorities. The types of trust and the causes of insufficient approval of reforms have been revealed, one of them is the insufficient assessment of a moral component of the transformations conducted and insufficient personal involvement of the population in the process of reforms itself. In empirical research the differences in attitude to reforms were found out in students and working specialists. There is an interesting fact among them that students are bolder in their assessments and their position is mainly based on their understanding the essence of reforms rather than in specialists who work. The necessity of special studies is substantiated not only in relation to the presence of attitude to reforms but the dynamics itself of such an attitude as well as the search for managing these processes for the purpose of a greater involvement of various groups of the population in the conducted reforms.
Keywords: public trust, social and economic reforms, external and internal opposition of the population, counteraction to reforms.
Introduction
The essential feature of the reforms conducted in the last decade in contemporary Russia can be reduced to the provision of the RF citizens’ well-being growth, the creation of a developed economic model of the state, integration of the Russian economy in the world market. The greatest efforts of the government were concentrated on the reforms in the spheres of macroeconomic regulation-restructuring of the economy, the creation of the innovative economy; the labor market – the creation of innovative vacancies,
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the pension reform, professional standards, employment of the population, introduction of the efficiency contract; housing and communal services; the general and tariff reform of natural monopolies; the tax sphere, the transport branch of industry.
The most important condition of economic reforms’ efficiency is psychological and even personal «acceptance» of these reforms by the majority of the country’s population. The reforms stipulate the change not only the character itself of economic activity (introduction of new technologies, the shift of focus from some spheres of activity to another, the development of the labor market and so on.), but also the change of self-consciousness both in the population and in executives themselves.
The problems arise at that moment when «public trust» itself (and close to it «loyalty» and «adherence») are understood in a simplistic way which leads to both the self-deception of the trustful population and the self-deception of the authorities. Unfortunately, in management, not infrequently innovations are conducted under conditions of «pseudo-loyalty» (sham, externally demonstrable «loyalty» with internal misunderstanding or even contempt to innovations) and «pseudo-adherence» (when this «adherence» is not even related to clear goals and values or when the strong discord is observed between the declared and real goals (Riseberg, 2012). Consequently, the concept «public trust» itself should be specified, its specific character, with regard to various groups of the population and on this basis to identify the types of «public trust» and its levels. This, in its turn, would allow one to develop more efficient ways of controlling public trust, bringing it in an ideal form to the level of high consciousness and confidence of the majority of the population in the right choice of the economic course that would lead to an active and conscious participation of the population in the reforms conducted by the authorities.
Reforming assumes the change not only the character itself of economic activity (introduction of new technologies, the shift of focus from some spheres of activity to another ones, the development of the labor market and so on.), but necessarily the change of self-consciousness of the population. Not without reason people think that «any reform, apart from the moral one, does not have any sense» (Borokhov, 1998).
Reforms themselves can bare the character of essential changes when the main emphasis is placed on the change of the attitude to labor, to colleagues and consumers, but can imitate essential changes, not infrequently limiting itself to a change of signboards and replacement of some top officials. Besides, reforms can be caused by objective reality which is impossible to ignore, but can also be caused by subjective factors, for example, by the country’s leadership understanding the necessity of changes in the economy (the top-down initiative), or by comprehending the necessity of essential transformations from the populace and its representatives among the progressive intellectual class, scientists, teachers... (the down-top initiative).
It is understandable that favorable conditions for reforms are those when the «top» and «down initiatives» coincide. But this presupposes the organization of special managerial efforts from the authorities that require the explanation to the people the essence of reforms, support for all «adherents» of changes and also – to provide counteraction measures against resistance to reforms.
Mass consciousness has already become a subject of a special study as early as the time of publishing G. Lebon’s well-known work «Psychology of the masses» (Lebon, 1995). A well-known point which was used by Marxists at certain stages of history – «the masses are the creators of history» - in contemporary approaches it is frequently cast doubts on (Ortega y Gasset, 1998; Pryazhnikov, 2011). More often the masses are considered as «incompetent», «susceptible to manipulations» (Reich, 2004).
But the masses can be constructive if to raise their education level, if to provide special informative work on the propaganda of reformative ideas. Real reforms of the global systems must be not purely economic ones but be oriented to raising the quality of life of the population. It is then they will find understanding and response among the majority of citizens i.e. all serious reforms must be social and economic ones.
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The same picture in reforming organizations: innovative ideas are firstly established in the consciousness of top officials, then in the consciousness of mid and low level executives, then in the consciousness ordinary staff members of the organization. Attention is paid here not only to technologies but also to new organizational values.
Trust in the authorities undertaking reforms can be formed and manifested in different ways. Formative models of the population’s trustful attitude to social and economic reforms of the authorities is determined mainly by the following factors: 1) readiness and persistence of the authorities to conduct intended reforms; 2) a skilful propaganda of main reformative ideas; 3) by authority of executives- reformers themselves (their readiness to change their economic behavior and way of life, for example, to give up excessive luxury); 4) the level of general culture and self-respect of the main part of citizens in the country; 5) examples of similar reforms in other countries (Efimova and et. al., 2017; Salakhova and et. al., 2016; Enyashina and et.al, 2017; Gnedova and et.al., 2015; Lipatova and et.al., 2015; Masalimova & Shaidullina, 2017; Mitin, 2014; Ovsyanik and et.al., 2016; Vasyakin et.al., 2015; Folomeeva, 2010).
Combinations of these factors often determine the types of trust of the population in reforms among which the following generalized forms types can be distinguished:
1. Trust, based on belief in «charismatic» leaders of the country. At the same time, personal understanding of the essence of reforms by many people can be weak (with inept and unconvincing propaganda of the reforms’ meaning, with a low level of general culture and self-respect of the majority of the population). But this kind of trust can be quite effective if the belief in the leader is very high, and the leader himself demonstrates readiness for self-change.
2. Trust based on the reforms’ success in other countries. The leader of a country should demonstrate solidarity with these countries, as well as the willingness to cooperate with them. The problem is that infrequently other countries have their own interests, and are not always ready to help unselfishly those who in the future can become their rivals. That is why, reckless and too gullible appeal to the examples and other countries’ assistance, even if they have been successfully reformed, does not always turn out to be beneficial, as it happened during the reform of our country in the 90-s. Although, undoubtedly, valuable experience (and mistakes) of reforms in other countries is useful. It is only desirable to remember that the reforms of each country have their own specific features and not always someone else's experience can be blindly applied to Russian conditions.
3. Trust based on fear, when the authorities undertaking reforms are too persistent in making changes in the country and its economy. Under these conditions, those who disagree or resist reforms are often subjected to various sanctions (in more civilized forms they are dismissed from work, demoted, limited in rewards and benefits, etc.). It may seem paradoxical, but such persistence of the authorities can lead to certain successes, even if the reforms themselves and their goals are not fully thought out and are "thought out" in the process itself. With this type a part of the population may have special trust in such a "confident" leadership (belief in a "strong leader" - an important feature of the mass consciousness). But often such, in fact, directive reforms are accompanied, not always justified, by the "the tightening of the nuts", the struggle with the inconvenient people, and even real repressions (according to the principle, "the end justifies the means"). As a result, a part of the population (and often this is the thinking and doubting part) feels offended, and with time they become united, and can act as a strong opposition to the authorities and their reforms. Something similar happened with the reforms of the Soviet period, when on the basis of previous grievances, the important achievements were crossed out that were obtained at a heavy cost.
4. Trust based on deception. Both the masses and the leaders of the country can be deceived (for example, by trusting their not very competent or very self-interested experts). Infrequently, deception is achieved by the "effective" mass media, when only those representatives of the expert community ("full-
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time intellectuals") are invited to "persuasive" TV and radio programs, who in every way justify the reforms of the authorities, and all other view points are either discredited or, in general, are hushed up. Usually in such "non-natural" discussions incorrect methods of communication are used: the speakers are interrupted, excessive pressure is exerted on the opponent, working "on the public" with spectacular intonations, pauses, smirks, etc., but not with arguments, logic and facts (Riseberg, 2012). If the viewers are not very developed intellectually, and especially - in terms of self-esteem, allow themselves to be manipulated, then such reasons for the reforms seem to be quite convincing for them. And then, even not well-thought socio-economic changes can initially be perceived with full confidence (the authorities usually promise improvements to some distant date). But then, deception is revealed and trust declines.
5. Trust based on understanding of the essence of reforms by a large part of the population of the country, which presupposes a preliminary and serious preparation of the population for the forthcoming reforms. This often involves diligent explanatory work with discussion in labor groups and in the mass media (through public discussions with the invitation of well-known and authoritative experts in various branches of public production). Even if the authorities are confident about reforms themselves, they should not make haste with the implementation of reforms, but should seek a gradual increase in trust in the social and economic changes of a large part of society. It should be noted that often even advanced ideas that were not supported by the majority of the population (not understood by the masses) are ineffective, as for example, with the Stolypin reforms, and with some reforms of the Soviet period when people were forcibly led to communism. An important role is played not only by the mass media, but also by scientists- experts, school teachers, and teachers of vocational schools. Accordingly, the government should back and promote journalists, scientists, teachers and university teachers who support reforms.
It is possible that too advanced reforms will be alien to the majority of the population, and then the authorities responsible should not deceive themselves and either inform about the benefits of these reforms to a large part of the population or even adjust the vector of economic development in accordance with the country's general cultural level. In this case, the authorities must admit that they suffered a certain educational and psychological defeat, and failed to "reach out" to the minds and hearts of the majority of the population. Accordingly, in the future, the authorities must draw conclusions and pay more attention to educational policy in terms of educating the masses and promoting advanced ideas of the country's economic and social development (Masalimova and et.al., 2014; Mitin, 2016; Salakhova and et.al., 2017; Folomeeva, 2010).
We think that it is the latter option that is most consistent with this high-tech society’s ideals and, with a skillful implementation, can become an excellent guarantor of the reforms’ effectiveness. It is important at the same time to take account of how different educational and age groups of the population perceive the reforms that are implemented, in particular, students and working specialists.
Materials and Methods
The purpose of our study is to reveal the attitude (trust) to the reforms carried out by the authorities among students and working specialists, and also to devise recommendations to raise the degree of trust in the reforms in these population groups. We have put forward the hypothesis that there are certain differences in the attitude to reforms among students studying economic sciences and working specialists engaged in business. To achieve the goal and verify the hypothesis, we set ourselves more specific tasks: 1) to reveal the level of self-relationship among the studied groups (to assess the respondents' confidence in their assessments and their susceptibility to conformism); 2) to reveal readiness of the tested people for constructive cooperation; 3) to identify the dominant options of trust in reforms.
Seventy two respondents participated in the study: students and listeners of the Institute of short programs at Financial University. The age of respondents - from 18 to 40. All respondents were divided
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conditionally into two groups: group 1 - students (the age of the tested students - 18 - 23) and group 2 - listeners – business representatives, employees of state and other institutions (the age of the tested people - 24-40).
In the course of the study the following means were used:
1) The technique of investigating self-relation by S.R. Panteleyev (MIS) (Panteleyev, 1993).
2) The personal questionnaire that represents a modified version of the five-factor personality questionnaire of McCrae and Costa (The Big Five) (McCrae, Paul Costa, 1987, Khromov, 2000), consisting of 30 pairs of stimulus sentences of opposite meaning which characterize behavior of an individual (Annenkova and et.al., 2017). Thus in our modification, each major factor consists of three primary factors. The modification of the questionnaire was carried out in order to study the influence of personal characteristics on the formation of public trust in economic reforms among various social groups of the population.
3) The author's questionnaire devised by us for determining the level of public trust of the population in economic reforms. This technique includes 25 questions that determine the type of trust (the totality of trust types) and the level (levels) of expression of the trust type. A six-point evaluation system was used. The technique includes five scales: "Trust based on belief in " charismatic leaders of the country", "Trust based on fear", "Trust based on deception", "Trust based on understanding the essence of reforms", "Trust, based on the success of reforms in other countries ", which are identified at three levels of severity: on a low, medium and high.
Results
The results of the self-relation technique testify to medium values of respondents, except «Self- acceptance» (66,7 % of respondents), «Self-attachment» (61,1 % of respondents) and «Internal proneness to conflicts» (55,6 % of respondents), who are represented by lower values that testifies to a selective attitude of the respondents to themselves in which the emergence of difficulties is associated with the decline of confidence in oneself, and is characterized by the emotional state of anxiety and alarm. The extent of adaptation of the tested people determines their attitude to their personal «I», so under new circumstances their proneness to the influence of the people around increases. The obtained data testify to the respondents' selective perception of other people's attitude towards them, so the positive attitude of others is related only to certain qualities and deeds, while their other manifestations cause only irritation