Interference in business by Siloviki is undermining steady economic growth. Things could improve if businesses are prepared to team up with organisations which represent the interests of other social groups. Andrei Yakovlev, Anton Sobolev and Anton Kazun at the HSE International Centre for the study of Institutions and Development have conducted research on the question “Can Russian business reduce political pressure from the state?”

As the economy improves and anti-corruption legislation develops, it’s highly likely that the market corruption will transform into a network one. Network corruption works through ties between officials and businesspeople, and the currency here is not money, but services. Maria Kravtsova studied various forms of corruption in her paper ‘A Friend in Court or a Penny in the Purse? Reasons for Market and Network Corruption’

Cultivating guilt, the use of bonuses and penalties, and psychological pressure on employees are not the best ways to improve a company’s efficiency. According to a HSE Laboratory of Positive Psychology study of work motivations, professionals will be most efficient if they have an intrinsic motivation to work, which is related not to earnings, but instead, to an interest in what they do

Opportunistic behaviour among Russian employees is often provoked by employers themselves. Delays in payment of salaries result in absences and a decrease in productivity. Andrey Kaplan studied these issues in his paper ‘Influence of Employee’s Individual Characteristics and Company’s Specifics on the Level of Absenteeism’

It is a myth that civil society is underdeveloped in Russia – more than a third of Russians take part in solving problems in their communities, and 3% volunteer for some or other organization. Elena Petrenko, Assistant Professor at the HSE Faculty of Sociology presented her report 'The Russian Volunteer Movement, Its Actors and Environment' at the Tenth National Conference on Voluntary work

More traffic jams and better public transport may force Moscow's motorists to leave their cars at home, suggest the findings of a recent study 'Dealing with Traffic Jams in Moscow: Factors Influencing the Choice of Private vs. Public Transport'

The more income a policeman and his family earn, the less open he is to corruption. Tatiana Karabchuk report “Wages and unofficial payments in the police: a comparative analysis in Russia, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria and Latvia”

The reform of pedagogical education in Russia should include training teachers in various subjects simultaneously, creating career opportunities, and an algorithm for ‘mobilizing’ the best recent graduates. Anatoly Kasprzhak has studied the experience of teacher training modernization in France, Germany, USA, Great Britain, Finland, Singapore, and Japan

Contrary to expectations, a growing number of open auction participants doesn’t decrease the price of the contract. On the contrary, the price is lower when the bidding involves only one player – usually, the market leader. Anna Balsevich presented her paper ‘Interregional Comparison of State Procurement Efficiency in Russia’ at the international seminar ‘Sustainable state procurement: development trends and challenges’

Every day, about one million residents of Moscow’s surrounding regions commute to work in the city. Remote districts are losing prospective labour resources, and the contrast between the quality of life in Moscow’s centre and its outskirts is growing increasingly more noticeable. The HSE online journal Demoscope Weekly analysed the commuting practices of Moscow region residents

Medium-sized businesses in Russia are set to grow thanks to regional expansion and a broadening of the selection of goods and services. Businesses which can set up good customer relations and cut down the number of middle-men in the areas of promotion and sales will come out on top in the fight with competitors. The School of Marketing and Business Development at the HSE has conducted the following research:’ Business Development: Current trends. Business practices of medium-sized companies in Russia in 2013.’

A high level of trust in state institutions and fines for defaulters contribute to better tax collection. During the international scientific conference Culture, Diversity, and Development, Alexey Belianin, Head of the HSE Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Economics, presented ‘Tax Payments and Trust: A Cross-Country Empirical Analysis’, research conducted by an international group of scientists