The international scientific and practical conference entitled "Transformation of Management Theory and Practice in the 21st Century" was held at the Russian-Armenian University (RAU) on October 30–31.  

 

The conference brought together representatives from 27 universities and research institutions across 7 countries, as well as over 10 business organisations. Professor Arzik Suvaryan, Head of the Department of Management and Business at RAU, emphasised that the rapid development of technologies, artificial intelligence, and robotics is transforming all sciences, including management science.  

 

"This reflects a systemic transformation, where we use the term 'engineering,' which encompasses all key areas," he assured.  

 

Participants and speakers discussed the major issues and trends in the transformation of management science and practice. Nikita Lukashevich, Deputy Director for International Affairs at the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics, and Trade of SPbPU, spoke about the human-centric approach to human resource management.  

 

"This approach contrasts with economism, where the primary focus is on profit generation, efficiency improvement, and KPI planning. In the context of human resource management, a humanistic perspective, or so-called humanistic management, delves deeper into issues such as ethics and well-being, counterbalancing the concept of welfare," Lukashevich noted.  

 

According to him, many recent scholarly articles, authored by both Russian and international academics as well as practitioners, have paid significant attention to this topic.  

 

Meanwhile, Sergey Kalendzhyan, Director of the Higher School of Corporate Management at RANEPA under the President of Russia, stressed the importance of integrating theory and practice. He also pointed out that numerous successful management cases were presented at the conference.  

 

"In recent years, we have observed the development of more flexible management methods, such as Agile and Lean, which enable organisations to adapt more quickly to changes. Today, these conditions are highly interconnected, and their impact on organisations is increasing daily. In this context, there has also been growing attention to knowledge management, inclusivity, and sustainable development. These aspects reflect the needs of modern society and the market, which are focused on innovation and social responsibility. We must not overlook AI and scientific-technological advancements, which fundamentally transform management theory and practice," noted Arman Avetyan, Associate Professor at the Department of Management and Business, RAU, and PhD in Economics.  

 

Discussing the impact of digitalization on traditional management methods within organisations, the expert highlighted that digitalization has fundamentally altered management approaches: "It allows the use of big data for decision-making, enhances communication and team collaboration, and facilitates process automation. Traditional management methods often give way to more dynamic and adaptive approaches that account for the speed and diversity of data, calling for new skills and knowledge for managers."  

 

The conference featured five sections, two of which were hosted at AraratBank and the ISTC centre.  

 

"We have drawn conclusions and will likely issue recommendations for the further development of science and education in the field of management," shared Arzik Suvaryan.

 

It is noteworthy that the conference was organised by the RAU Institute of Economics and Business, particularly the Department of Management and Business. Co-organizers included Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, the Higher School of Corporate Management at RANEPA, Yerevan State University, the University of National and World Economy (Sofia, Bulgaria), Rostov State University of Economics, Kuban State University, Armenian State University of Economics, the Enterprise Incubator Foundation (EIF), and AraratBank OJSC.  

 

 

 

Translated by Diana Adamyan,    
I year Master’s Student in Translation & Interpretation, RAU