NON-DIRECTIVE MANAGEMENT IN THE RUSSIAN PUBLIC SECTOR:VALUE-BASED DEMAND AND ACTUAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Abstract

Introduction. The study is relevant in the context of public administration modernization under contemporary challenges. Traditional directive models demonstrate limited effectiveness in stimulating innovation, employee engagement, and organizational adaptability. The introduction of non-directive management methods is considered to be a pathway to enhancing flexibility and performance. The purpose of the study is a comprehensive assessment of the readiness of employees of public authorities and state organizations in the Russian Federation to perceive and apply non-directive methods, as well as to identify the key barriers and potential for transforming managerial relations.

Materials and Methods. The analysis draws on data from a mass survey of 1,275 respondents from public authorities and state organizations across 28 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, conducted in 2025. Data processing employed descriptive statistics, hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward’s method) to identify the structure of work values, multiple regression analysis to determine factors influencing perceptions of non-directive management effectiveness, and content analysis of open-ended responses.

Results. A paradox has been revealed: despite a high demand among employees for non-directive interaction (90.2% would prefer such a manager; for 75.4%, “support and dialogue” is a key value in a manager’s work), the level of awareness of systematic non-directive practices (coaching, mentoring) is low (~20%), and their actual application is sporadic (2.7–3.5%). The managerial environment has been described as “mixed, situational” (46.7%). Cluster analysis has identified three blocks of work values: utilitarian-material, existential-developmental, and career-status. The perceived effectiveness of non-directive management is positively associated with the value of support and dialogue, organizational type, and satisfaction with the current manager, and negatively associated with the perceived low readiness of colleagues for autonomy. The key barriers include excessive bureaucracy, time constraints, lack of managerial competencies, and the institutional trap of collective distrust.

Discussion. The study contributes to understanding the mechanisms of organizational change in conservative systems, demonstrating the primacy of institutional and cultural factors over individual resistance. The gap between demand and practice indicates the need for a paradigm shift in management. The necessity of transformation at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels has been substantiated, as well as the expediency of a “double-loop” strategy (in our terminology: parallel implementation of experimental innovation zones and systematic training).