Позитивные изменения. Том 3, № 3 (2023). Positive changes. Volume 3, Issue 3 (2023)

Organizational culture itself, as perceived by the majority of respondents (60.4 %), is seen as a framework composed of key elements: norms and behavioral guidelines, image and prestige, and the university’s values and traditions. Moreover, a majority of the students (67.1 %) share the belief that the university’s organizational culture is aligned with its primary objectives and overarching developmental pathways, meaning a strong connection between the organizational culture and the university’s strategic and tactical pursuits.

Table 2. Distribution of Answers to the Question About Kursk State University’s Ability to Respond to External Changes (One Answer Option), %

The essence of the university’s organizational culture is largely shaped by its capacity to adapt to external shifts and fluctuations. To gauge the extent to which this attribute resonates with Kursk State University, let’s turn to the insights presented in Table 2.

We can see that a significant portion of respondents perceive KSU as an institution that is open to change and quick to respond to it. Nearly one in four respondents highlights that KSU is in a constant state of refinement, learning from its own and others’ mistakes. One in five respondents describes the university as a rather conservative entity with certain traditions. A minuscule proportion of respondents (2.7 %) believe that KSU encounters difficulties when dealing with changes and innovations. Notably, there is a higher level of critical evaluation of the university’s adaptation to external changes among teachers compared to students.

Successful adaptation to innovations, an extensively developed organizational culture, and the university’s positioning on the regional, national, and global stages collectively contribute to the positive image of Kursk State University, as indicated by 90.3 % of respondents. According to students, factors influencing this image include the high level of teaching staff qualification (83 %), accomplishments of both students and faculty members across various domains on regional, national, and global platforms (67.1 %), successful job placements of university graduates (57.9 %), the reputation of the rector, vice-rectors, deans, and department heads (51.5 %), along with several others.

The survey has also unveiled a range of challenges in the development of the organizational culture of university students and the manifestation of their organizational socialization.[128] These challenges primarily stem from the volitional and activity-related traits of the students themselves, including insufficient initiative and activity among certain student groups, occasional lack of cohesion within the student body, and an inability to effectively plan and allocate their own time. Nonetheless, the findings affirm that the university has cultivated a fairly advanced organizational culture within both the teaching and student communities. This culture enables the institution to enhance its image as a leading higher education establishment in the Kursk region, effectively realizing all three of the university’s missions.

BROADENING HORIZONS: UNIVERSITY INVOLVEMENT IN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

As mentioned earlier, the university places significant emphasis on strategic development. In addition to formulating its own strategy, the staff and faculty of Kursk State University, along with other higher education institutions in the region, have greatly contributed to the formulation of some crucial regional progress strategies. This primarily concerns the Strategy of Education Development in Kursk Region up to 2030,[129] as well as a foundational endeavor — the Socio-Economic Development Strategy of Kursk Region until 2030.[130]