Effective Anti-corruption as a Competitive Advantage of a Modern University

Abstract

The subject area of the article is the improvement of the competitive position of a modern Russian university due to such an important component of its image in the educational services market as an organization that effectively counteracts corruption by its own staff. The solution of this problem is provided by the introduction of new technologies implemented by the joint forces of the two headquarters instances represented by the personnel service and the security service. The thesis is argued that the degree of protection from the threat of corruption on the part of both the teaching staff and other officials can be legitimately considered as an additional competitive advantage of any subject of the national higher education or, accordingly, its competitive disadvantage. Possible forms of corruption actions by various categories of employees of an educational institution are specified. Threats to its reputational and property security are determined in case of insufficiently effective counteraction to corruption. The dangers and opportunities associated with the use of various anti-corruption measures already proposed by specialists in the researched field of ensuring personnel security in the field of higher professional education are analyzed. Innovations in personnel work are proposed and argued, which can significantly reduce the likelihood of corrupt actions on the part of teachers and managers of the university. The first of them involves the use of technology based on a collegial approach to assessing the knowledge of the student being examined. The second innovation is aimed at a sharp tightening of control over the “anti-corruption stability” of teachers by the security service of the university. The third innovation applies only to the activities of top managers of the university and their direct subordinates, who are authorized to prepare for the conclusion of any transactions that potentially have a corruption component, and is based on the mechanism of individual bonuses. Finally, the introduction of the fourth innovation should ensure that the faculty members and other university staff are fully aware of the composition of corrupt practices and possible sanctions if they are detected.