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PurposeThis study aimed to develop a methodological approach to assessing the impact of stakeholders on leadership potential of small and medium-sized construction enterprises.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology was based on taxonomic analysis to determine the coefficient of leadership potential in the following areas: financial growth of an enterprise, internal processes, human resources development and market potential. The examination process was grounded on the materials from small and medium-sized construction companies located in Russia and China.FindingsSubgroups of companies with positive dynamics of indicators, an unstable situation and negative trends of leadership potential formation are identified. Russian small and medium-sized construction companies prioritize the development of sales policies and the management of internal business processes, while Chinese companies–human potential. The generated regression equations indicate a direct relationship between stakeholder engagement and the leadership potential of construction companies in both countries.Originality/valueThe scientific contribution of this study is the proposed methodological approach to assessing the development of the leadership potential of an enterprise and diagnosing the degree of stakeholders' influence on the latter. This is facilitated by comprehensive analysis, which includes an assessment of leadership potential based on the results of taxonomic analysis, construction of vector diagrams and regression analysis. This study can be useful for persons conducting research in the direction of small and medium-sized business management, forming a strategy for business development and competition policy to form a company's leadership position in the market.

In the context of globalization, cross-cultural competence plays a significant role in professional development. This study performs a survey among 650 university students in the area of linguistics. The survey reveals that students understand the importance of cross-cultural competence and that it is developable though online programs. However, they are not always ready to develop cross-cultural competence using formal solutions. To solve this problem, several options are suggested like (1) changing the strategy and methods for improving cross-cultural competence; (2) offering additional sources of information on cross-cultural topics; (3) creating online forums for communication with international students; (4) raising interest in online conferences; and (5) designing in-house programs for the online development of cross-cultural competencies.

This study is devoted to the peculiarities of online education, namely, the use of virtual laboratories. The emphasis is being placed on the development of a laboratory model that can take advantage of the available online courses and adapt them for students with special educational needs. The research describes the learning process in a virtual laboratory, options for integrating online courses, and the ways of presenting them to students with certain educational needs. As a result, a virtual laboratory model was developed; it has been primarily designed for people with hearing and vision impairment, and musculoskeletal disorders. Thus, each user category was submitted several options for the educational process implementation within the virtual laboratory. The theoretical model allows creating a virtual laboratory to teach students with special educational needs. Based on the student experience of using the laboratory, research aimed at searching for new ways of presenting information and improving existing ones could be conducted.

Companies are concerned about the need to increase competitiveness and strengthen their positions in the market, based on innovation and the introduction of digital production. Digital innovations affect the performance and results of companies, changing business models, expanding markets and attracting new customers. At the same time, an active role is played by the impact on the modernization of operations at all stages of the life cycle of goods and the emergence of new business lines. At the same time, internal effects are associated with the improvement of various aspects of the company’s life and its economic performance. External effects affect the relationship with customers, competitiveness and position of the company in the market.