The development of legal professionalism in Russia: an institutional perspective

Abstract

Purpose -The rule of law and an efficient legal system are the core factors that ensure growth in BRIC economies. Weak institutions and failures with respect to the rule of law in Russia call into question its position as one of the BRIC countries. The purpose of this paper is to propose that the legitimization of newly created formal legal institutions in Russia is impossible without a new set of values that reflect the ideals of professionalism. It aims to explore the role institutional stakeholders play in establishment of the new set of professional values. Design/methodology/approach -A survey of existing legislation and academic research on professionalism and the development of the legal profession in Russia was undertaken to determine the state of the development of its formal and informal legal institutions. The role of stakeholders in the development of new professional institutions was also examined. Findings -The paper finds that the creation of formal institutions supporting the rule of law in Russia is largely completed. Yet, in some cases the institutions lack legitimacy and public trust. Professionalism -a vital informal institution that promotes trust in legal systems and legitimizes its formal institutions is in the process of development. The agents of professional socialization such as the state, educational institutions, professional bodies and organizations play different roles in development of professionalism. Potential avenues for enhancing legal professionalism by the agents of socialization are identified.Research limitations/implications -The current study contributes to the literature on institutional change in transition economies and suggests a complicated relationship between various formal and informal institutions in the Russian legal sector. Future empirical research should focus on the investigation of the newly forming informal institutions and the impact of old informal institutions on this process. Practical implications -Companies doing business in Russia should be aware of the fact that the legal systems in the country are still in the process of development. Even though major formal legal institutions have already been created, some informal institutions still represent a serious challenge to safe and efficient business in the country. Originality/value -The paper contains ideas for the future development of legal professionalism in Russia.

Interpersonal relations in China: Expatriates’ perspective on the development and use of guanxi

“…The process of building interpersonal relations varies across cultural settings, for example, guanxi in China, blat in Russia (Panina & Bierman, 2013), wasta in the Arab world (Khakhar & Rammal, 2013), wa in Japan, and inhwa in Korea (Lee, Brett, & Park, 2012).…”

Professional Values, Ethics, and Professionalism of Public Relations Practitioners

“…Some scholars (Grunig, 2000;Grunig, Toth & Hon, 2000;PRSA, 2000;& Boynton, 2006) have dealt with the topic of professional values in public relations. Previous studies focused on selected factors influencing professional values such as on education (Al-Enad, 1992;& Rassin, 2008); on ethics (Winston, 2005;& Barnard, 2008); on professionalism (Boynton, 2006;& Panina & Bierman, 2013); and on service (Synnott, 2001). The present study has included other factors to understand the perception of public relations practitioners regarding professionalism, code of ethics, and professional values.…”

“…In public relations both Boynton (2006) (2003) has identified the core professional values on professionalism which is used to define the important elements of professionalism in physical therapy. The study by Panina & Bierman (2013) stated that the ideals of professionalism in Russia can be reflected by a new set of professional values which can legitimize the recently created formal legal institutions. There is a positive trend to develop legal professionalism in Russia although there is maybe some comparison in developing professional values through some informal practices from professional socialization agents.…”

“…This conceptual framework has indicated the relationships among concepts, and how the involved concepts have been viewed in the study. The construction of this conceptual framework and choosing the relationship between these variables is based on what was found in previous studies such as (Al-Enad, 1992;Rassin, 2008;Winston, 2005;Barnard, 2008;Boynton, 2006;& Panina & Bierman, 2013;and Synnott, 2001). These studies have provided strong evidence about the relationship among the variables in this conceptual framework.…”

Påskudd og straff: Selektiv rettshåndhevelse i russisk politikk

“…På den ene siden har rettsstatens generelle kapabiliteter blitt styrket betraktelig. Antallet domstoler har økt (Hendley 2012), antallet saker mot staten har skutt i vaeret (Trochev 2012), domstolene har gjennomgått omfattende modernisering (Smith 2010), og rettspersonalet er mer profesjonelt enn tidligere (Panina & Bierman 2013). De som vurderer det russiske rettssystemet som katastrofalt umoderne, ser ut til å lukke øynene for denne utviklingen.…”