ABSTRACT
Changes in the USSR under Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika have moved the Soviet economy toward a demand system and away from the previous command system of a centrally planned economy (CPE). As a result, the job of Soviet managers is changing from one that traditionally was centered on fulfilling the plan passed down to them from the designated ministry. The new requirements for managers allow and require more flexibility, creativity, knowledge, and responsibility for decision making.1 However, during this transition in the Soviet economy and its enterprises, most managers are ill-equipped to deal with the numerous changes and problems. These are in the economic and competitive as well as the political, social, and technological environments. They are inherent, also, in the structure of Soviet industry, the fundamental purposes of Soviet enterprises, and in the Soviet workforce. A prevailing atmosphere of uncertainty and concern is undeniable.
