CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES TO SPECIFYING AND CLASSIFYING CRISES IN OPERATIONS OF BUSINESS ENTITIES

Abstract

 Background. Crisis phenomena is an integral part of the functioning of business entities in modern conditions. The ability to identify, classify and counteract crises in a timely manner is a key to sustainability and competitiveness. The existence of completely different conceptual approaches to defining concept of "crisis" and its classification complicates the development of effective management tools.

Methods. To systematise the existing approaches to the concept of "crisis" and approaches to the classification of crises, a content analysis of definitions and typologies presented in the works of domestic and foreign authors was carried out. With the help of structural and logical analysis, the key components of the content of the concept of "crisis" were identified. By means of comparison and analogy, the article identifies common and distinctive features in the interpretation of the essence of crisis phenomena by different economists. Based on a thorough analysis of the pros and cons of existing classifications of crises, the author's substantiated approach to classify using induction and deduction .

Results. Based on the systematisation of scientific sources, the author's definition of "crisis" is formulated, which combines the key aspects of the definitions presented in the literature and conceptually reflects the essence of crisis phenomena. An improved classification of crises is proposed on the basis of the place of origin, sphere of influence, scale, predictability, regularity and state of progress, which allows a comprehensive classification of crises.

Conclusions. The conducted research allowed systematising the existing approaches to defining the concept of "crisis" and their classification in the activities of business entities and formulating the author's own definition of crisis as a stage in the functioning of a system caused by external and/or internal factors, characterised by a disturbance of equilibrium, destabilisation of processes, aggravation of contradictions and the threat of destruction or impossibility of further existence as usual. The author proposes a comprehensive classification of crises by place of origin, influence, scale, predictability, regularity and state of progress, which allows classifying crisis phenomena.