Fundamentals of Assessing the Structural Stability of an Enterprise as a Quasi-Physical Object

In the contemporary economy, the significance of ensuring an enterprise’s strategic stability, particularly its structural stability, steadily increases. This study clarifies the concept of an enterprise’s structural stability (SSE) and develops the fundamental principles for its assessment as a quasi-physical object (QPO) through the creation of informational models. The article proposes an interpretation of the QPO concept and substantiates the relevance and necessity of applying this approach to phenomena and processes that are difficult to formalize. It further clarifies the essence of SSE, defining it as the capacity of the enterprise’s internal architecture to maintain integrity, functionality, and controllability under conditions of external and internal changes. SSE is one of the critical determinants of successful economic activity; however, its assessment presents considerable challenges, as it requires a parameter-based description. SSE is measured indirectly through analytical and model-based indicators that have economic and managerial significance – such as the depth and density of the hierarchy, the connectivity of departments/divisions, the redundancy of key functions, and others. Within the framework of the structural-linguistic approach, the article identifies key factors that define and characterize SSE, including organizational complexity and flexibility; the resilience of core business processes; the stability of the resource base; and financial-structural indicators. The study explains the fundamentals of assessing SSE as a QPO, noting that its parameters are not directly measurable but instead represent conceptual structures derived through analytical modeling. The article identifies the characteristics of these structures, including their immaterial nature, informational nature, influence on physical reality, and the possibility of constructing an informational model. The article examines examples of composite indicators conceptualized as QPOs that are applicable in SSE assessment. The article substantiates their theoretical significance – such as ontological formalization, integration into scientific discourse, and linkage with semiotics – and their practical relevance in terms of measurability, comparability, modeling, forecasting, management, and visualization. Finally, the article proposes a general structure of the components of SSE and defines the fundamental principles for developing corresponding informational models.