Theoretical Approaches to Strategic Management of Railway Transport Infrastructure

Introduction. Strategic management in modern management theory should ensure the transformation of the economic system and its transition to a qualitatively new level of development. The theoretical provisions on strategic management of enterprise infrastructure are at the stage of formation and are incomplete, since the insufficient development of the conceptual apparatus affects the substitution of concepts and reduces the quality of management decisions and strategy implementation. The concepts of terms and terminology are key in science; a term ensures accuracy, clarity and understanding of scientific thought. That is why the urgent task of scientific substantiation of the conceptual framework for strategic management of the infrastructure of railway transport enterprises should be: formation of the content of the concept of “strategic management”; comprehensive study of the system of concepts “infrastructure”, “strategy”, “strategic management of infrastructure of railway transport enterprises”; determination of the features of strategic management of infrastructure development. Materials and methods. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study is the scientific works of domestic and foreign scholars; general scientific methods: systemic and interdisciplinary analysis, etc. Results and discussion. The article reveals the main provisions of the theory of “strategic management” and shows their application in the practice of railway transport infrastructure. The concepts of “strategic management”, “strategy”, “infrastructure”, “transport infrastructure” are analysed. The formation and development of strategic management as an independent applied field of theoretical knowledge is analysed. Conclusions. Transport infrastructure is a fundamental condition for the development of the economy as a whole and each business entity in particular. The infrastructure of the transport sector is in a close economic relationship between all components of the transport system and should correspond to the evolution of production at all stages of society's development. The economic component of the country's transport infrastructure is realised through the following functions: social, regulatory, national security, productive, supply, stimulating and foreign economic. The implementation of these functions has a direct impact on the efficiency of its functioning, business activity, national security, gross domestic product and social welfare of the country's population as a whole. The relationship between the infrastructure of the transport market and the realisation of national economic interests makes this area a strategic industry and is controlled by the State.