Scientific Management and Mentoring in Higher Education: Institutional Challenges and Perceptions by the Academic Community

The article considers the transformation of principles of scientific management (taylorism) in the context of modern requirements for managing research activities in an academic environment. The methodological basis of the study combines retrospective analysis of the evolution of concepts of scientific management with empirical research (n=247) among students, professors and researchers of leading universities and INR Saint-Petersburg. It was found that in 79.6% of scientific organizations, management systems focused on short-term performance indicators prevail, while strategic planning is poorly developed (only 20% of the organizations). Of particular interest are the revealed differences in perception of the scientific management system: from high interest among students to expressed resistance by experienced researchers. The data obtained highlight the importance of modernizing the science administration system through educational programs and pilot implementation, as well as the need to study the reasons for negative perceptions of innovations in order to develop flexible approaches. The practical importance of the study lies in developing mechanisms to improve the management of scientific activities, creating adaptive models for resource allocation and substantiating the key role of the mentoring system.