On the issue of socio-historical practice of interfirm coordination of enterprises and the creation of business networks in the industry of the USSR

The expanding of company’s boundaries has its limits. At the same time, however, the desire of businesses to ensure a stable development, to form a model for sustainable interaction with contractors (supply of the production and sale of finished products) positioned outside the scope of hierarchical structures, stimulated the transition from random, one-time transactions to long -term mutually beneficial partnership. Such kind of cooperation is reflected in the use of different means and methods of coordination of industrial and economic activities, the formation of strategic alliances and business networks. Coordinating institutions and business networks consisting of many companies and organizations are typical of any modern economy, regardless of socio-political organization of the state. The article describes the practice of sectoral and intersectoral cooperation, the experience of the economy of the USSR supply chains, clusters and networking arrangements (formal and informal) of industrial enterprises, taking into account the specifics of the Soviet economic system. Distinctive features of Soviet coordinating institutions different from foreign analogues were provoked by the predominance of administrative regulation, a low degree of autonomy of enterprises, the specific nature of the properties of the industrial and scientific and technological potential in the country .It is indicated that the reduced effectiveness of the planning-distribution system and lack of direct interaction of enterprises have contributed to the development of informal and non-formal horizontal links between economic agents.