International cooperation communication project management: Ecology, marketing, and psychology

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Introduction

The international environmental project is one of the most complex and costly types of project activities, and this type of project typically has the highest cost. International projects include all projects in which organizations from different countries take part, and their essential role also distinguished them in the economies and policies of the countries for which they are developed.

Separately, it is worth noting the problem of communications in the framework of international project management. Modern information technologies make it possible to efficiently organize the communication system as part of the project activity. However, when establishing a communication system within the framework of an international environmental project, it is necessary to consider the experience and readiness of employees to work with such complex applications, which should also support several languages.

Methods

The methodological basis of the research is planning for compliance with, and implementation of inter-State environmental agreements is an essential element of the strategic life cycle. Such documents have a pronounced interdisciplinary approach and interdepartmental nature of implementation and are aimed at developing the regulatory legal framework, conducting scientific research, and implementing specific activities. They involve the consolidation of work at the sectoral level and the development and coordination of information support.

The development of cooperation in environmental protection, especially with foreign countries bilaterally, largely depends on the state of the legal framework in this area. That is why it is necessary to consider the conclusion and subsequent implementation of bilateral and multilateral agreements, primarily with the European countries.

Results and Discussion

The concept of "project" has already been firmly established in the mentality and everyday life of representatives of modern entrepreneurship and the lexicon of scientists, economists, ecologists, and managers. Now it is increasingly possible to hear about startups, events, and government projects that are part of targeted programs.

Besides managing such projects in the current phase of globalization of the world economy, there is an increasing need to consider the international aspects of project management, especially in ecology. Long historical experience and modern practice confirm the axiomaticity of the thesis that international cooperation offers very favorable prospects. In the near term, the guarantee of the success and stability of many organizations will depend on how effectively they can operate in an integrated and international environment.

Project managers (or project managers) should be prepared for management problems that may arise because of the cultural heterogeneity of the team. An effective project manager must have a specific balanced set of knowledge, skills, practical experience, and professional communication skills (Bebbington, Brown & Frame, 2007, Ruban & Shvedun, 2018). Before considering the specifics of international project management in the sphere of ecology, it is necessary to briefly highlight the main theoretical foundations of project management in principle. Critical sources of key project management guidelines include standards and recommendations from professional associations of project management professionals.

When we consider the project from the standpoint of a system approach, the first in this case acts as an activity system (unlike the fundamental business processes that take place in the company), and there is a strictly defined amount of time that is necessary to obtain the final result of its implementation. However, the concept of the project does not contradict the concept of a firm or enterprise and is entirely compatible with it. Moreover, the project quite often becomes the main form of activity of the company. A project is a collection of tasks or activities related to achieving a planned goal, which, as a rule, is unique and non-repeating (Snell & Cowell, 2006, Chawla et al., 2018). It should be noted that not all project activities, especially in ecology, are economic and focused on financial results. Examples of non-profit projects include environmental protection projects, organization, research, the launch of a satellite into orbit, the landing of a robot on Mars. However, any non-profit project needs to attract resources, the volume of which directly depends on the tasks set.

There are many different criteria for classifying projects. One of the criteria is the scale of the project. According to this criterion, small, medium, and megaprojects are distinguished. Small projects are relatively low in investment and labor. Examples of these projects can be projects to open new production departments, modernize lines. As a rule, the causes of small projects are an emergency or new opportunities. The management of small projects usually uses simplified planning and organization procedures; projects are short-term. Medium-sized projects are already more severe and require a more careful and balanced approach in planning and organization. Medium-sized projects can be part of megaprojects. Megaprojects include various targeted programs, regional development programs, international projects. As a rule, megaprojects are expensive, are long-term in planning and implementation, and require large-scale material and financial costs. Often, different countries take part in megaprojects (Martens & Carvalho, 2016, Ruban & Shvedun, 2018).

Another criterion for the classification of projects is the complexity of their implementation. Simple projects mean a type of project activity that does not require complex solutions. They are most typical, and standard methods and principles are suitable for their implementation. For example, there are many projects to open restaurants, cafes, or other enterprises in the HORECA sector. The relevant standards and requirements are in force in this service sector, which are necessarily prescribed in standard projects. The managers can only calculate the necessary financial costs, find a place to open, set deadlines. The structure of such projects is very similar.

Project management refers to organizing and planning project activities, as well as coordinating labor, financial and logistical resources throughout the life cycle of the project.

Project management needs to focus on three following key aspects:

• Project implementation dates

• Implementation costs

• Quality of works performance (Hartmann, 1998, Ruban & Shvedun, 2019).

At the same time, it is believed that the main emphasis of the manager should be on the timing, since when the work is not completed on time, the question of the quality of implementation of these works, as well as the amount of resources spent on them, inexorably arises. Based on this postulate, special attention should be paid to scheduling and control over the implementation dates.
As noted earlier, the international project is one of the most complex and costly project activities. This type of project typically has the highest cost. International projects include all projects in which organizations from different countries participate. In addition, these projects have an essential role in the economies and policies of the countries for which they are developed. Environmental projects belong to international ones (Middle & Middle, 2010, Hren et al., 2021). Typically, such projects are based on complementary relationships and partner capacities. It is not uncommon for similar projects to establish joint ventures that bring together two or more participants to achieve specific commercial objectives under appropriate joint control. At the same time, each partner contributes and participates in profits in a certain way. The need to participate in international environmental projects is determined by the organization's benefits from such activities. In some cases, a favorable situation arises: potential customers or partners may be located in different countries. For example, a partnership with an organization whose laboratory is located in another country already forces the company to participate in international activities. In any case, before deciding to participate in an international environmental project, the organization must weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of such activities. Sometimes participation in an international environmental project means access to a highly qualified multicultural management team, lower costs through better cooperation, and other advantages.

Similar benefits that can be derived from participation in international environmental projects include the following:

• Access to foreign specialists

• Involvement of competent workers regardless of geographical location

• Permanent work schedule

• Increased flexibility

• Access to innovation

• Increased productivity and efficiency

• A more comprehensive range of job candidates

• An accurate picture of the needs of foreign clients

• Access to potential customers

• Reduction of labor costs (Chawla et al., 2018, Ruban & Shvedun, 2018).

However, often such participation is accompanied by many shortcomings. If the organization is not sufficiently prepared for international cooperation, additional activities may be necessary. We are talking, for example, about introducing a quality management system, which leads to the inevitable attraction of additional resources, both financial and labor. When managing international environmental projects, one of the essential requirements is compliance with international quality standards. Quality management is a distinct project management function and should be effectively implemented to achieve the highest result. In market and competition, high quality should be perceived as a strategic commercial imperative and a significant source of national wealth and prestige. That is why the importance and priority of quality management among many management is so necessary. This is especially true for managing international environmental projects, since successful cooperation with foreign participants requires compliance with expected quality standards. In a broad sense, quality management is a universal focused process of coordinated impacts on facilities in order to establish, ensure and maintain the level of quality that meets the requirements of consumers and society (Bebbington, Brown & Frame, 2007; Hren et al., 2021).

Any company that has passed international quality certification has a competitive advantage, which gains exceptional importance when taking part in international environmental projects. Working with an enterprise with an international ISO 9000 series certificate is less risky due to two key factors: internal structuring and streamlining of the enterprise, greater transparency of the management system, periodic external control by an independent registrar. A separate aspect of implementing international environmental projects is environmental psychology. Environmental psychology invokes interdisciplinary since the human environment is a complex phenomenon and many are interested in it. Therefore, it recognizes the need for cooperation with engineers, naturalists, economists, sociologists, political scientists, doctors, biologists, architects, city planners, designers, and other specialists (Eskerod & Huemann, 2013, Middle & Middle, 2010). To date, environmental psychology as a science is more problem-oriented and less focused on creating its environmental, psychological theories, and therefore when solving specific issues, it focuses on theories and knowledge of all psychological disciplines. For example, improving environmental protection at enterprises uses knowledge from cognitive, social, labor, organizational, and advertising psychology.

A scientific study of relationships (causal and correlative) between the variables of the environment and the experiences and behavior of the person in it is the main point of environmental, psychological research interest. Topics such as "pollution" or "eco-consciousness" are applications, not just only environmental, psychological research areas. Besides scientific tasks, environmental psychology should be engaged in many practical problems, and here arise great opportunities for professional activities of certified environmental psychologists (Snell & Cowell, 2006, Hren et al., 2021). Environmental psychology deals with relationships between man and the environment. We express the psychology here because within the framework of environmental psychology, specialists are concerned about thoughts, models, and theories about how people must deal with their environment; they are hung from the environment. From this, the central problems of environmental psychology grow. That means that we need to understand how people should behave so that it is in the interests of the habitat and then how their thinking, judgment, and feelings can change to behave in the interests of the habitat. What has changed in recent years?

Initially, they were concerned about finding out what environmental consciousness was, then‒what is the contribution of environmental consciousness to environmental behavior. Today, we have specific models and theories that explain environmental behavior/activity. Now it is necessary to reflect on how it would be possible to change the environmental behavior of people.

There can and should be common ground between environmental psychology and other scientific disciplines.

And, above all, with the economy. Strategically, it would be correctly reducing stimulus systems in one head and the need for change. Next with the technique: for innovation to be used correctly, it is not solely the principle of efficiency that has been applied but the principle of sufficiency (Eskerod & Huemann, 2021; Shvedun et al., 2021). Today, there are still great difficulties in working as an environmental psychologist, since few people know environmental psychology. When mentioning psychology, people think, first, about psychotherapy. They must be relieved of this limited perception and the fear involved. Another difficulty‒people feel discomfort when trying to research environmental problems with their participation.

Problematic issues that are discussed, especially within the framework of American environmental psychology (environmental psychology), are:

• What does environmentally conscious action mean in a becoming complex reality?

• What does nature have to do with it, and how do motivate environmental, psychological strategies act as a constructive response?

• How does it happen that the attitude of man towards the conservation of our nature (ecosystem) is deteriorating, that there are more and more environmental crises on the land that threatens human well-being and life? How can environmental psychology stimulate consciousness aimed at preserving our vital foundations?

In this context, I should mention environmental marketing to promote international environmental projects. Environmental marketing is an integral part of global policy, which leads to the solution of problems related to pollution of the atmosphere, nature, and the entire surrounding area. It must be remembered that environmental security is the foremost geopolitical factor and the driving force for the well-being of society, which is inextricably linked to the reduction of human life expectancy, as well as to the problems in the sphere of nature and ecology arising from international military actions (Hartmann, 1998; Khodadadzadeh, 2016).

Environmental marketing is based on environmental policy, environmental responsibility of organizations and enterprises, and transparency of production and technological processes, including environmental labeling. It is proposed to include in environmental marketing the formation of financial structures for supporting environmental actions, environmental audit, environmental insurance of companies' actions, changes in producer reporting forms, new forms of advertising, the formation of new trading principles (for example, the sale of environmentally friendly products).

Environmental marketing in many states has become a legislative framework. A new factor in the impact on business as a whole and marketing was the environmental component of the development of society. Consumers tend to buy natural environmental goods to control their lifestyles. The engines of corporate environmental responsibility are primarily consumers and shareholders of the company. Consumers purchase environmental goods and services from companies that try to conduct their business according to their requirements and expectations. In a modern market economy, the motivation of consumers to buy new environmental products is more significant when producers focus their activities on meeting the needs of consumers and when consumers have greater freedom of choice. Advertising, sales promotion, publicity, public sales, and personal sales, which can be attributed to the complex of marketing incentives, play an important role in promoting products (Middle & Middle, 2010; Khodadadzadeh, 2016). We inextricably linked environmental marketing to the functioning of management. The goal of management was and remained to maximize profit. Producers do not consider the cost of natural resources and the impact of waste on the environment. Large corporations try to consider such a component as the environmental factor in the management system, which is the basis for the formation of environmental management. Introducing the economic, environmental and social development management system is fundamental in the theory of environmental management development. The transition from traditional management to environmental management was because of the process of globalization of society. We mainly associated the success of environmental management with its major component - marketing, which provides companies with stable profits, focusing on the consumer (studying the market, country, taste preferences) and on the enterprise's economic resources.

Conclusion

We primarily related the major difficulties of managing international environmental projects to differences in the economic, political, social and cultural, and technological aspects of the countries taking part in such projects. Speaking about economic differences, it is necessary to mention the following ones: the economic situation in the country of implementation, the creditworthiness of banks, the solvency of the population, the rate of inflation, the cost of labor. All these factors play an important role in investment and financial planning in calculating risks. For example, countries with cheap labor are more attractive to start labor-intensive production than countries with expensive labor. The political situation, the current legislation, the tax and budget policies of the state are also very significant factors that need to be considered in implementing the environmental project.

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