General information

Zircon Research group is one of the oldest independent companies in the modern Russia, specialized on sociological and marketing research, information and analytical services, political and management consulting.

2016Now ZIRCON Research Group is a large-scale network structure, which includes several teams of specialists who can implement different research, social and engineering tasks.

2011A new company named «Socio Business Group» was created in the structure of the Group, oriented to the consulting of network communities of practice creation and development in corporations and non-profit sector.

2010«Sociologos.ru» project was started – the information portal of Russian applied sociology and marketing researches; John Locke Club was founded (in cooperation with Public Politics department of the NRU HSE) – initiative of specialists studying the civil society of Russia.

2009The Laboratory of monitoring researches in the Moscow State University of Psychology & Education (MGPPU) was organized, which team was created by ZIRCON employees.

2006ZIRCON Research Group became one of the founders (represented by Igor Zadorin) and members (represented by the ANO «Sociological workshop of Zadorin») of the Non-commercial Partnership «International Research Agency «Eurasian Monitor»).

2004ZIRCON Research group (represented by the LLC «ADAPT» Firm») became a member of the Russian Association for Market and Opinion Research (membership till 2011).

2003Autonomous Non-profit Organization (ANO) «Sociological workshop of Zadorin» («Sociologicheskaya Masterskaya Zadorina») was created, which is oriented to the implementation of initiative and non-commercial projects.

2001ZIRCON Research Group became one of the initiators and an active member of informal professional association – Association of regional sociological centers “Group 7/89” (membership till 2009).

1993The juridical form of group was changed into the Limited Liability Company (LLC) «ADAPT» Firm» (founded in 1991). There is also a publishing division Socio-Logos™ in the structure of LLC “ADAPT” Firm” (production of sociological literature till 2001).

1989ZIRCON Research group as a creative team was founded in June 1989 on the initiative of its director Igor Zadorin. ZIRCON («Centre of intellectual resources and cooperation in social sciences») was a structural subdivision of the joint-stock company «MKC Variant» till 1993.

Company`s philosophy

During almost all its history ZIRCON is trying to work in the way of "creative workshop" and «sociological boutique». The Group does not aspire to market expansion and in spite of a reliable CV keeps a short number of employees all this time. Without competing with large «fabrics», ZIRCON concentrates on special «non-conveyor» (and sometimes even unique) projects. The innovative and creative component of projects that allows not just to accomplish the technical task but also to work out something new and original is very important for the team. This purpose makes it possible to come up to every new project (client) with the special care and attention. In every - even not large-scale - research ZIRCON tries to use a high creative potential and a rich methodological arsenal as much as possible.

Understanding the main purpose of applied sociological researches primarily in the provision of management activity (decision making), ZIRCON formulates its mission in two ways: from one side - as the implementation of qualitative sociological expertise into the practice of social management in different areas, from another side – as the indirect contribution to the development of Russian sociology through practical commercial products, or, in other words, as a continuing combination of intellectual creativity in the practical sociology area with the production of particular applied product for the managers of different specialization.

Thus, ZIRCON connects applied (commercial) orientation of researches with the academic (scientific) validity and creative innovation.

Founders and management

The only founder (member) of the LCC «ADAPT» Firm» and the only founder of the ANO «Sociological workshop of Zadorin» is Igor Veniaminovich Zadorin – who is the director general of the LCC «ADAPT» Firm» (ZIRCON) and the chairman of board of the ANO «Sociological workshop of Zadorin».p>

Subject specialization:

  • Political orientations and electorate behavior of the population
  • Sociology of social sphere (education, public health, housing and communal services, local government)
  • Sociology of media, advertising and mass communications
  • Financial activity of the population
  • Labour behavior (including satisfaction and involvement)

Main directions of activity:

  • Sociological and marketing nvestigations
  • Informational and analytical service
  • Social technologies and social networking consulting

Structure and management

According to its internal structure and working style ZIRCON is the original «creative workshop» where management (and ownership) is not separated from production and the activities of employees are not delineated by rigid frames of specialization and official positions. At the same time distribution of roles (works) within the primary research center has a project character.

There are 8-10 employees working on a permanent basis in the company. For implementation of large projects company engages experienced specialists and experts on conditions of temporal contract, and for the collection of primary information (field researches) it works with the qualified interviewers and partnership organizations, regularly collaborating with the company.

ZIRCON develops the elements of network organization, which is the most suitable way for a small company-workshop.

The most important and significant projects of recent years:

  • 1«The study of investment demand for social infrastructure in Moscow" (2013) – a study on the outlook of investment demand for social infrastructure. The research was conducted for the State budgetary institution of Moscow "City agency of Investment Management".
  • 2«Prospects for NGOs as providers of public benefit» (2013) - a study on the availability of the third sector to assume some functions of the government to provide social services and social services on a competitive basis. The project was implemented by request of ANO "Social Information Agency".
  • 3«Charity in Russian regions» (2013) - study on the status and potential of charitable activity in Russian regions, which included a variety of research and analytical procedures (expert surveys, analysis of state statistics, interviews, etc.). The project was implemented for NPGO "Donors Forum."
  • 4«Representing the interests of the third sector: opportunities and barriers for creating a «sectoral union» (2013) - a complex study on the issues of consolidation and solidarity in NGO sector, which included a massive online survey of NGO leaders, a series of interviews with the representatives of third sector, authoritiy, local government and business, as well as desk research on the study of foreign experience. The project is initiative and was implemented by means of a grant of the Institute for Public Designing (INOP).
  • 5“Forming a positive image of technological entrepreneurship in the minds of talented young people" (2013) - a study of perception of technological entrepreneurship as a possible direction of a professional strategy of the youth, implemented with the method of focus-group discussions. The research was conducted for the Russian Venture Company jointly with CJSC "Primum Mobile".
  • 6"The measurement of the investment climate in the regions of the Russian Federation" (2013) - a project on the development of methodology and the conducting of research on the issue of the investment climate change measurement in some regions of Russia. The research was conducted by request of “The Agency of strategic initiatives”.
  • 7Set of studies on the sociology of mass media and mass communications, including: 1) «Monitoring of media literacy level of the population of Russia (for The Ministry of communications and mass communications of the RF, 2009-2012), 2) «The Russians` opinion about television and public influence on its content» (initiatively, 2009), 3) «Study of international and Russian experience of state and corporate management of mass media» (for The Ministry of communications and mass communications of the RF, 2009), 4) «Listening to the radio in the countries of the former USSR» (for The Russian state radio broadcasting company «The Voice of Russia», 2009-2013).
  • 8Regional and municipal electoral sociology: a series of projects in a number of regions of the Russian Federation, including: Moscow (2005), the Primorsky Krai (2006), Voronezh, Barnaul (2008); Moscow region (2009), Smolensk (2009); Vladimir Region (2011); the cities of presence of the energy industry enterprises (2012). Projects topics: electoral activity, electoral expectations, attitude to the candidates, electoral ratings, political loyalty, attitude to the authorities, social mood.
  • 9«Eurasian Monitor» (2004-2012, jointly with a number of research companies of the CIS) – an initiative project on the study of social moods of the CIS countries` population. Key project of 2012 is the «Integration barometer EDB» (2012) – the research of integration preferences of population in 11 countries of the post-Soviet space on the issues of economic integration – mutual trade and investment of capital, entrepreneurial activity in neighborhood countries, labor migration and others. The research was conducted by IRA «Eurasian Monitor» for the Center of integration researches of Eurasian Development Bank (CIR EDB).
  • 10«The development of social entrepreneurship: problems and trends» (2012-2013) - a series of thematically related studies: 1) «Classification of Russian regions by the potential of social entrepreneurship development», 2) «Self-portrait» of social entrepreneurs». The studies were conducted with the support of The Found of Regional Social Programs «Fund our future».
  • 11«Strategy-2020: examination by stakeholders» (2011) – an examination of specific steps suggested by «Strategy-2020», during which the assessments of key steps were obtained from different social and professional groups` representatives.
  • 12The studies conducted for the Foundation for development of the New Technologies Development and Commercialization Centre «Skolkovo».: 1) «Innovative city: the views of stakeholders» (2010) - preliminary project on the study of the scientific workers` views on the project of innovative city; 2) «New Russian Technopolis «Skolkovo»: attitudes of target audiences and their motivation for living and working» (2010) – a research of the attitudes of potential residents of Skolkovo Center of innovation to the conception of innovate settlement, their motivation for living and working at that settlement, their preferences for accommodations and working conditions in the Center of innovation; 3) «Study of social environment of the Skolkovo Center of innovation» (2011-2012) – the description of the «Skolkovo» community in the perceptions of its members, external experts, and project`s managers.
  • 13«Condition and analysis of activity of the Russian Federation charitable foundations» (2011) – the research aimed to obtaining the data necessary for the systematization of information about the RF charitable foundations` activity, including the number of really operating foundations, their typology, character and areas of activity. The project was conducted for The nonprofit partnership of grant-making organizations “Donors forum”.
  • 14«Condition and trends of Russian federalism development in social consciousness and expert judgment» (2011) – a complex research conducted in four regions of Russia, included public opinion polls of the population and interviews with the representatives of the authorities of different levels, business-structures, scientific community and civil society for the assessment of state and prospects of Russian federalism development. The research was conducted with the support of the International foundation for socio-economic and political studies (The Gorbachev Foundation).
  • 15«Authority and society in Russia: the development of cooperation and the rise of civil participation effectiveness» (2010) – analysis of development trends of civil activity of population (including the youth) and problems of engaging the citizens and public organizations into the process of development, acceptance and realization of decisions at the federal, regional and local levels. The project was conducted with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
  • 16«Socio-psychological climate, work satisfaction and corporate communication» (2007-2009) – a set of studies at the enterprises of large companies and corporations («Gazprom Neft Company», «Rosatom Corporation»).
  • 17«Monitoring of efficiency of the project «System of state cadastral registration of real estate objects» (2007-2008) - a survey of employees and clients (legal entities and individuals) of cadastral service in 40 regions of the RF, included about 5 000 respondents.
  • 18«Monitoring of efficiency of measures of «Education» National Project (2006-2008) - a set of expert surveys with the assessment of realization of the innovative educational programs by the leading universities of country, 2 waves of polls.
  • 19«Perception of railway sector reform and corporative reputation of the «Russian railways» among the key stakeholders» (2006-2007) – a complex sociological study, included public opinion polls and surveys of the representatives of institutional stakeholders in 15 regions of Russia.
  • 20«Social mood diagnosis in the areas of real and potential presence of atomic energy enterprises» (2007) – a complex sociological study on public opinion about atomic energy and atomic sector enterprises (6 regions of the RF), included public opinion polls, discussion focus-groups and expert interviews.
  • 21«Monitoring of financial activity of the Russian population» (2000-2012) – a long-term project included complex data analysis of financial activity of the Russian population (savings, investments, insurance etc.) from the middle of 90th and up to this date.

Professional recognition

Awards
In 1995 the “Adapt” Firm (ZIRCON) was included into the number of 50 business structures of Moscow,
“processing the most serious intellectual, creative and technical potential” by the Expert Council of “Moscow business elite-95” catalogue.
Certain ZIRCON projects were marked by gratitude by the heads of the RF President`s Administration, The Federal Assembly of Russia, the Central Election Commission of the RF.

Recommendations

Recommendations
ZIRCON Research group is recommended as a qualified executor of sociological projects by well-known members of authorities, business-structures, public organizations and scientific community

Membership in associations

«Group 7/89» Member
(The Association of regional sociological centers «Group 7/89»), since 2000 till 2009
GIOMIR member
(The Guild of Public Opinion and Market Researchers), since 2001
OIROM member
(The Russian Association for Market and Opinion Research), since 2004 till 2011
«Eurasian Monitor» Member
(Non-commercial Partnership «International Research Agency «Eurasian Monitor»), since 2004
ESOMAR Individual Membership Information

Ratings

Since 2007 ZIRCON Research Group is constantly in the TOP-5 List of the Russian Research Companies Rating according to the Association of regional sociological centers “Group 7/89” version

(among more than 50 companies)