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The paper considers a method for studying panel data based on the use of agglomerative hierarchical clustering — grouping objects based on the similarities and differences in their features into a hierarchy of clusters nested into each other. We used 2 alternative methods for calculating Euclidean distances between objects — the distance between the values averaged over observation interval, and the distance using data for all considered years. Three alternative methods for calculating the distances between clusters were compared. In the first case, the distance between the nearest elements from two clusters is considered to be distance between these clusters, in the second — the average over pairs of elements, in the third — the distance between the most distant elements. The efficiency of using two clustering quality indices, the Dunn and Silhouette index, was studied to select the optimal number of clusters and evaluate the statistical significance of the obtained solutions. The method of assessing statistical reliability of cluster structure consisted in comparing the quality of clustering on a real sample with the quality of clustering on artificially generated samples of panel data with the same number of objects, features and lengths of time series. Generation was made from a fixed probability distribution. At the same time, simulation methods imitating Gaussian white noise and random walk were used. Calculations with the Silhouette index showed that a random walk is characterized not only by spurious regression, but also by “spurious clustering”. Clustering was considered reliable for a given number of selected clusters if the index value on the real sample turned out to be greater than the value of the 95% quantile for artificial data. A set of time series of indicators characterizing production in the regions of the Russian Federation was used as a sample of real data. For these data only Silhouette shows reliable clustering at the level p < 0.05. Calculations also showed that index values for real data are generally closer to values for random walks than for white noise, but it have significant differences from both. Since three-dimensional feature space is used, the quality of clustering was also evaluated visually. Visually, one can distinguish clusters of points located close to each other, also distinguished as clusters by the applied hierarchical clustering algorithm.

The article discusses the problem of the influence of the research goals on the structure of the multivariate model of regression analysis (in particular, on the implementation of the procedure for reducing the dimension of the model). It is shown how bringing the specification of the multiple regression model in line with the research objectives affects the choice of modeling methods. Two schemes for constructing a model are compared: the first does not allow taking into account the typology of primary predictors and the nature of their influence on the performance characteristics, the second scheme implies a stage of preliminary division of the initial predictors into groups, in accordance with the objectives of the study. Using the example of solving the problem of analyzing the causes of burnout of creative workers, the importance of the stage of qualitative analysis and systematization of a priori selected factors is shown, which is implemented not by computing means, but by attracting the knowledge and experience of specialists in the studied subject area. The presented example of the implementation of the approach to determining the specification of the regression model combines formalized mathematical and statistical procedures and the preceding stage of the classification of primary factors. The presence of this stage makes it possible to explain the scheme of managing (corrective) actions (softening the leadership style and increasing approval lead to a decrease in the manifestations of anxiety and stress, which, in turn, reduces the severity of the emotional exhaustion of the team members). Preclassification also allows avoiding the combination in one main component of controlled and uncontrolled, regulatory and controlled feature factors, which could worsen the interpretability of the synthesized predictors. On the example of a specific problem, it is shown that the selection of factors-regressors is a process that requires an individual solution. In the case under consideration, the following were consistently used: systematization of features, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, regression analysis. The first three methods made it possible to significantly reduce the dimension of the problem, which did not affect the achievement of the goal for which this task was posed: significant measures of controlling influence on the team were shown. allowing to reduce the degree of emotional burnout of its participants.