This study investigates the latent causes of conflict of interest and presents practical management strategies in data governance within large Iranian organizations. Data governance serves as a crucial infrastructure for organizational value creation in Iran but faces substantial complexities due to diverse stakeholders, the strategic value of data, and varying perspectives on data ownership. To deeply understand these challenges, the research uses a qualitative grounded theory approach (Corbin & Strauss model), conducting 15 in-depth interviews with expert data managers and specialists.

Findings indicate that conflicts of interest in data governance stem less from mere role ambiguity and more from the dominance of a security-oriented paradigm, cultural resistance to accepting new responsibilities, and conceptual confusion between “data integration” and “data governance.” These factors have produced siloed structures, reduced data quality, diminished transparency, and weakened trust between organizational units. The presence of multiple and sometimes competing stakeholders has led each unit to aim for maximum control with minimal cooperation.

To address these issues, the article proposes strategies such as developing transparent data governance dashboards, establishing independent and specialized data committees, promoting a data-driven organizational culture, redefining roles along the entire data value chain, and utilizing performance indicators to monitor progress. The study concludes that achieving mature and effective data governance in Iran demands restructuring organizations, changing attitudes toward data, defining responsibilities explicitly, and fostering active multi-stakeholder collaboration.