https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/ Journal of Improvement Management en daily 1 Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/article_245470.html Major wars and crises, despite their severe human and economic costs, may also function as critical junctures that reshape development trajectories. Drawing on evolutionary economics and industrial policy literature, this letter argues that the destruction of industrial capacities and productive equipment can create a “window of opportunity” for structural transformation. Under such circumstances, industrial reconstruction should not be confined to replacing damaged machinery and restoring pre-existing production patterns. Instead, it should be viewed as an opportunity to upgrade national technological capabilities. The paper contends that sustainable industrial development requires a strategic transition from “producing goods based on imported technologies” toward “designing and manufacturing capital goods, industrial machinery, and production systems”. By revisiting the post-war experiences of successful industrialized economies and discussing the institutional prerequisites of technological upgrading, the article proposes that post-war reconstruction policies should prioritize capital goods industries, technology transfer, co-design and co-production arrangements, and the establishment of national machinery-building consortia. Such an approach can strengthen technological sovereignty, industrial resilience, and long-term economic development. https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/article_238449.html While the mining industry significantly contributes to countries' economic development, it also adversely affects human health and the environment. However, digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, robotics, and drones have demonstrated considerable potential to mitigate these challenges through mine digitalization. This study aims to identify the socio-technical challenges and obstacles in transitioning to digitalized mines in Iran and to propose policy solutions to address these challenges. Using the Multi-Level Perspective framework, this research develops a theoretical model to analyze factors influencing the socio-technical transition toward mine digitalization. Through expert opinions in focus groups and thematic analysis, transition challenges were identified at three levels—landscape, socio-technical regime, and niche—with corresponding policy solutions proposed for each level. At the landscape level, two main challenges were identified: the lack of economic and productivity imperatives and the absence of environmental and human requirements. To address these, programs such as targeted financial facilities and energy subsidies were proposed. At the socio-technical regime level, challenges included policy and legal barriers, insufficient management support for change, socio-cultural challenges, and technological and infrastructural shortcomings. Twelve solutions were proposed, such as establishing a single window for technology licensing, developing a digital transformation center, implementing training programs for managers and staff, and supporting pilot projects in digitalization. At the niche level, a weak innovation ecosystem and difficulties in the mining sector innovation were identified. Solutions included institutional and infrastructural development (through innovation centers and technology consortia) and facilitating collaboration and knowledge transfer (by supporting university-industry joint projects). https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/article_238454.html Purpose: Industrial clusters serve as critical platforms for strengthening productivity, fostering innovation, and enhancing regional competitiveness. These clusters must transform in response to the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This research aims to identify and prioritize the key elements involved in conceptualizing and theorizing Industrial Cluster 4.0.Method: To accomplish the aim, a systematic review and the Grey Delphi method were conducted to identify and then classify 26 key components into five main categories. Subsequently, the Grey Best–Worst Method was applied to determine the weights and priorities of these components based on the evaluations of ten industry experts who were selected using purposive sampling.Findings: The results showed that the "smart economic development" dimension has the highest weight (47%) in the industrial cluster 4.0 model; also, the "international smart value creation" component ranked first with a weight of 20%. The dimensions of smart human capital development, smart service provision, smart market development, and smart spatial focus were ranked next.Conclusion: These findings indicated that implementing Industry 4.0 technologies in industrial clusters requires coordinated economic, human, and managerial infrastructure, along with multi-level interaction between the government, cluster managers, and supporting institutions. https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/article_240022.html Despite the growing significance of the management consulting industry, existing literature has predominantly focused on global patterns, largely overlooking the professional roles within the context of developing economies, specifically Iran. This research aims to explore the dual nature of the functional roles of this industry by conducting a comparative analysis of the global versus context-specific roles of management consulting firms within the Iranian economic landscape. Adopting an exploratory qualitative approach and utilizing thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 14 domain experts, the findings reveal the emergence of specialized functions that transcend conventional professional roles, rooted in Iran's environmental structures and contextual imperatives. The identification of roles such as "involvement in unrelated commercial activities" and "compliance with statutory requirements" demonstrates how consulting firms in specific environments deviate from their specialized identities to adopt new functions in response to environmental pressures and economic survival. This typology, while moderating the notion of the universality of prevailing consulting models, provides new insights into the dynamics of the profession and its adaptation to the context of developing economies. The implications of this study pave the way for enhancing macro-level policymaking toward the professionalization of the industry and assist managers in leveraging indigenous consulting capacities aligned with Iran's economic realities. https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/article_243715.html Despite emphasis in numerous upstream documents, a significant gap exists between the predicted goals and the actual performance of Iran's industrial sector (with an average growth rate of 1.5% in the 2010s). This research aimed to systematically analyze the executive barriers of Iran's industrial development documents and explain the hierarchical and causal relationships between them. This applied research utilized a mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) approach. In the first step, employing thematic analysis and the study of documents and semi-structured interviews with 8 experts, the main barriers were identified. In the second step, the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) method and MICMAC analysis were used, and the necessary data were collected and analyzed through a pairwise comparison questionnaire completed by 15 experts. Based on the findings, 6 main barriers were identified. ISM and MICMAC analyses revealed that the barrier "Lack of positive interaction between policymakers and stakeholders" was the most influential factor on the entire system, acting as an independent and fundamental variable. This barrier was placed at the most foundational level of the model. In contrast, barriers such as "Lack of consensus on the vision" and "Unclear leading institution" were identified as dependent and high-level variables. https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/article_243716.html 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. https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/article_244445.html This study was conducted with the aim of “developing and validating a model of AI based content marketing in startups” within a macro level framework centered on improving change management and industrial development in the context of digital transformation. The research design followed a sequential exploratory mixed methods approach. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through netnography and analyzed using a thematic network approach organized at three levels: component, dimension, and core concept. The output of this phase was the extraction of five core concepts: content production, use of automation tools, data analysis efficiency, effective content interaction and distribution, and decision making improvement, which formed the basis for developing the quantitative instrument. The content validity of the items was confirmed based on the judgment of 10 experts and the content validity ratio (CVR) with a threshold of 0.62. In the quantitative phase, the final questionnaire was distributed online, and 489 valid responses were collected. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed. The model fit indices were highly satisfactory. The final output of the research presents an integrated, management oriented framework that is aligned with the needs of digital transformation and industrial development. This framework clarifies how to leverage the technical capabilities of artificial intelligence to improve content quality, deploy automation, optimize distribution, and enhance data driven decision making in startups, and can serve as a basis for guiding policy making and change management in Iran’s startup ecosystem. https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/article_245363.html Economic sanctions have become one of the most decisive external constraints on Iran's economy in the recent decade. However, the intensity and channels through which they affect total factor productivity have not been precisely identified. Adopting a historical-analytical approach, this study examines how sanctions impact Iran's economic productivity and identifies the mediating role of economic sectors. The research utilizes annual time-series data from 2011 to 2022, covering three consecutive phases: intensification of sanctions, partial relief, and severe reimposition. Sanction intensity is measured using a composite index, and its relationship with total productivity and sectoral productivity (oil, industry, agriculture) is analyzed through correlation analysis, univariate and multivariate regression, and trend analysis. The historical approach enables identification of dynamic patterns of economic adaptation across three distinct periods. Findings reveal that sanctions directly explain only 0.3% of total productivity variance. However, 91% of their effect is transmitted indirectly through sectors, with the industrial sector alone accounting for over 90% of total economic productivity variance. During the reimposition period, this sector transitioned from negative to positive averages despite intensified external pressure. The oil sector is the most vulnerable, while agriculture is the most resilient. Trend analysis warns that total economic productivity peaked in 2024 and, without structural transformation, will move toward negative values from 2031 onward. The results emphasize the necessity of focusing policy on enhancing industrial productivity, industrializing agriculture, and transitioning from reactive resilience to structural development. https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/article_245389.html Despite Iran's high methanol production capacity, the petrochemical industry remains largely trapped in a crude-export-oriented pattern. This study aims to design policy solutions for completing the methanol value chain within the framework of the Resistance Economy and upstream policy documents. Using thematic analysis and conducting 16 semi-structured interviews with experts from the oil and petrochemical sectors, along with reviewing 21 upstream policy documents, basic, organizing, and global themes were extracted and analyzed through a thematic network.The findings indicate that the main gap lies not in the absence of upstream policy documents, but in weak institutional coherence, lack of integrated implementation mechanisms, financing challenges, technological limitations, and the absence of incentive systems aligned with downstream development. Accordingly, the most important proposed policy solution is "conditioning natural gas feed discounts on downstream chain development" which, together with other solutions, were developed and prioritized across four main axes: governance and investment steering, reform of incentive and financing systems, technological and infrastructure development, and market and export development of downstream products. The results suggest that the effective realization of the Resistance Economy in the petrochemical industry requires a shift from a production-oriented approach toward a value-added and policy-driven paradigm. https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/article_245559.html Startups cannot survive and continue their activities without economic profit. And this is achieved through the commercialization of products and services. Commercialization, which has led to the failure and exit of numerous startups, is itself shaped by a set of barriers and drivers. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to identify the barriers and drivers of commercialization in startups and to analyze their structural relationships using a scientific approach. To achieve this objective, a systematic review of the literature and related scholarly sources was first conducted to identify the factors influencing technology commercialization in startups. These factors were subsequently validated by experts and classified into two categories: barriers and drivers. In the next step, the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) approach was applied to analyze the interrelationships among the components in terms of their influence on one another.The findings indicate that, based on the Driving Forces and dependent forces of the factors, the barrier of “time wastage” was identified as a dependent variable, “technological complexity” emerged as an independent variable, and the remaining barriers and drivers (such as financial resources, risk aversion, skilled human capital, commercialization speed, prototyping, reputation, organizational legitimacy, and networks) were classified as linkage variables. None of the factors were placed in the autonomous category. Furthermore, the results suggest that successful commercialization in startups requires particular attention to more foundational factors such as investment, lack of legitimacy, time wastage, risk aversion, reputation, commercialization speed, and networks. https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/article_246269.html Abstract:Objective: The global market today is facing high volatility and intense competitive pressures, requiring firms to develop resilience and the ability to adapt rapidly to maintain their position. The present study aimed to examine the impact of digital maturity and competitive intelligence on export resilience in Iran’s industrial equipment sector, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of absorptive capacity and strategic agility.Method: From a purpose perspective, this research is applied, and methodologically, it is descriptive-survey in nature. Data were collected through a questionnaire using purposive sampling from 126 senior managers and experts in industrial equipment manufacturing firms with a five-year history of exporting their products. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).Findings: The results indicated that the direct effect of digital maturity on export resilience was not significant; however, this relationship was established through the mediating variables of absorptive capacity and strategic agility. In contrast, competitive intelligence exerted both direct and indirect effects on export resilienceConclusion: The final model highlights the importance of integrating technological and knowledge capabilities when confronting crises. Accordingly, in Iran’s high-risk and volatile context, export resilience can only be sustained when investments in digital maturity are complemented by strengthening soft infrastructures, such as organizational learning and environmental analysis. https://www.behboodmodiriat.ir/article_247533.html In recent years, the corporate innovation ecosystem has emerged as a purposeful architecture for the development of endogenous innovation and for systematic interaction with external actors, including startups, universities, investors, and intermediary institutions. Using thematic analysis and interviews with innovation managers from five major Iranian companies and field experts, this study explores key ecosystem dimensions: rationales, components, implementation mechanisms, obstacles, and the government's role. Findings show that ecosystem development is a gradual, context-dependent process that requires alignment with corporate strategy and organizational maturity, the institutionalization of agile structures, and cultural transformation toward open innovation. At the firm level, mechanisms such as innovation centers, innovation diplomats, corporate venture capital, and collaborative models with universities and knowledge-based enterprises generate tangible value when linked to the value chain and technological needs. Major challenges include governance deficiencies, policy instability, cultural resistance, weak absorptive capacity, lack of specialized skills, absence of trust and social capital, and dependence on government support. At the macro level, the government's role is not as a direct patron but as a facilitator and institutional enabler through consistent policy implementation, smart financial and tax incentives, strengthening private institutions, and developing infrastructure for synergy and connectivity. Ultimately, the findings underscore the necessity of transitioning from closed to open innovation and designing integrated policy and firm-level strategies tailored to the context, as a prerequisite for successful development of corporate innovation ecosystems in Iran.