Management Research in Iran

Abstract Virtual brand communities are groups of brand supporters who, through continuous interactions, user experiences, promotion of new products, and social communication, play a significant role in enhancing brand value. These communities contribute to brand loyalty, increase brand awareness, and facilitate the expansion of the consumer base. Despite extensive research in this field, a comprehensive analytical framework for systematically examining the factors influencing virtual brand communities has yet to be established. This study aims to develop an analytical framework for the factors affecting virtual brand communities by employing a systematic literature review and meta-synthesis approach. To this end, more than 1,000 articles were examined, and after a multi-stage screening process, 32 relevant studies were selected. Data were collected from the Iranian databases Magiran and SID, as well as the international Scopus database. Using the Sandelowski and Barroso meta-synthesis method to integrate previous studies, the concepts in this domain were categorized through a seven-step process. The findings indicate that virtual brand communities are influenced by six fundamental capabilities: enabling capability, developmental capability, environmental capability, social understanding capability, action capability, and reactive capability. Ultimately, by integrating a systematic literature review with a meta-synthesis approach, this study proposes a comprehensive framework for analyzing the factors influencing virtual brand communities. The results can provide valuable insights for researchers and brand managers in understanding the nature of brand communities, identifying their challenges, formulating managerial strategies, and fostering the development of these communities.

Abstract Isomorphic imitation, as a latent yet influential mechanism, can contribute to the formation of ineffective human resource policies in organizations through widespread and uncritical adoption of policies, thereby challenging paths of transformation and innovation—particularly in public organizations where normative and legal pressures are more pronounced. The present study aims to develop a model of ineffective human resource policies from an isomorphic perspective. This research is qualitative in nature and was conducted using thematic analysis. The study population consisted of managers in public organizations and university faculty members, from whom 21 participants were selected through purposive sampling based on the principle of theoretical sufficiency. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework. The findings led to the identification and development of a model that explicates the drivers of isomorphism, types of ineffective human resource policies, organizational barriers and constraints, and the consequences of isomorphic imitation in public organizations. In addition, strategies for correcting the cycle of policy formation were identified, each playing a distinct role in mitigating the negative effects of isomorphism and improving the effectiveness of human resource policies

Abstract This study aims to identify and prioritize the factors affecting the export of Iranian ornamental stones by employing a mixed-method approach that integrates qualitative content analysis of expert interviews, Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), and a two-round Delphi method. In the first stage, the initial factors were extracted through in-depth expert interviews. Then, to reduce data volume and merge similar or overlapping factors, MCA was applied, resulting in the identification of 21 key factors. These factors were subsequently evaluated by 42 experts in two Delphi rounds. The findings indicated that the level of consensus among experts increased significantly in the second round, and the Friedman test confirmed significant differences in the importance levels of the factors. Ultimately, seven key factors—including international sanctions and restrictions, advertising and marketing, production technology level, customer trust in purchasing Iranian stone, export stone price, diplomatic relations, and the public image of Iranian stone—were identified as strategic determinants. These factors achieved the highest mean scores and ranks in the statistical analyses and showed the lowest variance (standard deviation) among expert opinions. Therefore, managers and policymakers are encouraged to adopt a comprehensive and forward-looking approach and prioritize these areas to support the sustainable development of Iran's stone exports.

Abstract This research, aiming to challenge the traditional, individual-centric paradigms within organizational science, introduces and elucidates the novel theoretical framework of "Situation Architecture." The central argument posits that relying solely on stable individual traits is insufficient to explain fluctuations in employee performance and behavior; rather, the theoretical literature must shift its focus toward the "dynamic interaction between the individual and the situation."
Employing a conceptual-review methodology, this study systematically reviews various situational models and classifies situational dimensions (including threat, stress, tasks, processing, entertainment, and routine). Concurrently, it redefines the manager's role as that of a "Situation Architect."
The primary finding of this research is the introduction of the "Four-Stage Model of Situation Architecture," which comprises: Foundation, Cognitive Engagement, Crisis Management, and Recovery. This model offers managers an operational framework to move beyond reactive responses, allowing them to proactively and intelligently shape work environments. By intervening in the constituent components of a situation, they can guide employee perceptions and create the conditions necessary to achieve optimal performance states, such as "Flow."
Ultimately, the research concludes that this paradigm shift redirects management functions—particularly Human Resource Management—away from "selecting the best individual" and toward "creating an optimal fit between the individual and the situation." This approach provides a more realistic theory with greater explanatory power for analyzing organizational phenomena.

Abstract This study develops a model of environmental drivers influencing the empowerment of knowledge-based companies (KBCs) for entry into and sustainable participation in international markets. Grounded in dynamic capabilities theory and informed by macro- and industry-level environmental perspectives, the research adopts a mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, inductive content analysis was conducted based on 34 semi-structured interviews with managers of knowledge-based firms, policymakers, and experts in the innovation ecosystem, leading to the identification and categorization of environmental drivers into nine principal themes. In the quantitative phase, a Fuzzy Delphi approach was employed with a panel of 20 academic and executive experts to validate and prioritize the identified factors. The results indicate that “Designing and Implementing Governmental Financial and Economic Mechanisms” is the most influential category (defuzzified score = 0.8661), while at the indicator level, “Designing Alternative Financial Mechanisms to Counter Sanctions” (0.8917) and “Developing Export-Oriented Fintech Tools” (0.8833) are among the highest-ranked factors, followed by “Trade Policy-Making and National Strategic Planning” and “Strengthening Diplomacy and International Relations” , whereas sustainability-oriented and green trade dimensions receive comparatively lower priority under current conditions. Overall, the findings suggest that the international empowerment of KBCs is a multi-layered process shaped by the interaction of environmental drivers and organizational capabilities, where financial and policy mechanisms appear to shape the sensing of international opportunities, technological infrastructures and economic diplomacy facilitate opportunity seizing, and institutional ecosystem development strengthens the transformation of resources and capabilities, collectively enhancing the resilience of KBCs in volatile international environments.

Abstract The present study compared the effectiveness of two decision-making approaches—statistical judgment and clinical judgment—in selecting employees for job rotation based on the Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERI) model. This applied study used a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group. The population consisted of production-line employees of an automobile manufacturing company. Sixty participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned, after the pretest, to statistical judgment, clinical judgment, or control groups.

Data were collected using the standardized Effort–Reward Imbalance questionnaire developed by Siegrist and semi-structured interviews with managers and supervisors to operationalize clinical judgment. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27 through paired-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the LSD post hoc test.

Results showed that the statistical judgment group experienced significant increases in both effort and reward (p < 0.001). Mean effort increased from 14.00 to 17.35, and mean reward increased from 28.25 to 32.10. Significant differences were also found among the three groups, and post hoc analyses confirmed the superiority of the statistical judgment approach over the clinical judgment and control groups. Additionally, the effort–reward ratio was significantly lower in the statistical judgment group, indicating a more favorable perceived balance.

Overall, the findings suggest that data-driven decision-making in selecting employees for job rotation can improve employees’ perceived effort–reward balance. However, limitations such as the sample size and focus on a single industrial setting require caution in generalizing the results.