https://smt.isu.ac.ir/ Strategic Management Thought en daily 1 Sat, 21 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0330 Sat, 21 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0330 https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_77816.html The increasing number and diversity of actors and strategic challenges, such as technological innovation and digitalization, make traditional top-down strategy formulation ineffective in the media industry. Instead, an emergent model is needed to understand the development of competitive strategies. This study aims to refine a model that introduces and prioritizes components of competitive strategy formation among new media industry and employs a mixed-methods approach. In the first phase, data were collected through content analysis of library related resources. Then, the second phase involved quantitatively validating the qualitative findings using the Delphi method and then prioritization using interpretive structural modeling (ISM).The findings highlight three core dimensions—context, content, and process—in strategy formation, encompassing fourteen prioritized components which are proposed in four priority levels:First: Audience engagement, change leadership, rapid adaptation to challenges, innovation culture, application of new technologies, use of data and algorithms, and exploitation of dynamic capabilities.Second: Networked thinking, transparency in mission, and organizational willpower.Third: Platform-based approach, government rules and policies.Fourth: User awareness and satisfaction, alongside audience preferences and media consumption patterns. https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_77149.html https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_77832.html This study develops a model for identifying provincial issues and setting the policy agenda in Zanjan, addressing the research gap in provincial-level analysis. Using a Glaserian grounded theory approach and the Six C's framework, qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding, yielding 111 codes, 55 concepts, and 14 core categories. Findings indicate that "provincial issue identification and agenda setting" is shaped by institutional-political centralization, socio-cultural disjunctions, and stakeholder power dynamics. Key barriers to evidence-based decision-making include limited economic-technological capacity, inefficient organizational culture, coordination gaps among agencies, and a shortage of skilled human capital. Triggering events, such as social crises, and demographic-environmental shifts often lead to reactive, short-term policymaking, causing governance inefficiencies and selective issue prioritization. The study highlights the role of informal networks and recommends establishing joint monitoring systems, strengthening participatory councils with guilds and academics, and leveraging big data technology to enhance inter-agency coordination and transparency, thus improving provincial governance and policy effectiveness. https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_77841.html This research aims to create a grounded theory regarding the phenomenon of managerial alienation in public organizations in Amol. The research strategy employed an emerging design of grounded theory, and the participants consisted of 22 employees from 7 public organizations in Amol, selected through theoretical sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. The core category explaining managerial alienation was identified as the identity failure of the manager, manifested in two forms: servant-oriented and self-serving. Servant-oriented identity failure arises from the manager's self-assessment and has a positive impact on their intention to leave the job, while self-serving identity failure stems from the manager's self-valuation, positively affecting their rumination. The dynamics of these relationships are presented in a model in the article. Metaphorically, the emergence of servant-oriented identity failure in an alienated manager is described with three concepts: a mere figure on the wall, a sycophantic servant, and a paper lion. Additionally, the concept of an abandoned master is articulated for self-serving identity failure. https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_77835.html With rising consumer concerns about the environmental and social impacts of their purchases, this study identifies and prioritizes factors influencing the adoption of AI chatbots in mindful purchasing behavior. Such behavior reflects consumer choices that consider environmental, ethical, social, and cultural aspects. Chatbots can support responsible decision-making by providing real-time, personalized information. Using a mixed-method approach, the qualitative phase included semi-structured interviews with 24 online shoppers from five major Iranian cities. Thematic analysis revealed three main categories: individual, environmental, and technological factors. The quantitative phase applied the Level-Based Weight Assessment (LBWA) method based on evaluations from seven experts. A total of 43 codes, 14 organizing themes, and 3 overarching themes were identified. Key factors included environmental concern, privacy issues, social approval, perceived usefulness, and human-like interaction. "Perceived usefulness" ranked highest, followed by "localization," "personalization," and "cultural alignment," highlighting the importance of local values. Results suggest that culturally tailored, transparent, and needs-oriented chatbots enhance adoption. Future studies should explore cross-cultural comparisons, reduce tech anxiety through digital literacy, and assess long-term impacts on mindful purchasing. https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_2752.html Financial transparency is one of the most important dimensions of transparency, which has been the focus of many countries in recent years. thus, the purpose of this paper is finding criteria for clarifying the financial information of officials by investigating and analyzing the experiences of some countries in this area.the present study is applicable in terms of purpose, practical and in terms of how data are collected from the type of research and from the branch of library studies. the methodology of this research is based on the aim of the study, which is to identify measures of financial transparency of officials from the data related to the actions of some countries in international documents and then the development of Grounded Theory. The results of the paper indicate that public declaration in cases of income, interest, financial resources, property and property, costs, received gifts, financial information of relatives and close relatives, transactions, responsibilities are responsible for the transparency measures of the authorities, which should be formulated and defined. the results also show that the determination of revenue ceilings, reporting, valuation and time - roof determination are among the most important criteria required to be used in the authorities ' financial transparency domain. https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_77836.html This research examines the brand associations of two candidates, Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili, during the 14th presidential election among university students in Tehran. The primary aim is to identify and analyze the positive and negative mental images and associations related to these two candidates to facilitate the analysis and prediction of voters' electoral behavior. The methodology is qualitative, utilizing interviews and a conceptual mapping approach of brand associations. Findings indicate that Pezeshkian's political brand is associated with positive traits such as trustworthiness and simplicity, though negative associations like lack of planning also exist. Jalili's brand is linked with positive characteristics like revolutionary zeal and anti-imperialism, but also strongly connected to negative associations such as extremism. The results show that Pezeshkian's positive associations have greater influence due to their coherence and repetition, enabling them to overshadow negative associations. Conversely, extremism, as a negative association linked to Jalili, may adversely affect his brand image. The study demonstrates that political figures’ brand associations can significantly influence voters' electoral behavior. https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_77840.html Rapid technological advancements and shifts in the business environment are driving companies ‎towards innovation and enhanced competitiveness. In this context, Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) is ‎recognized as a strategic tool to facilitate innovation and sustainable growth, involving minority ‎investments by large corporations in startups. Successful CVC implementation faces numerous ‎challenges, including balancing strategic and financial objectives. This research aims to design a model ‎for structuring and organizing CVC within parent companies.‎The research methodology is based on thematic analysis, combining empirical data (expert ‎interviews) and a review of existing research. The resulting model is a decision-support framework built ‎upon ‎‏13‏‎ key components across four dimensions: structural, investment strategy, human capital, and ‎organizational interactions. This model is grounded in contingency logic, offering ‎‏58‏‎ decision-making ‎options to enable customization based on each parent company's objectives, maturity level, structure, and ‎organizational culture. This framework provides practical guidance for managers and policymakers, ‎considering local nuances, and by offering a cohesive and actionable framework, it helps fill existing ‎gaps in CVC literature and enhances organizational capabilities in innovation management.‎ https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_78009.html Background and Objective: Cyberspace is now a defining cultural ecosystem. This study aimed to create a strategic roadmap for managing Iran's cultural landscape in cyberspace, focusing on cultural elements.Method: This applied research used a futures studies approach with the Delphi technique in three stages (identification, prioritization, roadmap development). The expert panel included 15 specialists in cultural management, cyberspace, and futures studies.Findings: Initially, 21 key drivers were identified across five domains. Ten top drivers (e.g., "AI development acceleration," "youth identity transformation") were prioritized. Based on the most significant and uncertain drivers, four scenarios were outlined: "Pioneering Cultural-Technological Integration," "Passivity and Cultural Chaos," "Protective-Isolationist," and "Passivity and Gradual Erosion." The "Pioneering" scenario was chosen as the vision. A roadmap was developed with four strategies: "soft power," "societal empowerment," "forward-looking governance," and "cultural diplomacy."Conclusion: Success in digital culture requires shifting to a proactive, integrated paradigm, preserving identity through intelligent influence and indigenous innovation. https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_78037.html This article presents a novel framework for differentiating corporate parenting strategies based on subsidiary organizational maturity. While corporate parenting literature extensively documents parenting advantage (Campbell et al., 1994; Goold & Campbell, 1987), a significant gap exists in understanding how parenting approaches should adapt to subsidiaries' capability development. This research integrates Capability Maturity Models with corporate parenting theory, emphasizing the distinction between organizational maturity (capability and process development) and organizational age (temporal passage).We propose four maturity levels with differentiated parenting strategies: (1) Nascent Maturity requires intensive directive parenting; (2) Developing Maturity benefits from supportive-developmental parenting; (3) Established Maturity operates best under strategic oversight; and (4) Advanced Maturity requires minimal intervention. We discuss moderating factors and present propositions for empirical testing.This framework offers three contributions. First, it extends corporate parenting theory by establishing the first explicit link between subsidiary maturity and parenting strategy. Second, it introduces developmental readiness distinct from age and life cycle. Third, it enriches subsidiary evolution literature through evolutionary parenting pathways. For practitioners, this framework provides operational guidance for assessing subsidiary maturity and designing appropriate parenting approaches. https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_78093.html The accelerating pace of change in business ecosystems has exposed the limitations of conventional strategic decision-making models. This article rethinks strategic decision-making by proposing a cognitive–quantum simulation framework that conceptualizes decisions not as instantaneous events but as dynamic, gradual, and path-dependent processes. The study assumes that pre-decisional states—particularly non-decision—play an active and constitutive role in shaping decisions and cannot be reduced to simple delay or information scarcity. Methodologically, the research employs adaptive computational simulation to compare classical Markovian dynamics with cognitive–quantum dynamics within a shared analytical framework. Decision-making is modeled as the system’s gradual transition out of a state of non-decision, enabling explicit examination of decision timing, cognitive evidence evolution, and path dependence. The findings show that although both frameworks lead to decision outcomes, their temporal logics differ fundamentally. Markovian models display uniform, memoryless decision behavior, whereas cognitive–quantum dynamics generate decisions through the gradual stabilization of cognitive states following periods of oscillation and suspension. These results highlight the importance of pre-decisional dynamics in strategic decision-making and strategy selection under high uncertainty. https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_78095.html Urban policy literature shows that elite coalitions based on financial and media capital primarily determine power distribution in capitalist megacities. Yet, Zohran Mamdani’s 2025 New York mayoral victory, with $12.95 million against competitors’ over $50 million, challenged this pattern. This study explains his success by proposing the “Justice-Oriented Hegemonic Loop” as an anti-hegemonic strategic model in hybrid warfare contexts. Using a qualitative approach and critical discourse analysis based on Laclau and Mouffe (2001), data were drawn from speeches, digital content, official documents, and critics’ texts, validated through theoretical saturation and triangulation. Findings indicate Mamdani’s success rested on a triple articulation of redistributive justice, resistance identity inspired by Shiite political theology, and digital mobilization, forming an anti-hegemonic stance against the financial-media coalition. Results suggest that intangible resources, when strategically framed, can substitute material assets in attaining power. The model offers a practical framework for justice-oriented strategic management and analyzing transnational movements in hybrid warfare. https://smt.isu.ac.ir/article_78114.html In the era of digital transformation, platform businesses have reshaped traditional organizational boundaries, shifting value creation to a network of interactions among diverse actors. In such rapidly changing environments, relying on traditional resource-based approaches that focus exclusively on internal organizational resources is insufficient to meet competitive demands. The aim of this research is to elucidate a conceptual framework for developing dynamic capabilities within platform businesses, illustrating how these platforms integrate and reconfigure their network resource base to respond to environmental shifts. By adopting an exploratory qualitative approach and conducting an integrative literature review, this study proposes a framework for creating dynamic capabilities in platform businesses. This framework comprises drivers and enablers (including organizational and leadership drivers, as well as technological and infrastructural drivers); dimensions and microfoundations (including platform sensing capability, integrating and orchestrating capability, and reconfiguring and transforming capability); interactive mechanisms and ecosystem processes (including value co-creation, alongside the development of partnerships and network relationships); and ultimately, outcomes and consequences (encompassing innovation and strategic transformation, agility, resilience and operational performance, as well as sustainability and accountability).