ali otarkhani

During centuries, humans, societies and political systems that move toward progression have shaped the basis of forming various sciences in favor of enhancing from current As-Is to proper To-Be situation. Sustainable development in recent years can be achieved through new definition of governance models and discussions on the new comprehensive form of governance called transcendent governance. On the other hand, emergent technologies such as blockchain has brought about transformations in businesses especially FinTech industry. Therefore, by investigating transcendent governance on one side and blockchain technology on the other side, this research aims at introducing a comparative model between dimensions of those aforementioned concepts.
The current research is carried out through a mixed method i.e. combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods. In the qualitative method, the dimensions of transcendent governance and features of blockchain were collected based on literature review studies. The first quantitative method was Fuzzy Delphi analysis in order to determine the approval or rejection of extracted dimensions and features. In this phase, 30 experts with academic degree of Masters and above from Management (Public Administration, Startegic, Information Technology), Political Sciences, Information Technology Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering fields of study were selected to fill the correspondent questionnaire. The next quantitative method referred to extracting dimension of blockchain based on 217 experts’ opinions declared in the correspondent questionnaire, and features approved  using Exploratory Factor Analysis. This was necessary to compare transcendent governance with blockchain on the same correspondent level. After forming two sides comprising of transcendent governance and blockchain dimensions, the ISM method as the last quantitative method was carried out between these two sides to clarify the potential relations between dimensions.
In literature review, 10 dimensions including Structure, Process, Cognition and Values, Constitution, Organization and Institution, Performance Management, Policy Making, Section, International and Global Forces, Ethics- Accountability and Transparency were defined for transcendent governance. Also 13 features for blockchain including Distribution, Scalability, Network Laws, Dis-intermediation, Consensus-Orientation, Anonymity, Efficiency, Scrutiny, Reliability, Credibility, Security, Immutability and Transparency were extracted. Using Fuzzy Delphi analysis, firstly 30 experts filled the questionnaire about the correctness and coherence of transcendent governance dimensions along with blockchain features, then based on specific mathematical equations, fuzzification and defuzzification of expert’s scores were calculated. The results showed that one dimension of transcendent governance (named Section) was rejected and the rest of them were approved, and for blockchain technology, all features were approved to be applicable for further modeling. To make comparison reasonable, blockchain dimensions were extracted utilizing Exploratory Factor Analysis from features based on opinions of 217 experts. As the result, the features could be integrated under 6 main dimensions named Structure, Network Expansion Process, Network Formation Process, Intra-Network Interaction, Performance Improvement, Transparency-Security. Till here, we have 9 dimensions for transcendent governance and 6 ones for blockchain technology. To clarify relations between dimensions of transcendent governance and blockchain, ISM was exerted to all dimensions. The results showed that governance Structure with blockchain Structure and Network Formation Process, governance Process with Network Expansion Process, Network Formation Process and Intra-Network Interaction, governance Cognition and Values with Intra-Network Interaction, governance Constitution with Network Formation Process and Intra-Network Interaction, governance Organization and Institution with Network Formation Process, governance Performance Management with Performance Improvement, governance Policy Making with Network Formation Process, governance International and Global Forces with Network Formation Process, governance Ethics-Accountability and Transparency with Transparency-Security,  have bilateral relations.
This research aimed at delivering a comparative model between transcendent governance – as the most comprehensive governance model- and blockchain technology. Using various qualitative and quantitative methods, dimensions of transcendent governance and features of blockchain were investigated and blockchain dimensions were extracted. The clarified connections between the two concepts’ dimensions depicted that there is a reasonable correspondent coherence between specific dimensions of each side. The concepts discussed through transcendent governance referred to necessity of structural approach in people’s participation in network confirmation, formation and expansion and their critical role here is undeniable which is also approved via blockchain features and dimensions. The process of governance is dependent on all stakeholders and elements which form the network of people with intra-network interaction and its survival is achieved due to the feature of scalability. Governance cognition and values refer to justice and equality among participants which is met by intra-network interaction and consensus-orientation. Constitution is a legal and formal document in governance which means the same as network laws. Governance organization and institution is based on cohesion, connection and alignment of elements which refers to association and alignment of elements in forming the network. Performance management of governance that is knowledge and wisdom based, is correspondent to efficiency and scrutiny of network which leads to network performance improvement. Policy making in governance works as the director and instructor of other elements and coincides network formation laws in blockchain. International and global forces can influence how the blockchain network is formed based on international laws. And finally, ethics-accountability and transparency which are crucial in transcendent governance are matched with transparency-security as a valuable dimension of blockchain. In conclusion, the reasonable bilateral relations between transcendent governance and blockchain dimensions shows that utilizing blockchain technology as a proper mean to substantiate transcendent governance is worth taking action, and it can help governors to achieve transcendent governance based and through enforcing blockchain technology in the digital governance era.

Governance has always been a key focus throughout history across various levels of authority. The rise and expansion of the financial technology (Fintech) industry have introduced new and diverse challenges for policymakers, highlighting the growing need for an appropriate governance framework. Current global studies on Fintech governance primarily focus on the business and organizational levels, and limited research has been conducted on this topic in Iran. On a macro level, only a few studies have explored the governance of Fintech beyond the enterprise level, although it is seen as a growing field. Therefore, the need for macro-level governance in Fintech is evident both globally and in Iran. This study aims to address the question: What are the governance dimensions and components applicable to the Fintech industry? Based on this, the research seeks to develop a comprehensive framework for governance in Fintech.

Methods and Materoal:

This research follows a mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, key terms such as governance, Fintech, and Fintech governance were selected as the foundation for reviewing previous studies. Using meta-synthesis and content analysis, various topics related to governance and Fintech governance were collected and categorized. Data were gathered from the Scopus and Science Direct databases, and studies were filtered based on the relevance of their titles, abstracts, methodologies, and findings. A total of 28 articles were selected for meta-synthesis, and content analysis was conducted to identify governance components relevant to the Fintech industry. Some studies directly addressed governance components applicable to Fintech, while others discussed challenges within Fintech that require governance. Both aspects were incorporated into the proposed framework, leading to an initial framework of governance components for Fintech.In the quantitative phase, the identified components were validated using the fuzzy Delphi method and potential correlations among them were explored through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The fuzzy Delphi method was conducted using Excel with input from 15 experts, while EFA was performed using SPSS with data from 217 experts. These experts held advanced degrees in fields such as industrial management, IT management, strategic management, and public administration, with at least five years of experience in governance or Fintech management. Their insights were collected via a standardized questionnaire and analyzed accordingly. Ultimately, the final framework, comprising validated dimensions and components for Fintech governance, was presented.

Resultss:

The meta-synthesis of articles on governance, Fintech, and Fintech governance identified seven components: policymaking, foresight, facilitation, regulation, infrastructure development, monitoring, and evaluation. Expert opinions on these seven governance components, as well as on Fintech and Fintech governance, were collected through a standardized fuzzy Delphi questionnaire. Standard fuzzy Delphi calculations were then applied, and the fuzzy values for each component were determined. After fuzzification, a defuzzification process was conducted to convert fuzzy values into definitive ones. The final definitive values for each component were calculated as follows: policymaking (0.82), foresight (0.71), facilitation (0.79), regulation (0.81), infrastructure development (0.71), monitoring (0.77), and evaluation (0.76). According to the fuzzy Delphi method, the acceptable definitive value for each component is 0.7, indicating that all components meet the acceptable threshold, thereby confirming all seven components.After confirming the components, it was necessary to examine whether any latent internal correlations existed between them, allowing for their reduction into broader factors. To this end, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett's test of sphericity were applied to the components based on expert opinions. The KMO value was found to be 0.787, indicating that the components could be reduced to a number of underlying factors and that the sample size was sufficient. Additionally, Bartlett's test showed good correlations among the components within each factor.To ensure the accuracy of the component categorization, the dimensions were first identified, and each dimension was then named according to the nature of the variables within it. The variance for each component was calculated, and the total variance explained by the extracted dimensions after rotation was determined. These values, known as eigenvalues, indicate the factors that remain in the analysis and the dimensions that can be extracted. Three factors, in total, accounted for 47.7% of the variance across all variables. These three dimensions were named regulation, strategy, and provision. According to Table 1, the components of monitoring and evaluation fell under the "regulation" dimension, the components of policymaking and foresight were grouped under the "strategy" dimension, and the components of facilitation, infrastructure development, and regulation were placed under the "provision" dimension.The consolidation of these dimensions and components of governance for Fintech forms the final framework that this research aims to achieve.

Conclusion and Recommendations:

In governance, some tasks are fundamental, while others are specific to the needs of the Fintech industry and must be governed. The integration of these two approaches forms the proposed governance framework. Current discussions on Fintech governance mainly focus on the organizational and business levels, with limited recent research, both in Iran and globally, addressing macro-level governance for Fintech. According to Rostoy (2019), the unique challenges and issues introduced by Fintech require a new form of governance, which strengthens the foundation of this study.By compiling and summarizing governance components and key issues for Fintech governance, seven components were identified: foresight, policymaking (Taati et al., 2021; Payandeh & Afghahi, 2023), facilitation, regulation (Sharifzadeh & Gholipour, 2003), infrastructure development (Rostoy, 2019), monitoring, and evaluation (Abrahams, 2015). After validating these components, latent correlations between them were identified, resulting in three dimensions: strategy, provision, and regulation. The strategy dimension includes foresight and policymaking, the provision dimension includes facilitation, infrastructure development, and regulation, and the regulation dimension covers monitoring and evaluation. These three dimensions form a cyclical and iterative process, with governance beginning with strategy as its foundation.Strategic foresight and policymaking are critical to starting the governance process. Policymakers and decision-makers at the national level must implement governance through strategic planning and foresight. The consideration of macro trends and the Fintech industry’s outlook is crucial for governance under the foresight component. Policymaking involves the development of national and sectoral strategies and policies that, together with foresight, form the strategic governance process.The provision aspect focuses on preparing the governing authorities to foster and support the growth of the Fintech industry. This includes measures such as facilitation, infrastructure development, and regulation. Facilitation, for instance, can be implemented both through soft measures (like legislation) and hard measures (such as platform and system development). The governing body, as the supreme authority, is well-positioned to oversee critical national issues like the economy and national security, thus possessing both the legal and technical power to facilitate Fintech growth. Governance is also evolving toward greater regulation, which is highly relevant and applicable to the Fintech industry.Finally, in the last phase of the governance cycle, regulation occurs through monitoring and evaluation. To fulfill its duties towards the public good and oversee the performance of Fintech companies, the governing body must monitor the industry and evaluate its performance to ensure accountability and, if necessary, exert control and make corrections. In other words, through regulation, the Fintech industry is held accountable for its performance, and this accountability is achieved through monitoring and evaluation.Given Iran’s political-economic structure, governance over industries, and the prevailing Islamic laws and regulations, the proposed governance framework for Fintech is applicable to Iran as well. This governance model, with a 360-degree perspective on both the specific challenges of Fintech and the general duties of governance, ensures the alignment of the Fintech industry with Iran’s macroeconomic policies. Furthermore, collaboration and synergy between the Fintech industry and the governing authorities will lead to the growth and development of the sector while ensuring the protection of public interests and citizens' rights. As such, all three pillars of governance, as outlined by Graham et al. (2003), will be balanced: the governing body fulfills its responsibilities toward society, the industry achieves its desired growth, and society benefits from the industry's advancements while safeguarding its rights.Recommendations for the use and further development of this governance framework are as follows. First, national-level policymakers should expand the seven governance components identified in this study and apply them in accordance with their duties and responsibilities to govern the Fintech industry. Second, clarity in definitions and processes related to each component or dimension will be beneficial for both Fintech and the governing body, helping to avoid many challenges and conflicts in practice, which should be addressed by the governing body as needed. Third, while the authors have endeavored to create comprehensive dimensions and components for governance, there is room for the addition of further components and the extraction of new dimensions. Future researchers are encouraged to explore and expand upon these aspects.

The digital transformation and Industry 4.0 technologies have significantly reshaped public sector management, necessitating a redefinition of managerial competencies. This study aimed to assess the competencies required for public sector managers to adapt to these transformations. This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. The study population included senior managers from the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, with 17 participants selected through purposive sampling. A Likert-scale questionnaire based on the Industry 4.0 managerial competency model was used to evaluate the importance and performance of fourteen competencies. Data were analyzed using the Importance-Performance Analysis method, which is classified as a multi-criteria decision-making approach. Importance and performance scores were aggregated using the geometric mean, threshold values were determined through the arithmetic mean, and competencies were positioned in the IPA matrix and prioritized based on their placement. The results indicated that a participatory mindset, problem-solving and decision-making, and research orientation were competencies with strong performance. In contrast, disruptive leadership, data analysis, robotic process automation, project leadership, and sustainability were highly important but underperforming competencies requiring urgent improvement. Additionally, entrepreneurial intelligence, business intelligence, and connected technology architecture were identified as areas with excessive resource allocation. Based on the findings, this study proposed implementing targeted training programs, developing analytical infrastructures for data-driven decision-making, revising managerial performance evaluation systems, and strengthening technological interactions between managers and digital experts as strategies to enhance managerial competencies in Industry 4.0 within the public sector.

Organizational cooperation emerges as a tool that allows members of the cooperation network to make decisions based on shared information and two-way exchanges that coordinate and synchronize activities with the aim of attracting It causes the satisfaction of the market and the increase of the common profit. Cooperation networks are formed by organizations that have a prior desire to cooperate with each other in order to achieve their common interests by using information technology and through joint decision-making and effective participation. The purpose of this research is to investigate the networks (CNs) and the cooperation process that allows them to increase interaction in the environment. These new tools are based on enterprise architecture (EA). On the other hand, organizations that cooperate with other organizations in order to gain competitive advantage and deal with environmental complexities, each has its own unique organizational architecture. Investigating the effect of this organizational architecture on the cooperation network architecture of organizations is the target of this research. In this regard, by reviewing the theoretical literature and using the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) method, a framework has been developed to examine the impact of the organization's information technology architecture on the architecture of inter-organizational cooperation. The results of this research show 5 dimensions of organization architecture and 6 dimensions of inter-organizational cooperation architecture and how they are leveled and related in the form of a final model. The insight that this framework provides to organizations can help in better designing the architecture of the organization to enjoy an effective cooperation and the benefits of it. Enterprise architecture is a continuous process after initiation. Establishing such a process involves interacting with different dimensions of the organization. Therefore, the cultural, human, technical, structural, event, etc. dimensions throughout the organization are fundamental issues in the successful implementation of organizational architecture. Considering that the implementation of organizational architecture is costly and expensive, its poor implementation provides many problems for the organization.

In the subject of common information technology, we strengthen and precisely specify the legal dimensions, standards, control guidelines, time frames and the form of situations. MICMAC analysis showed that the components of the content model (conceptual description) of the organization's architecture, the logical model (systemic description) of the organization's architecture and business strategies of cooperation have the greatest influence on other components and are key components in They are considered to be the formation of the cooperation process. Other investigated components have high power of penetration and dependence and are located in the connected area and these components have two-way communication with each other. According to the results of the research, the following suggestions were made: The research results show that technology plays a very important role in the development of inter-organizational cooperation, so it is suggested that organizations design inter-organizational information systems. Among the factors of level 1, knowledge cooperation is the factor influencing inter-organizational cooperation. Therefore, in organizational architecture, the mechanisms of knowledge production, acquisition and application should be predicted. Designing and establishing specific processes for inter-organizational cooperation is a necessity that must be considered by organizations in the design of organizational architecture.

Business Model Innovation (BMI) is an innovation process which is associated with radical change (i.e., designed, novel, nontrivial changes) in the configuration of an existing BM, aimed at building and maintaining competitive advantages. One of the important subjects regarding this concept is the drivers of this level of innovation in businesses. However, despite the interest of many researchers in BMI in recent years, few articles have studied its antecedents directly and comprehensively, and most of existing articles are case studies. Therefore, in this study, an attempt has been made to integrate the antecedents reported in scattered case studies with the Meta-Synthesis method, and combining them with the Thematic Analysis method to provide a comprehensive list of Business Model Innovation drivers. For this purpose, after searching related articles in Scopus database and refining the results, 140 case studies reported in selected articles were analyzed. Extraction of instances of drivers, coding, searching for themes and naming them during the recursive steps of the content analysis method, led to identification of 10 main themes including 30 sub-themes. Eventually, the research report is presented along with the researcher's definition of all 10 main drivers and 30 sub-drivers.

Business model innovation is defined as new, non-partial and designed changes in key elements or the architecture of the relationships between these elements in a company's business model. BMI is a large new form of organizational innovation that requires theorizing, implementation and testing. In recent years a lot of research has been done on the subject of business model innovation and has faced an exponential growth in the interest of researchers and executives. This highlights the need for more conceptual and empirical research on BMI and some refinements in this area in order to gain a better understanding of this phenomenon. In this article, while reviewing previous research related to this field in the period 1980 to 2020 in Scopus database, using the Meta-Synthesis qualitative method, the business model innovation drivers are identified and categorized. Finally, 9 drivers (Competitive pressure, technology pressure, external environmental changes, external stakeholders, market development opportunities, management thinking model, internal challenges, internal capabilities and internal strategy stimulation) were identified by explaining their impact on business model innovation and a conceptual model is presented.

Organizational wisdom not only captures the ability to effectively select and apply appropriate knowledge in a particular context, but also captures the ability to integrate and link this knowledge with acceptable organizational tools. The purpose of this study was to design and explain the model of organizational micro-measurement and identify the important components of organizational micro-measure in educational organizations in Yemen. This research is a descriptive survey in a cross-sectional manner and has a type of applied and qualitative purpose. In this research, by first examining the literature on organizational wisdom, the components and indicators of organizational micro-measurements were identified and in the next step, using the new analytic methodology called Interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM), the relationships between dimensions and indicators of organizational micro-measurements Determination of the integrated case has been analyzed and the final model is designed. The results of the research show that the structural model showed that the organizational intelligence model includes eleven elements including strategy thinking, ethical virtue, decision making and control, learning, leadership, relationships and cooperation, strategy and goals, human resource management, organizational structure, pragmatism, Innovation is the degree of dependency, which these components interact with each other.

The rise of the “new economy”, one principally driven by information and knowledge, is attributed to the increased prominence of intellectual capital (IC) as a business and research topic. Intellectual capital is implicated in recent economic, managerial, technological, and sociological developments in a manner previously unknown and largely unforeseen. This study examines the influence of knowledge management capability on intellectual capital in Raja Passenger Trains Co. Based on the work of Bontic on intellectual capital and Teresa on knowledge management capability, a structured questionnaire was developed and administered to experts and managers in Raja Co. The results show that there is a significant correlation between examined factors and intellectual capital. SPSS software has been used for Analyzing data in this Research.

Entering information age and emergence, growth and development of technologies such as internet have changed the foundations of education system and at the meantime e-learning seized the opportunity and emerged as a new paradigm as very promptly many institutions and educational centers interested to employ it. At the same time, recent researches show that the incentive to continue education will be paled in those students who have started their education by virtual learning system and express their dissatisfaction about this system. Therefore, in this study we are about to identify effective factors of satisfaction of virtual students and to present a comprehensive and integrated model to measure it. This study categorized these factors into six main dimensions including student, professor, educational courses, technology, designing, and environment and these elements were tested in two stages. The first stage involves determining model indices by managers, employees, and designers of virtual education systems and the second stage is related to testing the model and evaluation of student's satisfaction about these systems by surveying 226 master students of governmental universities in Tehran. The results of analyzed data have led to introduce fifteen effective factors on satisfaction of virtual students among them course flexibility, internet and technology quality, usefulness and ease of use, and supporting services of the university were more important. Findings of this study can be a proper guide for managers and administrators of virtual education institutes to improve quality of their educational services.

This study has suggested a model on HR professional needs to E-HRM tools, HR competencies and roles; on the relationship between the competencies and the effective performance of the roles; on the impact of HR professional needs to E-HRM tools as a moderator variable on the relationship between the other two variables- i.e., HR competencies and roles. A random sample of 140 HR professionals at different organizational levels in Saipa, Parskhodro and Zamyad automotive companies were taken and the data gathered through questionnaires were analyzed via SPSS and LISREL softwares.The findings show a clear image of each variable and their relationships. There is a significant and positive relationship between business-related competencies and the effective performance of the strategic HR management and change and transformation management roles; also there is a significant and positive, but weaker, relationship between professional-related competencies and the effective performance of the firm infrastructure management and the employee contribution management roles. Furthermore, the results indicate the role of the moderator variable is more effective in former relationship than the latter.

Sustained collaborative interorganizational networks have secured some requirements and identified the proper type of iteractions among member organizations. For instance, it is very important to collaborate with organizations that operate in similar fields, having common goals and/ or culture and having win- win strategy. Observing justice in interorganizational relationships play an important vole in successful collaboration. In this article the concept of I try to verify the concept of justice is described and a proper model for evaluating justice in successful collaborative interorganizational relationships is provided.