Conceptualization of Human Capital’s Technological Empowerment in Defense Sector Universities (the case study: Imam Ali University)

Securing the holy government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, its territorial integrity, and interests require the recognition of the especial needs of future wars and jihadi management to achieve these goals. Significant factors in this path are technology and technological empowerment of human capital in using it. The aim of this study is to conceptualize and explain the antecedents and consequences of technological empowerment of human capital in the universities of the defense sector (the case study: Imam Ali University). The study is an explanatory mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative) investigation. In the qualitative phase, based on grounded theory, the content and its significant dimensions were extracted. The questionnaire findings of the qualitative study were examined and confirmed in the quantitative phase through factor analysis, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and the Friedman’s classification. The findings show that the antecedents of technological empowerment of human capital are organizational infrastructure, organizational culture, work relations, commitment, and organizational support. The factors of technological empowerment of human capital are research and development, technological assessment and acquisition, technology implementation, creativity and innovation, learning, and the attraction of foreign technology and connection, while the consequences of technological empowerment of human capital are personal development and growth, organizational development, efficiency, competitive advantage creation, personnel empowerment, change management, information security management, decentralization, and Participatory management.