فصلنامه فرایند مدیریت و توسعه
سال سی و هفتم شماره 1 (پیاپی 127، بهار 1403)

Fear and hesitation of managers in their decision-making may sometimes cause devastating and irreparable consequences for themselves, employees and organizations. The purpose of this research was to discover and understand the phenomenon of decision-making phobia or decidophobia as well as its types among managers of government agencies.

This qualitative research was applied in terms of purpose and was descriptive-exploratory in terms of data gathering technique. Phenomenology method (study of the lived experience of people involved in this phobia) was employed to conduct the research. The data collection method was in-depth interviews with the participants. Therefore, based on the principle of theoretical adequacy and using purposeful sampling method, 20 public administrators and management professors were selected as the sample.

In addition to the recognition and understanding of decision-making phobia, the research findings contain the types of this phobia. There are seven main themes, including: situational decision-making phobia, headquarters-supervisory decision-making phobia, social decision-making phobia, legal decision-making phobia, individual-personality decision-making phobia, Job/organizational decision-making phobia and political decision-making phobia.

This research was conducted aiming to identify the strategies of the student education policy from the perspective of the intra-university stakeholders (including faculty members, the Leaders representative office, student and cultural/social vice chancellor personnel, and student societies), as well as the strategic assumptions of student education in universities.

In this research, a qualitative approach was used for data analysis. For this purpose, 15 experts were selected from different groups of stakeholders applying purpose-based sampling technique. Conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with them, strategies were developed based on thematic analysis method. Using convenience sampling method, these strategies were sent to academics in the framework of an online questionnaire and were validated after 104 responses were acquired. The strategic assumptions were also identified in the same way.

Research findings include 40 policy strategies based on the opinions and views of four groups of intra-university stakeholders. The identified strategies were based on several strategic assumptions, on 26 of which the academics are unanimous.

Originality

: In this research, for the first time, views of four groups of intra-university stakeholders were examined to formulate the policy strategies of the student education based on strategic assumptions, which were validated by the participation of academics.

Employee discipline is one of the important and long-standing concepts in management, which has even continued in postmodern management approaches. The current article aimed to identify the components of the disciplinary behavior of the academic staff members using a mixed research methodology.

To identify the components and indicators of disciplinary behavior, we used meta-composition technique (study of documents) in the first stage, and in the second stage, we applied the fuzzy Delphi method with expert participants, some of whom with theoretical experience and some with practical experience. Then, from among them, twenty-five individuals were purposefully selected. Finally, for prioritizing and weighting the components and indicators of disciplinary behavior acquired from the five universities under study (Tehran, Zanjan, Yazd, Tabriz, and Ardabil universities), the Waspas and Critic methods were used in a row.

The outcomes of the first and second stages of statistical computation have led to seven components of disciplinary behavior including: types of discipline, factors affecting disciplinary behavior, types of violations, disciplinary procedures, types of punishment, consequences of discipline, antecedents of discipline and disciplinary knowledge, all in all with 37 indicators.  Finally, we are presenting the priority list of the five universities as follows:  Tehran University, Zanjan University, Yazd University, Tabriz University, and Ardabil University.

The intent of this study was to identify the effects of absorptive capacity and intellectual capital on the export performance of technological companies in Guilan Province, considering the mediating role of innovation and imitation strategies.

This research was a quantitative and descriptive survey. Using non-probability sampling method, 220 companies were selected. The collected data were analysed by structural equation modelling and the partial least squares approach through Smart PLS software.

Results show that there is a significant relationship between absorptive capacity, innovation strategies, imitation, and export performance, but the relationship between intellectual capital and imitation strategies is not confirmed. Also, only the mediating role of innovation strategy in the relationship between intellectual capital and export performance is confirmed.

Originality: 

This article expands the existing literature in the field of imitation strategy by using a model for the effects of absorptive capacity and intellectual capital on export performance with the mediating role of innovation and imitation strategies. It also investigates the characteristics of imitation strategy. The findings of the research increase knowledge and awareness in this field and can be a basis for practical and effective measures.

 This research was intended to examine the governance challenges of the National Pension Fund and to design a periodic performance evaluation system for the Fund.

The research method was exploratory, and it was practical in terms of purpose. The statistical population consisted of fifteen experts in the field of pension funds. The data were collected using interviews and the model was designed through triple coding grounded theory. The number of experts was determined based on theoretical saturation.

The analysis of the text of the interviews with the experts led to six main categories and thirty concepts. Findings show that the most important challenges of the governance of the National Pension Fund of a country include the following items: the inadequacy of the pension infrastructure, unfavourable work development and uncertainties in the Fund, short span of managerial appointments, fluctuations in the money exchange rate, high replacement rate of the personnel and low support rate,  lack of meritocracy in managerial appointments, rarity and even  lack of support measures at the community level, and lack of  government accountability and obligations to strengthen the Fund. Regarding the political and commercial turbulence in the external environment as well as the need for strategic thinking and quality internal monitoring and supervision, we suggest that planning, support, financial, insurance, managerial, political, human, corrective, supervisory, and retirement strategies be implemented to make periodic evaluation of the Fund's performance possible.

Originality/ value:

 By presenting a comprehensive model including the challenges of the National Pension Fund governance, the causes of such challenges, and the external and internal factors affecting them, this research has achieved strategies to improve the current conditions of the National Pension Fund and the implementation of its periodic performance evaluation system. This outcome not only can be considered as a new step for the improvement of the National Pension Fund performance, but also can function as a milestone for other pension funds.

Recommendations: 

We suggest that the strategies presented in this research be implemented in the National Pension Fund and be modified, if necessary, after the evaluation of their effects. It is also necessary to conduct more research in the field of the performance evaluation of other government funds.

The present article intended to reach a paradigmatic model which can show the instability of public policies in the private sector.

To identify the main components of the model, related questions were developed based on the literature. Semi-structured interviews were performed with 33 experts from the private sector and in-depth interviews ,too, were performed with a number of specialists from the relevant department. Participant were selected according to both  purposeful and theoretical sampling methods.

Grounded theory approach together with the procedure put forward by Corbin and Strouss were used for data analysis. Through open, selective and central coding; components of paradigmatic model based on instability of poblic policies and causal factors; moderating variables; mediating variables; and strategies, we could finally reach the outcomes and the paradigmatic model of instability in public policies for the private sector, which are now are  presented.

Originality:

 Regarding the type and the nature of this research, as well as the comprehensiveness of the dimentions studied, the most noticeable and the most recent factors of instability of public policies for the private sector (in the industrial domain) brought about the findings of the research. Based on the opinions of the experts, one can utilize the acquired results to expand the vision and knowledge of poliy making in the production area.