Designing a Participatory Governance Policy Framework in Iran's Telecommunications Industry
Keywords:
Participatory governance, telecommunications industry, policy framework, stakeholder engagement, strategic planningAbstract
This study aimed to develop a policy framework for participatory governance in Iran's telecommunications industry. The research was qualitative in nature, employing a case-study approach within the Iranian telecom sector. Participants included managers and experts from telecommunications companies, related firms, as well as academics specializing in public administration and policy-making. Using purposive sampling with a snowball approach, 14 participants were selected until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis (including initial coding, sub-themes, and main themes). The credibility and reliability of the data were confirmed through various validation techniques. Analysis of the interviews initially yielded 350 codes during open coding, which, after merging duplicates, were reduced to 213 primary codes. These were ultimately organized into 23 sub-themes and six main themes. The findings indicate that implementing participatory governance in Iran's telecommunications industry requires simultaneous reforms across six key areas: participatory leadership and governance, strategic policy-making and planning, active stakeholder engagement and collaboration, managerial transparency and accountability, development of innovation and technological capacity, and alignment with institutional and market environments. Therefore, establishing participatory mechanisms, enhancing interdepartmental coordination, expanding technological and human resource capacities, and aligning policies with market needs are essential for improving the effectiveness of participatory governance policies in this sector.
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