Drawing an Iranian Islamic Model of Iranian Science and Technology System Based on Upstream Documentation with SODA Methodology

Subject Areas : Strategic Management Researches

Amin  Vahidi ¹ (IUST Narmak)
alireza  ali ahmadi ² (استاد مهندسی صنایع، دانشگاه علم و صنعت)

Received: 2017-01-07 Accepted : 2017-05-19 Published : 2018-02-20

Keywords: Iranian Islamic Pattern, SODA Science and Technology System,

Abstract :

The present era has witnessed an emergence of knowledge-based economies, where economic development is completely tied to growth in science and technology. Thus, addressing the strategies that govern and direct the national science and technology systems is becoming ever more vital and necessary. In Iran, science and technology system has been envisioned in four national documents, “general science and technology policies issued by the Supreme Leader”, “national document for strategic development in science and technology”, “national science and technology system in the sixth development plan”, and “national science and technology system in Iran’s comprehensive scientific map”, which sometimes provide incoherent visions. In this study, the method of Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) was employed to integrate these documents and devise a group of strategies based on their mutual concepts. Advantages of SODA over traditional methods include its ability to solve abnormal and unstructured problems, provide results based on experts’ opinions thus ensuring less resistance against implementation, operating based on graph theory indices, and providing strategy chains and directions instead of isolated suggestions. The findings of this study showed that the policy of “educational equity” is the most important and critical strategy for Iran’s science and technology system. Comparison with the existing literature showed that the results of this study not only provide the general advantages of SODA methodology but are also broader and more efficient and comprehensive than their existing counterparts.

References:

Ackermann, F, Eden, C & Brown, I (2005). The practice of making strategy: a step-by-step guide. SAGE.
Aghion, P, David, P. A & Foray, D (2009). Science, technology and innovation for economic growth: Linking policy research and practice in STIG Systems. Research Policy, 38(4), 681–693.
Aghion, P, David, P & Foray, D (2009). Science, technology and innovation for economic growth: linking policy research and practice in STIG Systems‏. Research Policy. Retrieved from
Alireza Abbasi, S (Master), Abolghasem Niaraki, I. U. I. K & Behzad Dehkordi, U of I. I (2008). A review of the ICT status and development strategy plan in Iran. International Journal of Education and Development Using ICT, (3)4, 2008.
Aref, A (2011). Perceived impact of education on poverty reduction in rural areas of Iran‏. Life Science Journal.
Asemi, A (2006). Information technology and national development in Iran 2006 International Conference on Hybrid Information.
Davodi, H, Maghsoudi, T, Fami, H. S & Kalantari, K (2013). Evaluation of strategies for developing the agriculture technology in the science and technology parks of Iran from faculty member aspect. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 8(30), 4148–4156.
Eden, C & Ackermann, F (1998). Making strategy: the journey of strategic management. Sage Publications.
Etzkowitz, H (2002). Networks of innovation: science, technology and development in the triple helix era‏. International Journal of Technology Management.
Georgiou, I (2009). A graph-theoretic perspective on the links-to-concepts ratio expected in cognitive maps. European Journal of Operational Research, 197(2), 834–836.
Georgiou, I, Cochran, J. J, Cox, L. A, Keskinocak, P, Kharoufeh, J. P & Smith, J. C (2010). Cognitive Mapping and Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA). In Wiley Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Ghazinoory, S, Divsalar, A & Soofi, A. S (2009). A new definition and framework for the development of a national technology strategy: The case of nanotechnology for Iran. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 76(6), 835–848.
GUAN, J. C, YAM, R. C. M, Tang, E. P. Y & Lau, A. K. W (2009). Innovation strategy and performance during economic transition: Evidences in Beijing, China. Research Policy, 38(5), 802–812.
John R. Bryson, Peter W. Daniels  & B. W (2009). Service Worlds: People, Organizations, Technologies. Routledge. Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Landau, R & Rosenberg, N (1986). The positive sum strategy: Harnessing technology for economic growth‏. Retrieved from
Laranja, M, Uyarra, E & Flanagan, K (2008). Policies for science, technology and innovation: Translating rationales into regional policies in a multi-level setting‏. Research Policy.
Li, H & Atuahene-Gima, K (2001). Product innovation strategy and the performance of new technology ventures in China‏. Academy of Management Journal.
Massarrat, S & Kolahdoozan, S (2011). progress of medical sciences in Iran and Turkey: the way developing countries with limited resources should make effective contributions to the production of science‏. Archives of Iranian Medicine.
Mingers, J & Rosenhead, J (2001). Rational analysis for a problematic world revisited : problem structuring methods for complexity, uncertainty and conflict. Wiley.
Mingers, J & Rosenhead, J (2004). Problem structuring methods in action. European Journal of Operational Research, 152(3), 530–554. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-2217(03)00056-0
Molanezhad, M (2010). A brief review of science and technology and SMEs development in IR Iran‏. The Inter-Sessional Panel of the United Nations.
Nelson, R. R (1993). National innovation systems : a comparative analysis. Oxford University Press.
Owlia, P, Eftekhari, M. B, Forouzan, A. S, Bahreini, F, Farahani, M & Ghanei, M (2011). Health research priority setting in Iran: Introduction to a bottom up approach. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences : The Official Journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 16(5), 691–8.
Peykari, N, Tehrani, F. R, Malekafzali, H, Hashemi, Z & Djalalinia, S (2011). An Experience of Peer Education Model among Medical Science University Students in Iran. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 40(1), 57–62. Retrieved from
Rahimnia Alashloo, F, Castka, P & Sharp, J. M (2005). Towards understanding the impeders of strategy implementation in higher education (HE). Quality Assurance in Education, 13(2), 132–147.
Salami, R & Soltanzadeh, J (2012). Comparative analysis for science, technology and innovation policy; lessons learned from some selected countries (Brazil, India, China, South Korea and ‏. Journal of Technology Management.
Utterback, J (1974). Innovation in industry and the diffusion of technology‏. Science.
Utterback, J (1994). Mastering the dynamics of innovation: how companies can seize opportunities in the face of technological change‏. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Academy.
Vajargah, K & Khoshnoodifar, M (2013). Toward a distance education based strategy for internationalization of the curriculum in higher education of Iran‏. TOJET: The Turkish Online.
Zahra, S (1996). Technology strategy and financial performance: Examining the moderating role of the firm’s competitive environment‏. Journal of Business Venturing.

_||_