Modeling the characteristics of collaborative science and technology policy network

ABSTRACT

Despite the growing trend of networking approaches in policymaking, the concept of collaborative policy networks (CPNs) and, in particular, the identification of their characteristics, remain a serious research vacuum. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to provide a model for identifying the characteristics of CPNs. For this purpose, the science and technology policy network in Iran was studied on a case-by-case basis. In this study, the theoretical framework of research was formulated as a sequential exploratory mixed design by first using literature review, policy documents analysis and in-depth interviews with 20 experts. Then, a survey was conducted by distributing a questionnaire among 100 science and technology policy experts and scholars in Iran. Data analysis was performed through confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation analysis method and, subsequently, the final research model was developed. The final model of CPNs consists of 17 characteristics in four dimensions of ‘actors’, ‘relationships among actors’, ‘structure’ and ‘the rules of conduct between actors’. Thus, the presence of such characteristics in the policy networks can lead to increased participation of actors and, of course, the effectiveness of policies.

KEYWORDS:

• Collaborative policy networks (CPNs)
• science and technology policy
• confirmatory factor analysis
• Structural equation modeling (SEM)
• Iran

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 https://www.msrt.ir/en.

2 https://sccr.ir/en.

3 https://www.atf.gov.ir/en/home.

4 https://en.parliran.ir/.

5 http://en.isti.ir/.

6 https://www.medu.ir/en.

7 https://behdasht.gov.ir/.

8 http://english.irantvto.ir/index.aspx?siteid=92.

9 https://en.behzisti.ir/.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Esmaeel Kalantari

Esmaeel kalantari is a Ph.D. student in science and technology policy at Tarbiat Modares University (Tehran-Iran). His research interests include science, technology and innovation policy, especially at the national level and in the field of new technologies such as nanotechnology. He has published about 25 scientific articles and 4 books (in Persian).

Gholamali Montazer

Gholamali Montazer (Ph.D.) is a professor of Information Technology at Tarbiat Modares University (Tehran-Iran). He has had various executive responsibilities in many institutions in the field of science and technology policy in Iran. His research interests are education, research and technology policy, e-learning and soft computing. He has published more than 100 scientific articles (in English and Persian).

Sepehr Ghazinoory

Sepehr Ghazinoory (Ph.D.) is Professor of Information Technology at Tarbiat Modares University (Tehran-Iran). He is the member of Editorial board of the international journal Technological Forecasting & Social Change and the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Science & Technology Policy (JSTP), which is published by the National Research Institute for Science Policy (Iran). His research interests are national innovation systems, innovation policy, and the social impacts of science and technology policy. He has published more than 100 scientific articles (in English and Persian).