Identification and prioritization of factors affecting the export of ICT services of Iranian knowledge-based companies to regional markets

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Business Strategy and Policy, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Organizational entrepreneurship, Faculty of entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jed.2024.373905.654346

Abstract

Purpose:
Information and communication technology (ICT), in addition to its intrinsic importance, is considered a platform for the growth of businesses. The development and increasing diversity of technologies have provided many opportunities for exporting ICT products and services to regional markets and the effective presence of knowledge-based companies in international arenas. This research aims to identify and prioritize dimensions and factors affecting the export of ICT services to regional markets by Iranian knowledge-based companies.
Method:
This research is applied in terms of purpose and is survey research from the perspective of strategy. To achieve the goal of the research, first, by conducting library studies, the factors affecting the export of ICT services by knowledge-based companies were identified. Then, to screen and localize the identified factors for Iranian knowledge-based companies in the ICT industry, 20 companies sampled through purposeful method managers were surveyed using the Delphi algorithm. Since the final factors did not have the same weight and degree of importance, to evaluate and measure the importance of each dimension and factor, the Group Analytic Hierarchy Process (G-AHP) method was applied.
Findings:
The results of the research indicated that three dimensions such as price, technology and technical, and managerial and organizational with weights of 0.252, 0.179, and 0.162 respectively were key dimensions and three factors such as the global price of products, costs related to exports, and official and free exchange rates with weights of 0.1515, 0.0708, and 0.0561 respectively were the most important factors affecting the export of ICT services of Iranian knowledge-based companies to regional markets. Finally, appropriate solutions were suggested to strengthen and improve each of these dimensions.
Conclusion:
By examining and analyzing the findings of the research, it can be concluded that due to the weakness of the Rial, the price of technological and engineering products in the country has a significant gap with foreign competitors. A large amount of expenses in the field of exporting engineering products and information and communication technology is from wages, which despite the increasing inflation, the manpower in Iran is much cheaper than in the countries of the region, even for specialists, and it should be considered as an irreplaceable competitive advantage. In addition, the existence of international sanctions has doubled the incentive to internalize and strengthen the capacities of the domestic elite to localize ICT infrastructures. Unfortunately, due to the lack of deep knowledge of the joint chambers of commerce of Iran and other countries in the field of information and communication technologies, a large amount of export development is focused on food and construction products and raw materials of industries. Therefore, if the authorities' policy in supporting technologists in this field is severe, experts in this field should be used in diplomatic delegations and Chamber of Commerce trips to provide the basis for developing the export of information and communication technology products and services.

Keywords

Main Subjects


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