Journal of Iranian Public Administration Studies

Journal of Iranian Public Administration Studies

A Meta-Synthesis Model of Opportunities and Challenges of Network Governance in the Digital Age

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hadi Mehrabi Sharafabadi 1
Sedigheh Tootian Esfahani 2
Karamollah Daneshfard 3
Mohamad Ali Movafaghpour 4
1 PhD Candidate, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Management, West Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Professor, Department of Public Administration, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
4 Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, Jundi-Shapur University of Technology, Dezful, Iran.
10.22034/jipas.2025.453534.1706
Abstract
The development of technologies and communication networks, on one hand, and the emergence of complex issues, on the other, have accelerated the shift toward network governance. As a result, the role of networks as a new form of governance has attracted the attention of various countries in recent decades. This study aims to present a model of the opportunities and challenges discussed in the most important related articles and to weight and rank its components in the current context of the country. This research is developmental in terms of purpose and has been carried out in two phases: qualitative and quantitative. Using the meta-synthesis method, articles from 2000 to 2024 were reviewed and screened, and 21 selected English articles and 5 Persian articles were chosen. Four main categories were identified: economic opportunities, social opportunities, structural opportunities, and participation challenges, with 11 main codes and 35 sub-codes. Validity was confirmed through the focus group evaluation tool, and reliability was confirmed with a Kappa coefficient of 0.91. The codes were weighted using the Shannon entropy method. The results indicated that the most important opportunities in network governance, particularly digital transformation, include inter-organizational relations, trust and transparency, democratic platforms, network structure, technology, and ecosystem. The most significant challenges include lack of awareness, motivation, accessibility, and accountability. Additionally, in the presented model, the weight of the challenge of pessimism and distrust toward the network and the opportunities in platform governance networks and customer relations, as well as the consideration of geography in Iran's context, are more prominent.
Keywords
Network Governance
Opportunities
Challenges
Digital Age
Meta-Synthesis
Shannon Entropy
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  • Receive Date 21 April 2024
  • Revise Date 21 August 2024
  • Accept Date 14 September 2024