International Journal of Innovation Management and Organizational Behavior (IJIMOB)

Investigating the Effect of Artificial Intelligence Capabilities on Operational Performance with the Mediating Role of Production System Resilience and the Moderating Role of Human–Organization–Technology Fit in the Abadan Oil Industry

Farzad Baneshi ^* iD , Mahsa Nadimpour iD

Objective: The present study investigated the effect of artificial intelligence capabilities on operational performance, with the mediating role of production system resilience and the moderating role of human–organization–technology fit in the Abadan oil industry.

Methods and Materials: In terms of purpose, this study was applied and quantitative, and in terms of nature, it was descriptive-survey and correlational. The statistical population included 420 managers and experts working in the Abadan oil industry. Based on Cochran’s formula, the sample size was calculated as 201. The questionnaires were distributed randomly among the participants, and 200 completed questionnaires were returned. To examine the research questions, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used through the structural equation modeling approach with the assistance of SmartPLS 3 software.

Findings: The findings showed that the path coefficient between artificial intelligence capability and production system resilience was 0.794, with a t-statistic of 9.053. The path coefficient between production system resilience and operational performance was 0.880, with a t-statistic of 10.574. The path coefficient for the moderating role of human–organization–technology fit was 0.602, with a t-statistic of 8.029. This means that fit positively moderates the effect of artificial intelligence capability on production system resilience. Therefore, artificial intelligence capability positively improves operational performance through production system resilience.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that artificial intelligence capabilities indirectly improve the refinery’s operational performance by strengthening production system resilience. Moreover, human–organization–technology fit plays a positive moderating role in the relationship between artificial intelligence and resilience. These results emphasize the necessity of simultaneous attention to technological infrastructure, personnel training, and the preparation of organizational structures in order to achieve sustainable and resilient operations in the Abadan oil industry.

Designing a Learning-Oriented Succession Planning Model for Elementary School Principals

Somayeh Saadati iD , Fakhreddin Ahmadi ^* iD , Hamid Shafizadeh iD

Objective: This study aimed to design a succession planning model for elementary school principals using a learning-oriented approach.

Methods and Materials: This study was conducted using an exploratory qualitative approach and Attride-Stirling’s thematic network analysis. The research population consisted of experts in the field of educational sciences, including faculty members specializing in educational administration and senior administrators within the education system who had relevant academic and executive experience in succession planning. Snowball sampling was employed. In the fieldwork phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted either in person or online. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and imported into MAXQDA for organization and analysis. Through thematic analysis, the data and information required for the study were identified, analyzed, summarized, and classified. To ensure the quality of the findings, Lincoln and Guba’s criteria of credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability were applied.

Findings: The findings indicated that learning-oriented succession planning for elementary school principals could be represented by a model comprising 90 basic themes, 14 organizing themes, and six global themes: personal characteristics and competencies of succession candidates; prerequisites and reasons for implementing the succession process; the four stages of selecting and training a successor; managers’ and the organization’s duties and responsibilities toward the successor; the process evaluation stage; and the assessment of outcomes and reasons for process failure.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, a succession planning model for elementary school principals is more effective when it is grounded in self-directed learning, the use of experience, continuous reflection, and professional interaction.

An Operational Model for Utilizing Social Media to Enhance the Quality of Public Relations in the Insurance Industry

Fariba Amini iD , Ali Mohammad Mazidi Sharaf Abadi ^* iD , Seyed Mahmoud Reza Mortazavi iD , Gholamhossein Biabani iD

Objective: This study aimed to develop an operational model for the effective utilization of social media to improve the quality of public relations in the insurance industry.

Methods and Materials: The study employed a qualitative research design based on grounded theory. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 academic experts, executive managers, and professionals with relevant experience in public relations, social media, and the insurance industry. Participants were selected purposively according to their expertise and continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The interview data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding.

Findings: The analysis indicated that managerial attitudes toward social media, managers’ strategic knowledge and expertise, and organizational structural support constituted the principal causal conditions for effective social media utilization. Transparent communication policies and an open organizational culture provided the contextual foundation required for implementing the model. Specialized human resources, technical infrastructure, managerial motivation and prioritization, acceptance of innovation, and active feedback mechanisms emerged as intervening factors that could either facilitate or constrain implementation. The principal operational strategies included strategic planning, continuous employee training, application of digital technologies, rapid responsiveness to stakeholders, communication-risk management, and coordination among organizational units. The implementation of these strategies was inferred to enhance audience interaction, strengthen public trust and satisfaction, improve internal team efficiency, foster creativity and innovation, accelerate data-driven decision-making, and reinforce organizational reputation and brand image.

Conclusion: The effective use of social media in insurance-industry public relations depends on the coordinated interaction of managerial decisions, organizational structures, workplace culture, skilled human resources, and technological capacities. Systematic implementation of the proposed model can improve the sustainability, effectiveness, responsiveness, and overall quality of public relations practices.

Strategic Risk Management and Business Continuity: A Framework for Enhancing Enterprise Risk Governance

Amir Mirzaee iD , Ali Lalbar ^* iD , Azar Moslemi iD , Mohammad Reza Ghorbanian iD

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between strategic risk management, business continuity, and enterprise risk governance and to propose an integrated framework for enhancing enterprise risk governance.

Methods and Materials: This applied quantitative study was conducted using a descriptive-correlational and cross-sectional survey design. The statistical population consisted of university faculty members, risk managers, members of risk committees, and members of the boards of directors of companies listed on the stock exchange. Since it was anticipated that some questionnaires might not be returned or might not be completed correctly, 390 questionnaires were distributed to ensure access to 384 valid questionnaires. After data collection and screening, 384 questionnaires were confirmed as complete and usable, indicating an approximate return rate of 98%. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire measuring strategic risk management, business continuity, and enterprise risk governance. The questionnaire items were scored on a five-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis, and structural equation modeling through SPSS and AMOS.

Findings: The inferential findings showed significant positive correlations between strategic risk management and business continuity (r = 0.63, p < 0.001), strategic risk management and enterprise risk governance (r = 0.68, p < 0.001), and business continuity and enterprise risk governance (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). Regression analysis indicated that strategic risk management and business continuity significantly predicted enterprise risk governance, F(2, 381) = 296.14, p < 0.001, explaining 61% of its variance. Business continuity had the stronger predictive effect (β = 0.52, p < 0.001) compared with strategic risk management (β = 0.36, p < 0.001). Structural equation modeling confirmed acceptable model fit and showed that strategic risk management significantly affected business continuity (β = 0.64, p < 0.001), strategic risk management directly affected enterprise risk governance (β = 0.32, p < 0.001), and business continuity directly affected enterprise risk governance (β = 0.51, p < 0.001). The indirect effect of strategic risk management on enterprise risk governance through business continuity was also significant (β = 0.33, p < 0.001).

The Impact of Business Environmental Changes on the Adoption of a Strategic Pivot: A Case Study of Zar Industrial Group

Alireza Mansourkhaki iD , Kambiz Talebi ^* iD , Jahangir Yadollahi Farsi iD

Objective: This study aimed to examine the impact of business environmental changes on strategic pivot adoption in Zar Industrial Group and develop a conceptual model of this process.

Methods and Materials: This applied qualitative study used a grounded theory design. The study population consisted of Zar Industrial Group managers and university professors with expertise in strategic management and organizational change. Participants were selected purposively based on their knowledge and professional experience. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with managers of the holding company and its food-industry subsidiaries, together with academic experts. Interviews continued until theoretical saturation, resulting in a final sample of 12 participants. Interview transcripts were systematically coded, compared, and categorized to identify the principal dimensions and mechanisms associated with strategic pivot adoption.

Findings: The analysis produced seven main categories and 41 related concepts. The categories included macro-environmental changes and external pressures; risk, uncertainty, and financial pressure; supply-chain and operational disruptions; market-oriented and commercial responses; structural and business-model redesign; innovation, technology, and digital transformation; and human capital, organizational learning, and institutionalization of the strategic pivot. Environmental turbulence generated financial, operational, and market pressures that stimulated coordinated strategic responses. These responses involved market reorientation, business-model redesign, technological innovation, digital transformation, and capability development. Human capital and organizational learning played a central role in sustaining and institutionalizing the strategic pivot.

Conclusion: Strategic pivot adoption in Zar Industrial Group represents a multidimensional organizational response to environmental uncertainty rather than an isolated managerial decision. Successful pivots require alignment among market responses, structural transformation, technological innovation, operational resilience, and organizational learning. The proposed conceptual model can help managers recognize environmental signals, coordinate adaptive actions, and strengthen organizational resilience and long-term competitiveness.

Designing a Model for Enhancing the Skills of Primary School Principals with an Emphasis on STEAM Education

Neda Yarandi iD , Hamid Shafizadeh ^* iD , Fakhreddin Ahmadi iD

Objective: This study aimed to design a comprehensive model for enhancing the professional and managerial skills of primary school principals with an emphasis on the implementation of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education.

Methods and Materials: This qualitative study employed a thematic analysis design. The study population consisted of primary school principals, experts in school management and STEAM education, university faculty members, educational administrators, and specialists working in the 22 education districts of Tehran, Iran. Fifteen participants were selected through purposive sampling, and recruitment continued until theoretical data saturation was achieved. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews designed to explore participants’ experiences, perceptions, and recommendations regarding the competencies required by primary school principals for the successful implementation of STEAM education. The interview data were transcribed, coded, categorized, and analyzed using thematic network analysis. The credibility and consistency of the findings were supported through systematic coding, continuous comparison of the extracted concepts, expert review, and revision of the thematic structure.

Findings: The thematic network analysis identified 155 initial codes, which were classified into 28 organizing themes and six global themes. The six principal dimensions of the proposed model were strategic and transformational leadership of primary school principals in implementing STEAM education; development of the professional and managerial competencies of school human resources; establishment of a participatory, innovative, and learning-oriented organizational culture; management of resources, processes, and the quality of STEAM program implementation; enhancement of managerial communication, collaboration, and networking skills; and sustainability, alignment, institutionalization, and inclusive implementation of STEAM programs in primary schools. These interconnected dimensions constituted the main structural components of the proposed skill-enhancement model.

Conclusion: The proposed model indicates that successful STEAM implementation requires primary school principals to possess integrated leadership, professional, communicative, organizational, and resource-management competencies.

A Structural Model Based on the Relationship Between Auditors’ Dark Personality Traits and Judgment Regarding Key Audit Matters

Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini iD , Javad Ramezani ^* iD , Azadeh Kiapour iD , Seyed Javad Ebrahimian iD

https://doi.org/10.61838/

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of auditors’ dark personality traits on professional judgment regarding Key Audit Matters (KAMs).

Methods and Materials: This study was applied in terms of purpose and descriptive–correlational in terms of methodology. The statistical population consisted of all certified public accountants who were members of the Iranian Association of Certified Public Accountants and the Audit Organization in 2026. Based on Cochran’s formula, the estimated sample size was 384 participants; however, due to incomplete questionnaire returns, 237 usable questionnaires were ultimately collected through convenience and snowball sampling methods. Data were gathered using the Dark Personality Traits Questionnaire developed by Jones and Paulhus (2014) and a questionnaire assessing judgment regarding Key Audit Matters adapted from prior auditing studies. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Reliability and validity of the instruments were confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, Average Variance Extracted (AVE), and confirmatory factor analysis.

Findings: The results indicated that all factor loadings exceeded the acceptable threshold of 0.40 and all t-values were greater than 1.96, confirming the convergent validity of the measurement model. Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability coefficients for all constructs exceeded 0.90, demonstrating strong internal consistency. The coefficient of determination (R²) for auditors’ judgment regarding KAMs was 0.572, indicating that dark personality traits explained 57.2% of the variance in professional judgment. Furthermore, the Goodness-of-Fit (GOF) index was 0.613, confirming strong overall model fit. Hypothesis testing revealed that dark personality traits had a significant negative effect on auditors’ judgment regarding KAMs (β = -0.552, t = 3.622, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that auditors’ dark personality traits significantly impair professional judgment regarding Key Audit Matters. The results highlight the importance of behavioral and psychological factors in audit quality and suggest that personality characteristics may influence auditors’ objectivity, skepticism, and ethical decision-making processes. The study contributes to the interdisciplinary literature linking auditing and psychology and provides practical implications for audit firms and regulatory bodies in identifying behavioral risks and strengthening professional judgment quality through appropriate control and training mechanisms.

Exploring the Mediating Role of Green Transformational Leadership in the Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Performance

Mohammad Barati iD , Seyed Rasool Masoumi ^* iD , Abbas Ramezanzadeh Zeidi iD

https://doi.org/10.61838/

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of green transformational leadership in the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental performance among companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange.

Methods and Materials: This applied research employed a descriptive–correlational survey design. The statistical population consisted of financial managers, heads of accounting departments, and senior accounting experts working in companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange in 2025. Using Cochran’s formula and a stratified random sampling approach, 395 valid questionnaires were collected and analyzed. Standardized instruments were used to measure corporate social responsibility, green transformational leadership, and environmental performance. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) through SmartPLS 3 software. Reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and overall model fit were assessed prior to hypothesis testing. The results confirmed satisfactory psychometric properties and a strong model fit (GOF = 0.672), indicating the adequacy of the measurement and structural models.

Findings: The structural model results demonstrated that corporate social responsibility had a significant positive effect on environmental performance (β = 0.414, t = 9.370, p < 0.001). Corporate social responsibility also exerted a significant positive effect on green transformational leadership (β = 0.739, t = 29.310, p < 0.001). Furthermore, green transformational leadership significantly enhanced environmental performance (β = 0.584, t = 13.958, p < 0.001). The findings additionally confirmed the mediating role of green transformational leadership in the relationship between corporate social responsibility and environmental performance, indicating that CSR contributes to superior environmental outcomes both directly and indirectly through the development of green transformational leadership practices.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that corporate social responsibility serves as a strategic driver of environmental performance and that green transformational leadership plays a pivotal intermediary role in translating social commitments into tangible environmental achievements.

International Journal of Innovation Management and Organizational Behavior (IJIMOB)

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Identification of the Fundamental Dimensions of Corporate Entrepreneurship and Corporate Governance: A Delphi Study in Entrepreneurial Companies

Machine Learning–Based Discovery of Hidden Behavioral Profiles Underlying High-Performing Innovation Teams

Developing a Qualitative Framework for Sharing Managerial Experiences Using a Phenomenological Approach (Case Study: Islamic Azad University)

Validation of the Citizenship Education Model in Enhancing Civic Culture in the Cultural and Artistic Organization of Tehran Municipality

Development of an Organizational Compassion Model Based on Employee Behavior in Service-Oriented Organizations: A Content Analysis Approach

Development of a Comprehensive Continuous Auditing Model for Risk Management in Iranian Commercial Banks

Contextual Procedures Framework of Career Plateauing among Accountants in the Health Insurance Organization: A Multi-Faceted Grounded Theory Approach

XGBoost-Based Prediction of Innovative Work Behavior Using Organizational Climate and Leadership Variables

Predicting Employee Engagement Through Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost): An Explainable AI Approach

Artificial Intelligence Readiness, Digital Transformation Capability, Organizational Agility, Innovation Ambidexterity, and Sustainable Competitive Advantage: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Ethical Leadership, Psychological Safety, Knowledge Sharing, Employee Creativity, and Organizational Innovation Performance: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

Strategic Foresight Capability, Dynamic Capabilities, Organizational Resilience, Innovation Speed, and Firm Performance: Testing a Structural Equation Model

Predicting Employee Turnover Using Explainable Machine Learning Models: A Comparative Study of XGBoost, LightGBM, CatBoost, and Deep Neural Networks

Forecasting Organizational Innovation Performance Through Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Networks and Strategic Capability Indicators

Modeling Innovation Adoption through Reinforcement Learning: The Influence of Risk Perception and Change Readiness

Unsupervised Learning of Organizational Learning Patterns: The Roles of Knowledge Sharing and Cognitive Flexibility

Predicting Employee Innovative Work Behavior from Psychological Safety and Proactive Personality Using Machine Learning Models

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