Identifying Factors Affecting the Empowerment of Gas Company Managers: A Qualitative Study Using a Thematic Analysis Approach
Keywords:
Managers’ Empowerment, Project Management, Thematic Analysis, Gas CompanyAbstract
The purpose of this study was to identify and explain the dimensions and components affecting the empowerment of Gas Company managers based on a project management approach and to present a conceptual framework for enhancing managerial capabilities in organizational projects. This study was applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of methodology, using thematic analysis based on the Braun and Clarke approach. The research population consisted of academic experts and senior managers of the Gas Company who were selected through purposive and snowball sampling methods. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews, and the interview process continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. MAXQDA software was used for data analysis, and the trustworthiness of findings was ensured through Lincoln and Guba’s criteria, including credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The findings revealed that the factors affecting the empowerment of Gas Company managers could be categorized into 107 basic themes, 26 organizing themes, and 5 overarching themes. The overarching themes included the development of professional project management competencies, empowerment in managing project resources and constraints, strengthening leadership and project team management, establishment of supportive project management systems and structures, and empowerment based on stakeholder interactions and management. The results further indicated that planning skills, risk management, human resource management, project leadership, conflict management, project-oriented structures, evaluation systems, and organizational interactions were among the most important dimensions of managerial empowerment. The findings indicate that managerial empowerment in project-oriented organizations is a multidimensional phenomenon influenced by the interaction of individual, managerial, and organizational factors. Developing professional competencies, strengthening leadership capabilities, establishing supportive organizational systems, and enhancing internal and external interactions can improve managerial effectiveness and increase the success of organizational projects. Therefore, organizations in the gas industry can enhance project managers’ capabilities through educational programs, supportive management systems, and the development of knowledge and stakeholder management practices.
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