نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسنده
دانشیار اقتصاد آموزش عالی، مؤسسه پژوهش و برنامه ریزی آموزش عالی،تهران،ایران
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسنده [English]
Knowledge development, as a major driver of development at the individual, organizational, and economic levels, has been examined from various psychological, epistemological, managerial, economic, and sociological perspectives. In economics and management, endogenous growth theory, evolutionary economics, knowledge economy theory, knowledge-based economic theory, and knowledge-based development theory collectively emphasize that economic development and competitiveness depend directly on knowledge development. According to this perspective, economies seeking to improve their level of development and competitiveness must be capable of developing the knowledge they require in a dynamic, efficient, and effective manner.
The motivation for this study arises from both a scientific and a policy-related problem concerning knowledge development in Iran. Existing studies have largely neglected ecological factors that may influence knowledge development, creating a significant research gap. Moreover, the application of scientific findings in policymaking for knowledge development in developing countries, including Iran, has not been sufficiently effective. A review of Iran’s economic development trajectory compared with developed economies indicates that over the past four decades Iran has not succeeded in becoming an efficiency-based economy and has remained primarily dependent on material resources. This raises a critical question: why has Iran’s economy failed to maintain and improve its competitiveness and achieve sustainable economic development? While knowledge development appears to be the obvious solution, the Iranian economy itself faces substantial weaknesses in this area. Recent global competitiveness, innovation, and knowledge indices indicate that, compared with at least 75 developed and developing economies, Iran lacks the necessary dynamism, efficiency, and effectiveness required for knowledge development.
Accordingly, this study aims to theoretically and empirically examine the effects of ecological factors—particularly the performance and conditions of knowledge ecosystems—on macro-level knowledge development. The analysis draws upon the theoretical foundations of knowledge ecology, knowledge ecosystems, and the national knowledge ecosystem approach.
To empirically investigate the effects of ecological factors on knowledge development, the study employs descriptive and normative approaches, a quantitative documentary method, global secondary data derived from national knowledge ecosystems, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The model consists of one latent dependent variable with four observable indicators, three latent mediating variables with nine observable indicators, and five latent independent variables with fourteen observable indicators. Data were extracted from the QS World University Rankings, the Human Freedom Index, the Economic Freedom Index, and the Global Innovation Index 2025 reports.
The findings reveal a strong influence of ecological factors—including personal freedom, economic freedom, political environment, regulatory environment, and soft infrastructure—on knowledge development in the economy. These factors contribute to knowledge development by shaping the behavior and performance of cognitive agents (such as firms) and metacognitive agents (such as universities), as well as their interactions within the ecosystem. Statistical analyses further indicate that although ecological factors improve the national performance and international interactions of universities, the national performance of universities does not significantly contribute to knowledge development in the economy, while international interactions of universities may even weaken it.
Three major conclusions emerge from these findings. First, the knowledge developed within universities differs fundamentally from the knowledge developed in the economy. University knowledge is primarily subjective and explicit, whereas economic knowledge is more objective and tacit. Universities can therefore contribute more effectively to economic knowledge development when they transform subjective and explicit knowledge into objective and tacit knowledge. Second, ecological factors influence knowledge development through interactions among cognitive and metacognitive agents. Universities contribute to knowledge development mainly through interaction with other agents, and because the role of other actors is not fully represented in the model, the actual contribution of universities may not be fully captured. Third, because universities primarily generate global public explicit knowledge, such knowledge may leave the national ecosystem through international interactions before being transformed into objective economic knowledge within the domestic economy. Consequently, universities need both to develop objective knowledge and to transform subjective and explicit knowledge into objective and tacit forms.
The study therefore recommends gradual improvement of ecological factors—including personal freedom, economic freedom, political and regulatory environments, and soft infrastructure—through a transition toward knowledge-based and wise governance. It also suggests that universities should expand beyond their traditional missions and actively engage in the creation, absorption, diffusion, and transformation of objective knowledge in order to contribute more effectively to knowledge development in the economy.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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