A Context-Specific Model for Transforming Payame Noor University into an Entrepreneurial University: Identification and Prioritization of Factors Affecting Human Resource Performance Using Fuzzy Delphi–AHP and BSC Methods
Abstract
The transition toward an entrepreneurial university requires a fundamental transformation in human resource performance management, particularly in distance education institutions such as Payame Noor University, which face unique structural and geographical challenges. The primary objective of this study was to develop a context-specific model for identifying and prioritizing the key factors affecting human resource performance during this transition. In terms of its purpose, the study was applied, and methodologically, it employed a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. The statistical population consisted of academic and organizational experts, 15 of whom were selected through purposive sampling. In the first stage, critical factors were screened using the fuzzy Delphi technique. The factors were subsequently weighted using the analytic hierarchy process, and finally, they were evaluated within the Balanced Scorecard framework to produce a comprehensive importance–performance-based ranking. The findings indicated that five key factors play a role in this transition. Among these factors, “employee participation and empowerment,” with a final weighted score of 0.2125, and “employee training and development,” with a final weighted score of 0.1969, received the highest performance priorities. The principal innovation of this study is the presentation of the conceptual “Human Resource Empowerment Cycle” model, which indicates that, in the context of Payame Noor University, the development of cultural and skill-based infrastructure—the empowerment core—should precede the reform of control systems such as compensation and performance appraisal. The results of the study are also presented in the form of a three-phase operational roadmap for implementation by higher education policymakers.