Improvement Scenarios for Employee Empowerment in Fourth-Generation Universities: An Integrated Meta-Synthesis and IPA-G-FGAHP Approach
Subject Areas :
Amirhosein okhravi
1
*
,
Ali Zandanbaran
2
1 -
2 - Department of Management, University of Gonabad, Gonabad, Iran
Keywords: employee empowerment, fourth-generation university, meta-synthesis, FGAHP, improvement scenario.,
Abstract :
Empowered employees constitute a fundamental pillar in achieving the goals of fourth-generation universities. The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze improvement scenarios for employee empowerment within these institutions. From a purpose perspective, the research was applied, and methodologically it adopted a mixed qualitative–quantitative approach. In the qualitative phase, a meta-synthesis approach was adopted to identify 59 related studies, of which 24 were selected for in-depth analysis following a rigorous screening process. In the quantitative phase, the finalized empowerment indicators were evaluated by nine senior and middle managers of the studied university. Data were analyzed using the integrated IPA–G–FGAHP model. The analysis identified 14 key indicators distributed across three dimensions: individual, group, and organizational. The results revealed that attitude, delegation of authority, organizational relationships, and commitment ranked highest in terms of improvement priority. Model outcomes revealed that these indicators exhibited the largest weighted gaps and the greatest potential for enhancement. In contract, indicators such as competence and job challenge were positioned in the fourth quadrant of the matrix, indicating no immediate need for intervention. Overall, the findings highlight that achieving fourth-generation universities necessitates a focused effort on strengthening employee empowerment in attitudinal, relational, and organizational commitment dimensions. Moreover, the results underscore that cultivating a culture of trust, implementing targeted training, and adopting a participative leadership style can effectively facilitate progress toward realizing the goals of fourth-generation universities.
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