Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 PhD Candidate, Field of Business Management, Department of Management, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran
2 Organizational Affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Management, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran
3 Organizational Affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Imam Reza International University, Mashhad, Iran
4 Organizational Affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Faculty of Islamic Studies and Economics, Imam Sadiq University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
1- INTRODUCTION
The article discusses the dynamics of the Iran's electricity market ecosystem. It aims to design an evolutionary model for this ecosystem, focusing on identifying value chain actors, evolutionary drivers, and areas of value co-creation. Traditionally, the electricity supply chain included generation, transmission, and distribution, operating independently. Under restructuring, the power supply becomes a semi-liberal market activity. The article emphasizes the balance between integration and competition forces, crucial for ecosystem sustainability. Value co-creation, driven by collaboration among actors, aims to achieve innovation and improved economic, social, and environmental performance.
2- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Digital transformation, driven by technological innovation, changing consumer behavior, and operational efficiency needs, has significantly altered the business landscape and impacted traditional models (Sasha et al., 2024). The research highlights the importance of adaptive strategies and digital competencies. Sjödin et al. (2024) emphasize the need for new capabilities—ecosystem foresight, integration, and governance—to manage complex business ecosystems. Diamond et al. (2023) calls for more research on ecosystem decline and propose strategies for ecosystem development. Flynn and Foss (2023) focus on value theory’s role in ecosystem growth and capability, criticizing current studies for lacking micro-foundations. Espina-Romero et al. (2022) review literature from 2018 to 2022, identifying key and less-studied topics in business ecosystem research. PESTLE tool (Henry, 2021) was used to analyze co-creation fields in the ecosystem; Economical and technological domains alongside combining legal and political factors into one domain and social and environmental factors into another, are highlighting collaboration and value co-creation.
3- METHODOLOGY
A model similar to SGAM is used to map and display the target model, which includes the three dimensions of actors, evolutionary drivers, and areas of value co-creation. Identification of evolutionary drivers of the ecosystem of Iran's electricity industry was done using thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews. To conduct and analyze the semi-structured interview, the method proposed by Adeoye‐Olatunde & Olenik (2021) including seven stages was used.
After the three dimensions of the model are obtained, the relationships between dimensions should be expressed mathematically. Here, the actors are the nodes of the cognitive map, whose degree of interaction and influence on each other in each of the fields of value co-creation is obtained as the edges by gathering the opinions of experts. In order to obtain the final cognitive map of the influence of players, four cognitive models of value co-creation areas, according to the weights given by the experts, are combined and an aggregate cognitive map is formed; This collective cognitive map assures all aspects of interactions lead to co-creation of value in different areas have been considered.
The drivers have their influence on the actors; This effect is applied through the nodes of the aggregated cognitive model graph. Therefore, the presented cognitive model is a model that, in addition to the edges that have values in traditional models, graph nodes also have values due to the influence of drivers on actors, so classical models of cognitive map solving cannot be used, and other methods of matrix analysis should be used. By reviewing the existing literature, the permanent matrix value approach was chosen to analyze the model. This new approach is based on graph theory and matrix algebra and has some desirable features (such as the ability to model interactions, the ability to structure problems hierarchically, etc.) for modeling and solving complex decision-making problems.
4- RESULTS & DISCUSSION
semi-structured interview was used along with to identify the actors of the ecosystem of the Iranian electricity market. As mentioned before, in this standard model, the main actors of the electricity market form the ecosystem of the electricity market with other actors. By summarizing the interviews conducted, the green market, the optimization market, the wholesale market and the energy exchange as the main actors of the market domain and network regulation and management, transmission-major subscribers-distribution, production including scattered energy sources, legislator and service provider as the acting domains. The ecology of Iran's electricity market was obtained.
In this study, 181 thematic codes were mentioned by 16 participants, which were first categorized into 55 basic drivers and then 6 strategic drivers. These drivers included incentive policy with an emphasis on energy efficiency, privatization and reform of financial and liquidity processes, imbalance in electricity production and consumption, facilitation of macro interactions, development of electricity market mechanisms and finally sanctions and restrictions.
By aggregating the weights given by experts and applying them in the areas of value co-creation, the aggregated fuzzy cognitive map matrix was determined. Fuzzy logic with positive and negative values was used to measure the effect of each evolutionary drive on each actor. If this number is negative, it means having a contraction effect on the actor in the ecosystem, and if it is positive, it will indicate the expansion and dynamic effect of the actor in the ecosystem. With this, the main diameter of the final matrix of the cognitive map has a value. The sensitivity analysis of the above matrix is used to determine the overall contraction or expansion of each driver.
5- CONCLUSIONS & SUGGESTIONS
Drivers of the development of electricity market mechanisms, incentive policies with emphasis on energy efficiency, privatization and reform of financial circulation processes and facilitation in macro transactions and the drivers of sanctions and restrictions as well as disharmony, respectively They are centrifugal or expansive in the production and consumption of electricity. Therefore, the output of the fuzzy cognitive map model, which is obtained by analyzing the sensitivity of the sustainable value matrix of the ecosystem, is the selection of two basic drivers that have the greatest impact on the expansion and contraction of the ecosystem, namely, the development of Iran's electricity market mechanisms and the imbalance in electricity, which are Two are the strategic drivers of the ecosystem of Iran's electricity market. Resolving the imbalance in electricity requires the development of infrastructure, including grids, facilities, power plants, and gas production and transmission systems. In contrast, the development of electricity market mechanisms does not require a high investment and using successful experiences in the world, methods for improving these mechanisms are obtained.
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