Key Success Factors in Technology Acquisition in Iran’s Oil and Gas Industries Through Multinational Corporations

Abstract

Research indicates that, despite numerous opportunities for knowledge acquisition and learning within the framework of contracts concluded with foreign oil companies, these companies have not played an active role in transferring technical knowledge and skills or in developing specialized human resources. The considerable complexities associated with technology, on the one hand, and differences in the views and approaches of the responsible authorities, on the other, have further contributed to the lack of success in this area. The fundamental question is why, despite more than a century of experience and several decades of active involvement by oil companies in Iran, the country has still been unable to satisfactorily address its deficiencies in technical knowledge and managerial capabilities. This study therefore seeks to answer the following question: What factors influence the success of an international technology transfer project in the oil industry through multinational corporations, and through what mechanisms do these effects occur? Accordingly, this article first classifies the key (critical) success factors in technology transfer, extracted from previous studies and interviews through thematic analysis, into four general categories: factors related to the technology provider, the technology recipient, the cooperation context, and the nature of the technology. Subsequently, technology transfer projects involving Tatneft, Statoil, and Lurgi were examined as case studies of technology transfer to Iran. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to identify and select experts. Through interviews with 11 experts who had participated in the aforementioned projects, 30 factors were identified by coding the interview data using thematic analysis. These factors formed the basis of the questionnaires administered in the second and third rounds. Using the Delphi method, 10 factors that achieved agreement among more than 70% of the experts were identified as the key success factors in technology acquisition. These factors were incorporated into the model developed by the study. Drawing on this model and the study findings, recommendations can be formulated for strengthening the technology development and innovation system in Iran’s oil industry.