Designing a Policy-Making Model for Improving Intellectual Capital to Enhance Organizational Performance in Bank Melli Iran

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to develop a comprehensive and context-specific policy-making model for improving intellectual capital in order to enhance organizational performance in Bank Melli Iran.

Methodology: This applied study employed a qualitative and exploratory design. The participants comprised academic experts as well as experienced managers and specialists from Bank Melli Iran, who were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, which continued until theoretical saturation was achieved; no new themes emerged after the thirteenth interview, and one additional interview was conducted for confirmation, resulting in a final sample of 14 participants. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework, including familiarization with the data, generation of initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and producing the final report. Credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability were also considered to ensure the trustworthiness of the qualitative findings.

Findings: The thematic analysis yielded 71 initial codes, which were organized into 12 subthemes and six overarching themes. The six main dimensions were strategic and transformational leadership, human capital development and empowerment, knowledge management and technological infrastructure, a learning and innovative culture, social capital and organizational belonging, and policy evaluation and performance improvement. These dimensions incorporated 12 organizing components, including participatory and learning-oriented policy-making, knowledge-based employee empowerment, targeted learning and merit-based selection, intrinsic motivation and job commitment, comprehensive knowledge management, technological infrastructure and digital transformation, institutionalized organizational learning, organizational innovation and creativity, trust and organizational communication, quality of work life, policy monitoring and feedback, and continuous improvement and performance alignment. The final model conceptualized intellectual capital policy-making as a multilevel and multidimensional process requiring coordinated interventions across strategic, human, technological, cultural, social, and evaluative domains.

Conclusion: Improving intellectual capital in Bank Melli Iran requires an integrated policy-making system that simultaneously addresses transformational leadership, human capital development, knowledge management, digital transformation, organizational learning, social capital, and continuous evaluation and feedback. The resulting six-dimensional, twelve-component model provides an operational framework for strategic intellectual capital management in Bank Melli Iran and may, following appropriate contextual adaptation, be applicable to other comparable organizations.