Document Type : Research Article
Authors
1
PhD Candidate of Business Policy Making at SR.C.(Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch)
2
Associate Professor, Department of Management and Accounting, College of Farabi, University of Tehran, Iran
10.22067/jstinp.2026.99167.1211
Abstract
Complex governance systems increasingly require approaches that can address fragmentation, contested values, institutional interdependence, and the unequal inclusion of affected stakeholders. This study examines strategic incoherence in Iran’s complex governance system through Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH) and explores the implications of the resulting boundary analysis for stakeholder co-creation. Focusing on the intersection of development planning, resource governance, institutional coordination, and stakeholder participation, the study conceptualizes strategic incoherence not merely as a technical or administrative problem, but as a boundary-judgment problem. Iran provides a highly relevant empirical context due to its interrelated challenges, including water scarcity, energy imbalance, environmental degradation, fiscal pressure, sanctions-related constraints, urban stress, and fragmented institutional mandates. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative, interpretive design based on semi-structured expert interviews and documentary analysis. Initial coding distinguishes statements related to the current “is” situation and the desired “ought-to-be” situation, which are subsequently mapped onto Ulrich and Reynolds’ twelve CSH boundary questions and four sources of boundary judgment: motivation, control, knowledge, and legitimacy. The findings indicate four major gaps: sectoral definitions of improvement, fragmented control over resources and decisions, dominance of technical expertise, and weak involvement of affected stakeholders. The findings suggest that CSH-informed stakeholder co-creation may provide a promising governance mechanism for addressing the identified boundary gaps; however, co-creation itself was not empirically implemented or evaluated in the present study. The CSH-based framework contributes to systems thinking, public policy, and strategic governance by offering a critical pathway for more legitimate, inclusive, and coherent governance in Iran and comparable complex policy environments.
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