Presenting a Smart Management Model of Innovative Solutions for Improving Urban Governance: A Case Study of the Tehran Firefighting and Safety Services Organization

Hamid  Zinati Shoaa; Farshad  Faezi Razi

Authors

Hamid Zinati Shoaa Department of Public Management, Se.C, Islamic Azad University, Semnan, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0248-9772
Farshad Faezi Razi Department of Industrial Management, Se.C., Islamic Azad University, Semnan, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0776-8958

Keywords:

Smart management, urban governance, innovative solutions, Firefighting and Safety Services Organization, smart city, grounded theory, structural equation modeling

Abstract

Technological transformations and the expansion of smart city approaches have increasingly highlighted the necessity of revising models of urban management and governance. In this regard, the present study was conducted with the aim of designing a smart management model based on innovative solutions to improve urban governance within the Tehran Firefighting and Safety Services Organization. In terms of purpose, the study is applied, and in terms of methodology, it adopts a mixed-methods (qualitative–quantitative) design. In the qualitative phase, drawing on the grounded theory approach, data were collected and analyzed through in-depth interviews with experts in urban management, firefighting, and emerging technologies. The coding process led to the extraction of key categories within a paradigmatic model encompassing causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences. In the quantitative phase, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to validate the extracted model. The statistical population consisted of managers and specialists of the Tehran Firefighting and Safety Services Organization. The results of data analysis indicated that data quality, resource constraints, and institutional barriers are among the most significant challenges facing the implementation of smart management. In contrast, outcomes such as optimization of emergency operations, enhancement of predictive and preventive capabilities, resource savings, improvement of citizen safety, and strengthening of the organization’s social standing were identified as the most important expected achievements. Model fit indices also confirmed the validity and appropriate fit of the proposed model. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the smart management model can play an effective role in enhancing efficiency, resilience, and smart urban governance within the Tehran Firefighting Organization.

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