Formation of Infrastructure Provision for Personnel Needs in Gas and Petrochemical Cluster: The Case of Iran

Abstract

The problem of staffing the gas and petrochemical cluster is acutely raised in all oil-producing states. This article’s purpose is to study program-targeted and problem-oriented approaches to forming infrastructure provision for personnel needs in Iran’s gas and petrochemical cluster. Their peculiarity is that they belong to natural monopolies characterized by a high level of capital concentration. In this study, two approaches were identified to form infrastructure provision for the needs of personnel in the cluster. The first approach, program-targeted, relies on developing programs to overcome the lack of qualified specialists. The second approach, problem-oriented, considers the causes of the problem itself and the ways to prevent it. Based on the results of the study, several conclusions can be drawn. First, the traditional understanding of human resources infrastructure is insufficient to develop Iran’s gas and petrochemical cluster (GPC). Secondly, for the successful development of social production, it is necessary to adequately develop infrastructure, the technical and economic justification of all processes, and to focus the entire industry on endogenous factors of scientific, technical, and socio-economic progress. Finally, the most critical issue in the system is the issue of staffing each stage with employees of mass professions, engineering, and scientific personnel, specialists in the field of economics, organization, and management, and executives of various levels.