This study aims to conduct an institutional analysis of Iran’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry and to offer policy implications for restructuring its value chain. Adopting a qualitative approach and drawing on the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework, data were collected through 14 semi-structured interviews with industry experts and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that ineffective rules, the absence of an independent regulatory body, inadequate infrastructure for storage and exports, and poor coordination among key actors have led to an unstable and opportunity-wasting action arena within the industry. The consequences of this institutional setting can be categorized into three levels: economic (resource waste, declining efficiency), social (inequitable access, public distrust), and institutional (conflict of interest, reproduction of inefficiencies). The conceptual model developed in this study explains how the interaction of three key variables—biophysical conditions, community attributes, and formal and informal rules—shapes institutional behavior and generates adverse outcomes. The study concludes by proposing a set of policy implications for reforming the LPG value chain, with an emphasis on redesigning institutional rules in resource allocation, financing, and pricing; restructuring licensing systems, incentives, and downstream integration; institutionalizing specialized policymaking bodies for energy diplomacy and market analysis; and enhancing monitoring, transparency, accountability, and the resilience of governance systems.
Rahiminasab, M. , Sadeghi Shahdani, M. , Zahedi Vafa, M. H. and Godarzi, G. (2025). Institutional Analysis of Iran's Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Industry with an Emphasis on Policy Implications for Value Chain Reform. Journal of Industrial Economics researches, 9(31), -. doi: 10.30473/jier.2025.75316.1503
MLA
Rahiminasab, M. , , Sadeghi Shahdani, M. , , Zahedi Vafa, M. H. , and Godarzi, G. . "Institutional Analysis of Iran's Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Industry with an Emphasis on Policy Implications for Value Chain Reform", Journal of Industrial Economics researches, 9, 31, 2025, -. doi: 10.30473/jier.2025.75316.1503
HARVARD
Rahiminasab, M., Sadeghi Shahdani, M., Zahedi Vafa, M. H., Godarzi, G. (2025). 'Institutional Analysis of Iran's Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Industry with an Emphasis on Policy Implications for Value Chain Reform', Journal of Industrial Economics researches, 9(31), pp. -. doi: 10.30473/jier.2025.75316.1503
CHICAGO
M. Rahiminasab , M. Sadeghi Shahdani , M. H. Zahedi Vafa and G. Godarzi, "Institutional Analysis of Iran's Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Industry with an Emphasis on Policy Implications for Value Chain Reform," Journal of Industrial Economics researches, 9 31 (2025): -, doi: 10.30473/jier.2025.75316.1503
VANCOUVER
Rahiminasab, M., Sadeghi Shahdani, M., Zahedi Vafa, M. H., Godarzi, G. Institutional Analysis of Iran's Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Industry with an Emphasis on Policy Implications for Value Chain Reform. Journal of Industrial Economics researches, 2025; 9(31): -. doi: 10.30473/jier.2025.75316.1503
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