Designing a Risk Management Model for Power Plant Maintenance Using a Grounded Theory Approach
Keywords:
Risk management, maintenance and repair, power plant, grounded theoryAbstract
Maintenance and repair processes in thermal power plants continually face serious risk management challenges because of equipment complexity and the high-risk nature of operations. The present study aimed to develop a comprehensive risk management model in this field to enhance reliability and improve managerial decision-making. In terms of purpose, this study was applied, and methodologically, it employed a qualitative grounded theory approach based on the Strauss and Corbin framework. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 academic and industry experts in the thermal power plant sector and analyzed in MAXQDA using the three stages of open, axial, and selective coding. The findings resulted in the identification of 122 initial codes and 41 key components, which were ultimately explained within a paradigmatic model comprising six main categories: causal conditions, contextual conditions, the central phenomenon, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences. By explaining the actions and interactions among technical, behavioral, structural, and environmental factors, the resulting model provides a comprehensive perspective on the logic of risk management within the indigenous context of Iran’s power generation industry. The results not only enrich the risk management literature but also provide an operational framework that can assist power plant managers in designing effective risk management systems and optimizing resource allocation.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mehdi Baghandeh (Author); Arshad Farahmandian; Firouzeh Haj Ali Akbari, Mohammad Hassan Abdollahi (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
