In today’s dynamic and ever-changing environments, public organizations, especially municipalities, face increasing challenges in responding swiftly and effectively to citizens’ needs. Among these, organizational agility has emerged as a fundamental requirement for improving performance and the quality of public services. On the other hand, advancements in information technology and extensive investments in this domain do not necessarily lead to increased organizational agility unless supported by appropriate IT human resources competencies. Moreover, IT costs can play a decisive role in either strengthening or weakening the impact of these competencies.
Accordingly, the main aim of this study is to analyze the role of IT human resources competencies in enhancing organizational agility, taking into account the moderating effect of IT costs in the Tabriz Municipality. This research is applied in nature and, methodologically, it is a descriptive-correlational survey. The statistical population includes employees and managers of Tabriz Municipality, from which a stratified random sampling method was used for selecting the sample. Data was collected through a standard questionnaire, and its validity and reliability were confirmed via convergent and divergent validity indices, as well as composite reliability.
For data analysis and hypothesis testing, structural equation modeling with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach using SmartPLS software was employed. The findings indicated that IT human resources competencies have a positive and significant effect on organizational agility, and this relationship is strengthened by IT costs. Additionally, the results suggest that appropriate management of IT investments, alongside the development of human competencies, can play an effective role in increasing organizational responsiveness, flexibility, and adaptability.
The outcomes of this study, besides enriching the theoretical literature on organizational agility in the public sector, provide important managerial implications for municipal managers regarding the alignment of human resources and technological investments.