Title: Exploring industrial policy pattern in developing countries' automotive industry: a comparative mixed-approach analysis

Authors: Hossein Aslipour; Fereshte Gholami; Mohammad Abdolhoseinzadeh

Addresses: Public Management Department, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allame Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran ' Strategy and Business Development Department, Iran Khodro Co. (IKCO), Tehran, Iran; Khodro Group, Tehran, Iran ' School of Management, Economics, and Progress Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: This paper undertakes a comparative analysis of industrial policy approaches across four developing economies - China, Mexico, Thailand, and Turkey - in the automotive sector. Employing a mixed-methods approach through Boolean algebra, the study identifies key policy combinations that correlate with successful industry outcomes. The study proposes a phased policy model: in the first phase, countries should focus on import substitution, export promotion, and establishing joint ventures. In the same time, it is good to pay attention to policies supporting research and development, and human resource development. Second phase contains cross-border investment policies to further support industry growth.

Keywords: comparative policy analysis; CPA; industrial policy; automobile industry; mixed-methods; Boolean algebra.

DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2025.152354

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 2025 Vol.25 No.4, pp.424 - 446

Received: 23 Sep 2025
Accepted: 03 Nov 2025
Published online: 16 Mar 2026 *

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