The Impact of Technology Management Implementation on Improving Sustainability Performance: Case of the Egyptian Petroleum Refining and Petrochemical Industry/
Hisham Ali Yousef El Sayed
- 2023
- 190 p. ill. 21 cm.
Supervisor: Alaa Eldin Adris
Thesis (PH.D)—Nile University, Egypt, 2023 .
"Includes bibliographical references"
Contents: TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication...............................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgment...................................................................................................................................iii Declaration.............................................................................................................................................iv Abstract...................................................................................................................................................v Table of Contents..................................................................................................................................vii List of Abbreviations .............................................................................................................................xi List of Figures.......................................................................................................................................xii List of Tables.......................................................................................................................................xiv Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................1 1.1 Background of the Study ..............................................................................................................1 1.1.1 Sustainability and SDG..........................................................................................................1 1.1.2 The environmental and social impacts of the petroleum industry .........................................2 1.1.3 Focus on technologies to manage sustainability ....................................................................3 1.1.4 Technology and technology management definitions............................................................4 1.1.5 Sustainability and sustainability performance definitions .....................................................5 1.2 Context of the Research ................................................................................................................6 1.3 Organization of the Dissertation ...................................................................................................7 Chapter 2 TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE FOR PETROLEUM REFINERIES AND PETROCHEMICAL COMPANIES.............................................8 2.1 Petroleum industry........................................................................................................................8 2.1.1 Upstream petroleum operations.............................................................................................8 2.1.2 Midstream petroleum operations ...........................................................................................8 2.1.3 Downstream petroleum operations ........................................................................................9 2.1.3.1 Petroleum refineries........................................................................................................9 2.1.3.2 Petrochemical plant.......................................................................................................11 2.1.4 The Importance of the petroleum industry...........................................................................12 2.1.5 Egypt's downstream petroleum industry ..............................................................................17 2.2 Technology Management for Petroleum Refineries and Petrochemical Companies..................19 2.2.1 Background of technology management..............................................................................19 2.2.2 Current technologies in petroleum refineries and petrochemical companies.......................21 2.2.2.1 Process technologies.....................................................................................................21 2.2.2.2 Maintenance technologies.............................................................................................22 2.3 Sustainability Performance in the Petroleum Refineries and Petrochemical Companies...........22 viii 2.3.1 Background of sustainability ...............................................................................................22 2.3.2 Sustainability performance in the petroleum refineries and petrochemical companies.......23 2.3.2.1 Sustainability practices .................................................................................................23 2.3.2.2 Triple Bottom Line........................................................................................................24 2.4 Problem Statement......................................................................................................................26 2.5 Research Questions.....................................................................................................................28 2.6 Summary.....................................................................................................................................28 Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.........................................................................................29 3.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................29 3.2 Research Objectives....................................................................................................................29 3.3 Research framework and Hypotheses.........................................................................................30 3.3.1 Technology management and sustainability performance ...................................................30 3.3.2 Process technology and sustainability performance.............................................................31 3.3.3 Maintenance technology and sustainability performance ....................................................31 3.4 Research Significance.................................................................................................................33 3.5 Research Design..........................................................................................................................34 3.6 Measurement Procedure..............................................................................................................37 3.7 The setting (Medium of Study)...................................................................................................44 3.8 Population and Sampling ............................................................................................................44 3.8.1 Population ............................................................................................................................44 3.8.2 Sampling ..............................................................................................................................45 3.9 Data collection ............................................................................................................................46 3.9.1 Secondary data .....................................................................................................................46 3.9.2 Primary Data ........................................................................................................................46 3.9.2.1 Interview .......................................................................................................................46 3.9.2.2 Questionnaire ................................................................................................................47 3.10 Summary...................................................................................................................................48 Chapter 4 RESULTS AND DISSCUSSIONS......................................................................................49 4.1 Demographic analysis.................................................................................................................49 4.1.1 Respondents profile..............................................................................................................49 4.1.2 Companies profile................................................................................................................51 4.2 Technology management and Sustainability Performance across Respondents’ companies .....55 4.2.1 Technology management across respondents’ companies...................................................55 4.2.1.1 Process technology........................................................................................................55 4.2.1.2 Maintenance technology ...............................................................................................58 ix 4.2.2 Sustainability performance across respondents’ companies................................................60 4.2.2.1 Economic sustainability ................................................................................................60 4.2.2.2 Environmental sustainability.........................................................................................63 4.2.2.3 Social sustainability ......................................................................................................66 4.3 Descriptive analysis....................................................................................................................69 4.3.1 Data normality .....................................................................................................................70 4.3.2 Checking for outliers (Grubbs’ Test)...................................................................................71 4.3.3 Data reliability and validity..................................................................................................71 4.3.3.1 Data reliability...............................................................................................................71 4.3.3.2 Data validity..................................................................................................................72 4.3.4 Sampling adequacy test........................................................................................................73 4.3.5 Multicollinearity test............................................................................................................74 4.4 Data Analysis..............................................................................................................................75 4.4.1 Regression analysis..............................................................................................................75 4.4.1.1 Impact of TM on SP......................................................................................................75 4.4.1.2 Impact of PT and MT on EC.........................................................................................76 4.4.1.3 Impact of PT and MT on EN ........................................................................................78 4.4.1.4 Impact of PT and MT on SC.........................................................................................79 4.4.2 Hypothesis tests ...................................................................................................................81 4.4.3 Revised research framework................................................................................................82 4.4.4 Priorities of current TM and SP factors ...............................................................................82 4.4.4.1 Factors normalization....................................................................................................83 4.4.4.2 Factors prioritization.....................................................................................................84 4.4.5 Drivers and barriers of technology management and sustainability performance ...............91 4.4.5.1 Drivers of technology management and sustainability performance ............................91 4.4.5.2 Barriers of technology management and sustainability performance ...........................92 4.5 Interview results..........................................................................................................................94 4.6 Discussion...................................................................................................................................99 4.6.1 RQ (1): The impact of TM on SP.......................................................................................101 4.6.1.1 The revised research framework .................................................................................102 4.6.2 RQ (2): Priorities of current TM and SP factors and practices used by petroleum refineries and petrochemical companies.....................................................................................................103 4.6.2.1 Implementation of TM practices.................................................................................104 4.6.2.2 Implementation of SP practices ..................................................................................105 4.6.3 RQ (3): Drivers and barriers for technology management and sustainability performance for Petroleum Refineries and Petrochemical Companies............................................................106 x 4.6.3.1 Drivers of technology management and sustainability performance ..........................106 4.6.3.2 Barriers of technology management and sustainability performance .........................107 4.7 Implications...............................................................................................................................107 4.7.1 Theoretical implications.....................................................................................................107 4.7.2 Managerial implications.....................................................................................................109 4.8 Summary...................................................................................................................................110 Chapter 5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................112 5.1 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................112 5.2 Research contributions..............................................................................................................114 5.3 Research recommendations.......................................................................................................115 5.4 Proposed guidance framework for implementing technology management factors.................116 5.5 Research limitations..................................................................................................................122 5.6 Future research needed .............................................................................................................122 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................123 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................................132 Appendix A Interview.....................................................................................................................132 Appendix A.1 Consent form for the interview............................................................................132 Appendix A.2 Interview form.....................................................................................................134 Appendix B Survey Questionnaire .................................................................................................136 Appendix B.1 Questionnaire in English language ......................................................................136 Appendix B.2 Questionnaire in Arabic language .......................................................................143 Appendix B.3 Questionnaire link & QR code ............................................................................149 Appendix C Descriptive statistics of factors of TM and SP aspects...............................................150 Appendix D Checking for outliers (Grubbs’ Test) .........................................................................152 Appendix E Author’s Published Paper ...........................................................................................157
Abstract: In the age of globalization and technology, petroleum plants seek to maximize revenues while minimizing negative consequences on the environment and other variables. Regulators, investors, and society as a whole are putting more and more pressure on petrochemical and petroleum refineries to reduce their environmental impacts. Because of this, petroleum enterprises must ensure that every aspect of their operations balances economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The continuous technological development in terms of operation and maintenance creates new challenges and pressures for companies, which requires dealing with the use of technologies and alternatives that are economically feasible and have a low impact on the environment by using technology management. As a consequence of this, the connection between technology management (TM) and sustainability performance (SP) makes it possible to have flexibility in the development of long-term strategic goals as well as the capability to adjust to unanticipated events. The study investigated the impact of TM and its practices through process and maintenance technologies on the SP of petroleum refineries and petrochemical plants in terms of economic (EC), environmental (EN), and social sustainability (SC). Consequently, a new proposed conceptual framework and seven hypotheses have been presented in order to provide a clearer and more thorough comprehension of these aspects. Data were collected from sixty-five professionals who are petroleum experts in the Egyptian refineries and petrochemical plants through a survey (structured questionnaire). The data were checked for normality, reliability, and validity before analysis. Regression analysis and hypothesis testing were carried out for data analysis and the relationship between technology and sustainability aspects, followed by the priorities of TM vi and SP practices and the identification of drivers and barriers for petroleum companies. The findings of the study demonstrated that TM significantly and directly influences SP. The study also showed that the three components of SP (EC, EN, and SC) are positively impacted by process technology (PT). Despite helping to promote economic and environmental sustainability, maintenance technology (MT) has a negligible direct impact on social sustainability. Petroleum plants must therefore advance their process technology in order to produce economic gains and maintain social and environmental sustainability. The size, age, ownership, or nature of the operations of the company had no bearing on the study's results, which were independent. Prioritizing TM and SP factors can help petroleum companies evaluate their processes and maintenance practices and improve their performance, which will direct them to technological development and focus on the most crucial issues. With the drivers and barriers to implementing TM and SP identified, petroleum companies will be able to identify areas for improvement, develop strategies, and allocate resources to overcome the challenges they face, which will enable continuous improvement of the downstream petroleum sector as a whole. The study is considered a guide for industry decision-makers and executives and highlights the importance of TM and SP. Keywords: Technology management. Sustainability performance. Oil Refineries. Petrochemical companies. Framework