Nechirvan A. Othman

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About

I am a PhD candidate in Business Economics and Management at the István Széchenyi Economics and Management Doctoral School, University of Sopron — supported by the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship.

My research centres on local NGOs operating in crisis-affected areas — specifically how organisations born from necessity transform into strategically aware, sustainably performing actors. I draw on ten years of practitioner experience with international and local organisations across Northeast Syria, including roles at Norwegian People's Aid and CARE International.

Beyond my dissertation, I have published on knowledge management in NGOs, cross-cultural volunteering, and strategic entrepreneurship. I teach EU-funded project management, strategic management, and entrepreneurship as an assistant lecturer.

10+ Years in the sector

4 Journal publications

3 Conference papers

Education

2023–now

PhD — Business Economics & Management University of Sopron, Hungary

2017–2020

MSc — Business Administration Damascus University, Syria · GPA 82.5/100

2012–2017

BSc — Economics (With Honours) AL-Furat University, Syria · GPA 84.64/100

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Research

PhD Dissertation

"From Sudden Birth to Strategic Roles: The Evolution of Strategic Positioning and Sustainable Performance of LNGOs Operating in Crisis-Affected Areas — Evidence from Syria"

This dissertation examines how local non-governmental organisations (LNGOs) that emerged organically from the Syrian crisis have evolved their strategic management capacities over time. It investigates how crisis-born organisations build legitimacy, develop adaptive capabilities, and achieve sustainable performance within fragile institutional environments.

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Strategic Positioning

How LNGOs transition from reactive crisis response to deliberate, mission-aligned strategy in contested environments.

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Sustainable Performance

Resource configurations, governance mechanisms, and stakeholder relations that enable NPO sustainability under institutional pressure.

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Knowledge Management

Inter-organisational learning, knowledge transfer, and capability building in local vs. international NGO contexts.

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Crisis Contexts

Institutional fragility, legal ambiguity, and political volatility as antecedent conditions shaping organisational decisions.

Latest Working Paper

Sustainable Performance in Nonprofit Organizations: A Systematic Literature Review Using the TCCM Framework

A PRISMA-guided systematic review of 24 peer-reviewed articles, mapping theoretical, contextual, methodological, and characteristic dimensions of sustainable NPO performance using the TCCM framework.

Nechirvan Othman & Bartók István 2025 · Under Review

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Experience

Jan 2025 – Present Current

Data Specialist & Social Media Manager

Reporter Shield

Leading data solutions for organisational growth; designing data collection, analysis, and visualisation processes; coordinating social media strategy and a small team.

Sep – Nov 2024 Humanitarian

Knowledge Management & Innovation Coordinator

Humanitarian Library & Shelter Centre

Managed knowledge-sharing platforms, developed best-practice dissemination strategies, and led volunteer teams in content development and capacity-building activities.

Jun 2022 – Mar 2023 INGO

Project Officer — Civil Society & People Participation

Norwegian People's Aid (NPA)

Coordinated stakeholder engagement and civil society development in Northeast Syria (NES). Led proposal development, partner capacity building, and project monitoring for NPA's civil society programme.

May 2021 – May 2022 INGO

Program Officer — Women's Economic Empowerment

CARE International

Led stakeholder mapping, community engagement, and gender-transformative programme implementation. Trained women-led businesses on sustainable livelihood practices and climate resilience.

Sep 2020 – Apr 2021 INGO

Community Engagement & Content Development Consultant

CARE International

Developed GAD-inclusive content, documented field best practices, and supported M&E plan design and partner reporting.

May – Oct 2019 INGO

Women's Economic Empowerment Training Assistant

CARE International

Delivered training on business planning, market gap analysis, and marketing for small businesses; built CBO capacities in gender equality.

Nov 2018 – Mar 2019 LNGO

Centre Supervisor

ROJAVA Local NGO & Save the Children (joint)

Managed partner documentation, staff feedback, and quality educational and child protection services at field level.

May 2017 – Jan 2018 LNGO

HR Training & Development Officer

ROJAVA Local NGO

Implemented organisation-wide training needs analysis, managed training budget, and created learning materials across departments.

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Publications

Forthcoming 2025

Motivations and Barriers for Cross-Cultural Volunteering Among International Students: A Study at the University of Sopron, Hungary

Othman, N. & Bartók, I.

GAZDASÁG ÉS TÁRSADALOM

Journal 2025

A Comparison Analysis of Knowledge Management Process in International and Local Non-Governmental Organizations Operating in Northeast Syria

Othman, N. & Bartók, I.

Cihan University-Erbil Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (CUEJHSS), 9(1), 1–10

DOI: 10.24086/cuejhss.vol9n1y2025 ↗

Journal 2023

Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice (Fourth Edition) — Review

Othman, N.

GAZDASÁG ÉS TÁRSADALOM, 34(3), pp. 91–94 · ISSN 0865-7823

Journal 2020

The Mediator Role of Risk Taking in the Relationship Between Knowledge Management and Innovation: A Field Study on Syrian Mobile Telecom Companies

Othman, N. & Sackour, M.

Al-Bath University Journal, 42(31), pp. 67–121

Forthcoming 2024

External Factors Affecting Strategic Management of NGOs Operating in Crisis-Affected Areas: A Case Study from Northeast Syria

Othman, N. & Bartók, I.

International Scientific Conference — Sustainability Transitions: Innovation Ecosystems – Digital Solutions

Forthcoming 2024

Knowledge Management in Non-Governmental Organizations: A Bibliometric Analysis

Othman, N. & Bartók, I.

20th International Bata Conference for PhD Students and Young Researchers (DOKBAT)

Conference 2021

The Role of Big Data to Achieve Sustainable Performance

Othman, N.

International Digital Transformation Conference, Syria

05

Blog

Reflections on research, NGO practice, and management in complex environments.

Research Notes Coming soon

Why Local NGOs Are More Than Just "Implementing Partners"

Rethinking the strategic agency of local organisations in humanitarian systems — beyond the donor-recipient hierarchy.

Post coming soon →

Field Reflections Coming soon

Knowledge Management Under Fire: Lessons from Northeast Syria

What happens to organisational learning when the institutional environment collapses?

Post coming soon →

Academia Coming soon

The TCCM Framework Explained for Nonprofit Researchers

A practical guide to using Theory–Context–Characteristics–Methodology in systematic literature reviews.

Post coming soon →

Opinion Coming soon

From Syria to Sopron: A PhD Journey Across Borders

On pursuing doctoral research as an international scholar with practitioner roots in conflict-affected contexts.

Post coming soon →

Full blog posts coming soon. Subscribe below to be notified.

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Contact

I welcome conversations about research collaboration, conference presentations, consulting on NGO strategy, or simply connecting with fellow scholars and practitioners.

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Email nechirvanothman@gmail.com

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University nechirvanothman@gmail.com

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ORCID 0000-0002-9704-4151

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Phone 00