JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PERSPECTIVE
Year:2024 | Volume:15 | Issue:1|Papers Count:7

Purpose: Undoubtedly, to achieve goals in a specific field, an organization requires its employees to perform specific activities proficiently. This can be achieved if employees believe in their abilities, set challenging goals, and double their efforts to attain success, highlighting the importance of self-efficacy. Additionally, for full employee engagement, organizations must cultivate a positive and satisfactory mindset, facilitating effective communication with work, thereby emphasizing the necessity of work engagement. Moreover, organizations should instill optimism in employees, fostering the belief that their efforts will yield positive outcomes, underscoring the importance of optimism among employees. Given that low job performance is a primary concern for organizations and encompasses various performance domains, this research aims to explore factors influencing high job performance and provide managerial solutions to enhance employee job performance. Thus, this study investigates the impact of self-efficacy and optimism on job performance with work engagement as a mediating factor.Design/ methodology/ approach: This study adopts a practical approach with survey methodology. The statistical population comprises all experts employed in the Deputy of Management Development and Resources of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, totaling 200 individuals. Simple random sampling was utilized, and Cochran's formula determined a sample size of 80 individuals. Data were collected through questionnaires assessing self-efficacy (Scheier et al., 1982), optimism (Carver et al., 2010), work engagement (Rich et al., 2010), and job performance (Patterson, 1990). Data analysis employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the partial least squares method using Smart-PLS 3 software.Research Findings: Results confirm the validity of the research model, indicating that self-efficacy and optimism positively influence work engagement, which, in turn, impacts job performance. Work engagement also serves as a mediating factor in the relationships between self-efficacy and job performance, as well as between optimism and job performance.Limitations & Consequences:  One limitation of this research is its focus on a specific organization, limiting generalizability to other contexts. Therefore, conducting similar studies in diverse organizational settings is recommended. Additionally, reliance on questionnaires to measure attitudes poses another limitation.Practical Consequences: The findings of this pioneering research can guide managerial actions towards employees, enhancing human resource effectiveness and aiding managers in addressing HR challenges within organizations. Thus, understanding employee morale and organizational conditions is crucial for improving job performance.Innovation or value of the Article: Unlike previous studies that explored only a subset of the variables examined in this research, this study simultaneously investigates four variables, addressing theoretical and practical gaps in previous literature.Paper Type: Research Paper

Purpose: Development and corruption are two related concepts; in fact, they are two sides of the same coin. This implies that achieving development is not possible without combating corruption. Given the crucial role of human resource management systems in preventing corruption, this study aims to model the optimal system for managing employee performance to prevent corruption in the public sector.Design/ methodology/ approach: This research adopts an interpretive paradigm, applied for its purpose and descriptive in nature, employing interviews as the data collection method. The research method is based on interpretive-structural modeling. The statistical population comprises public sector managers, and snowball sampling is used for sampling.Research Findings: The study identified ten components for designing an employee performance management model to prevent administrative corruption: transparency, accountability, procedural justice, interactional justice, justifiability, alignment, rule of law, continuous improvement, authenticity, and preventability. According to the results of the MICMAC analysis, none of the identified components are located in the autonomous region, indicating a strong interconnection among all model components. Nine components were identified in the linkage region: transparency, accountability, procedural justice, interactional justice, justifiability, alignment, rule of law, continuous improvement, and authenticity. These components are dynamic, meaning that changes in them can impact the entire system. Additionally, the preventability component is placed in the dependence region, indicating its high dependence on other components. Among other findings, the study delineated an interaction network of variables to determine the level and relationships of the identified components. According to this network, the rule of law and accountability dimensions are fundamental components of the model, as they influence all other components. These two components exhibit a two-way relationship with each other, implying mutual influence. Additionally, transparency and alignment rank next, also with a two-way relationship with the preceding components, indicating their significant influence on the model. Authenticity and justifiability are positioned in the third level of the model; authenticity affects continuous improvement and has an interactive relationship with justifiability. Continuous improvement, located in the fourth level, impacts two components in the fifth level: procedural justice and interactional justice. Procedural and interactional justice, besides influencing each other, affect the preventability component, the last level of the model. Preventability is the most dependent component, suggesting that procedural preventability in the employee performance management system relies on other model components.Limitations & Consequences: Data collection through interviews introduces potential biases in the findings. Additionally, the scope of actors and the research problem prevented a comprehensive examination of the issue from all perspectives.Practical Consequences: Public sector managers can use the findings of this applied research to design employee performance management systems that reduce corruption risk.Innovation or value of the Article: Despite numerous efforts to combat corruption in Iran, effectiveness has been limited, as evidenced by Iran's low ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in 2022. This study addresses the significant role of human resource systems in combating administrative corruption by identifying and modeling the components of an employee performance management system tailored for the public sector.Paper Type: Original Article

Purpose: The main objective of this research is to design and present a comprehensive model for evaluating public policies in the tourism industry in Iran, aiming to fill part of the knowledge gap in this area.Design/ methodology/ approach: From the audience's point of view, this research is foundational, and in terms of attitude, it is mixed (qualitative and quantitative), employing non-interventional measures. The qualitative stage involved reviewing relevant literature and conducting semi-structured interviews with experts and specialists in the tourism field. The Delphi method was used in three stages to derive basic and key concepts until categories reached theoretical consensus and an appropriate framework was established. In the quantitative stage, the derived framework was tested, and the proposed model for evaluating policy-making in Iran's tourism industry was compiled and presented through data processing and analysis based on questionnaire results. The statistical population includes tourism experts and specialists, with 21 individuals chosen as the sample. According to the findings, the main elements of the model were identified in five dimensions (problem recognition, compilation, legitimation, implementation, and final evaluation) encompassing 44 concepts related to 14 categories, leading to the design of the comprehensive model.Research Findings: The results indicated that the most important measures for evaluating each of the five dimensions of public tourism policies in Iran are as follows: addressing the main issue of tourism (average score of 2.33), rationality of tourism policies (average score of 2.17), public acceptance of tourism policies (average score of 1.60), practical obligation of tourism policy implementers (average score of 2.26), and consistency in evaluating tourism policies (average score of 2.12). The most significant stages influencing the evaluation of public tourism policies in Iran are legitimizing tourism policies (average score of 3.50) and implementing tourism policies (average score of 3.36). Results from examining the research conceptual framework using AMOS software and goodness-of-fit indices of the confirmatory factor analysis model for evaluating public policies in Iran's tourism were deemed acceptable based on GFI, AGFI, CFI, CMIN/df, and RMSEA statistical tests.Limitations & Consequences One limitation of this research is the broad scope of tourism, which includes various types such as cultural, educational, recreational, commercial, therapeutic, social, athletic, religious, and political. Each type, besides its general and common indices, requires specific measures for policy evaluation, which exceeds the objectives of this research and presents limitations. Addressing these specific measures requires further independent research, which is recommended for future studies.Practical Consequences: The findings of this research, in addition to expanding the theoretical domain, may enhance the applied knowledge of tourism development and improve the performance of tourism regions. They also provide a basis for high-level managers to prioritize the importance of evaluating public policy-making in Iran's tourism sector. Based on the results, the primary priority in evaluating public policies in Iran's tourism industry is the "policy legitimizing stage." Therefore, one practical implication of this research is that policymakers should consider the necessary frameworks for legalizing and legitimizing tourism public policies in regulating and approving upstream documents. Using the model presented in this research, the existing process of public policies in Iran's tourism industry can be evaluated. Furthermore, continuing this research could model and test desirable conditions for tourism industry policy-making in Iran. Given that the evaluation of the policy implementation stage is the second priority in the process of evaluating public policies in Iran's tourism industry, providing an effective mechanism for the precise implementation of Iran's tourism industry policies is another practical implication of this research.Innovation or value of the Article: Since there is no specific, appropriate model that conforms to Iran's existing realities in evaluating tourism policies, presenting this model and filling part of the investigational gap indicates the value of this article. Generalizing tourism policy evaluation to all stages of the policy-making process, rather than focusing solely on final evaluation, demonstrates another aspect of the article's innovation and value. The mixed-method approach and the use of various instruments in designing and presenting a model for evaluating tourism policy contribute to the precision and comprehensiveness of policy evaluation, showcasing another innovative aspect of this research.Paper Type: Original Paper

Purpose: When a business faces problems and unsatisfactory results, it is time for transformation. To define an appropriate change strategy, the organization must understand the context of the transformation and the main needs driving it. Understanding the reasons for the change will help implement it and reduce some of the unnecessary costs the organization may incur. Researchers consider strategic agility as an ongoing ability for moment-to-moment strategic sensitivity, agile collective commitment, rapid and powerful resource renewal and expansion, and as an antidote to the pain of the repetitive succession of success, decline, resilience, crises, and updates. They also consider strategic agility to result from a combination of stability in processes and people, values and ambitions, sensitivity and flexibility in views, fluidity in expanding resources, and leadership unity in creating collective commitments. Organizations use strategic agility to respond flexibly to the needs of their stakeholders in the face of various risks and pressures. The agility of the employee performance management system alone is not enough, and government organizations must respond to problems on their own by using strategic methods. In this regard, the present research explains the obstacles and limitations of implementing an agile system for the strategic management of employee performance.Design/ methodology/ approach: The current research is part of applied research and is of a mixed type. To carry out the current research, the interpretive structural approach (ISM) was used, which is a cognitive mapping method for leveling and determining the relationships between indicators. To implement ISM, determining the relationships and priorities of the elements in the system is on the agenda. The validity of this method, considering its mathematical basis, examines whether the interpretive structural model correctly and accurately interprets the information in the data. Due to the standardization of the questionnaire and the data collection method, the validity of this method is different from statistical methods, and it is included in the essence of its mathematical modeling. Also, reliability in interpretive structural modeling refers to the continuity of reliability and whether the interpretive model can maintain stability and honesty in different conditions and with increasing data volume. In this way, the validity and reliability of this method ensure the accuracy and reliability of the analyses and the results obtained, which were examined in this research and confirmed by experts according to its mathematical foundations from both perspectives. The current research is part of applied and mixed research. The statistical population of the research comprised senior managers of government organizations who were interviewed with five groups of experts, totaling 18 people, which continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. To collect data, interviews were used in the qualitative part, and a researcher-made questionnaire was used in the quantitative part. The required items were collected from this statistical population in a specific way (18 people) using standard questionnaires. The qualitative part of this research, relying on critical systems, which is one of the categories of research in liberating operations, fundamentally examined and identified the system from the perspective of different stakeholders. Quantitatively, this structure has been leveled, and their relationships have been determined by examining the interpretive structure.Research Findings: The research findings identified 11 obstacles, and the results show that conflicts in the rules and, as a result, the separation of informal groups in the system are the most fundamental factors preventing the growth of this system. Limitations & Consequences: This research was conducted in the public sector, with special cases related to this sector, and the results may face limitations in other sectors.Practical Consequences: This research helps public sector managers identify the obstacles and limitations in the way of the agile system of strategic management of employees' performance, enabling them to address these challenges with appropriate strategies. Innovation or value of the Article: This research adds to the knowledge of this field by presenting a model for the implementation of the agile system of strategic management of employees' performance and examining its limitations.Paper Type: Original Article

Purpose: All people deal with numerous governmental agencies daily, to the extent that these governmental agencies have become part of people's lives. This reality is more evident in Iran due to the high volume of government activities and the so-called "big government." Governorates, headed by the governor, are responsible for implementing and overseeing government activities in each province separately. Therefore, given the high volume of public interaction with government agencies in Iranian society, the optimal performance of governorates in general and the governors themselves as the helmsmen of this governmental institution has become very important. Accordingly, the main issue that will lead to this study is the lack of existing awareness regarding the performance evaluation of governors. It is unclear on what basis governors' performance is evaluated and on what basis the rankings and results presented by statistical centers are based. Therefore, this study is conducted in two steps. In the first step, the performance evaluation model for governors is designed and modeled by identifying the components and indicators involved in it; in the second step, the extracted research model is validated.Design/ methodology/ approach:  The present research is based on the interpretive-positivist paradigm and a mixed approach, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Also, the strategy of this research is inductive. The qualitative study population in this research consists of all university professors in the field of public administration and strategic management, governors of the Islamic Republic of Iran government, and senior managers of the Ministry of Interior. To design the model for this research, interviews continued based on the snowball sampling method until theoretical saturation; therefore, the number of participants in this study has been 18 people. In this section, the statistical population consisted of experts knowledgeable about the subject, such as governors of the Islamic Republic of Iran government, deputies, and senior managers of governorates of the Islamic Republic of Iran government. Sampling was done using a non-probabilistic convenience method, and finally, 48 people from the target statistical population were determined as the research sample. In order to model the identified dimensions of performance evaluation, the opinions of experts who have had an active executive role were used, as these individuals have been closely involved in management activities at the macro-governmental level and have practical familiarity with performance evaluation processes. Another indicator in determining the sample size in this section was the accessibility to such experts, which ultimately led to 48 people being determined as the sample in this regard.Research Findings: The analysis of data from the interviews ultimately led to the identification of 12 main categories as dimensions of governors' performance evaluation. In total, the dimensions of governors' performance evaluation were classified into five levels. Accordingly, geographical knowledge was considered the most influential factor, and stakeholder satisfaction, political participation, and productivity were considered the most affected factors. Given that significance levels less than 0.05 were obtained, consequently, non-parametric tests must be used. In this regard, structural equation modeling with a partial least squares approach is used. The average social capital shows that in the statistical population under study, this concept is not at a desirable level. Also, geographical knowledge and welfare development show above-average values, and the rest of the variables are at an average level.Limitations & Consequences: Given the purpose of this study, access to experts who could help with the process of this study has been difficult.Practical Consequences: The findings of this study provide the following suggestions for policymakers and country governorates to utilize:Periodic analysis of geographical areas of provinces using the SWOT matrix method to identify regional strengths and weaknesses as well as understand future opportunities and threats for targeting;Establishing a safety and health working group in governorates under the management of governors to identify health weaknesses at the provincial level and strive to solve these problems through planning and seeking advice from experts in this field at the provincial level;Government officials' efforts to use native governors in each province for better alignment with the region and better understanding of economic opportunities;Innovation or value of the Article: The present study is the first study that presents a model for evaluating the performance of governors.Paper Type: Original Paper

Purpose: In today's dynamic environment, survival and growth are two major concerns for organizations. The uncertainty of these environments acts as a factor, and organizations are at risk of survival. Some organizations have found a way to survive in today's dynamic environment and have experienced growth for a long time. But what is the process or strategy that may help the sustainability and growth of organizations for a long time? It seems that organizational vitality and related processes are the answer to this.The existing literature in the field of organizational vitality has mainly focused on a small number of antecedents and consequences. Therefore, conducting comprehensive studies in this field is of great importance. In the current research, an attempt has been made to identify the antecedents and consequences of vitality in the Family Chain Store Company. It is expected that by conducting this research in the applied part, antecedents and consequences resulting from this concept will be identified so that human resource managers can use them to improve organizational vitality and thus ensure the performance, survival, and growth of their organizations. In the theoretical part, it is expected that conducting this research will lead to the development of previous literature in the field of organizational vitality.Design/ methodology/ approach: The current research is applied in terms of purpose and developmental in terms of its method, which was done in a mixed (qualitative-quantitative) way. In the qualitative part (meta-synthesis method), the research population is made up of all the studies conducted in this field, which were selected using the criterion-oriented purposeful sampling method. In the quantitative part, the multi-step fuzzy Delphi method was used in order to reach a consensus about the components extracted from the qualitative part. The statistical population of a small part includes experts in family chain stores.Research Findings: In this research, the antecedents of employees' vitality in organizations were identified in 2 individual and organizational categories, and the consequences were also identified in 2 categories of individual and organizational results. Then the fuzzy Delphi method was used to obtain experts' opinions about the importance of these factors. In the first phase of the fuzzy Delphi for antecedents, the results showed that the center of control, legitimacy, and individual effectiveness were removed due to the lower value of the obtained index. Also, the results of Fuzzy Delphi for consequences showed that employee productivity, creative job dependence, and job satisfaction were the most important, respectively. In this section, all the consequences were approved.The difference between the de-fuzzified average of experts' opinions in two stages for antecedents and consequences is less than 0.1. Based on this, the experts of the Family Chain Stores have reached a consensus regarding the antecedents and consequences of employee vitality in the organization, and the survey is stopped at this stage.Limitations & Consequences: Based on the findings of the present study, a job should be defined and designed in such a way that it provides the necessary richness and meaning and leads to positive and fruitful results. There are some factors that should be given special attention when defining any job. Job meaningfulness, job transparency, job security, autonomy at work, and career development are among these factors, and implementing each one will undoubtedly lead to numerous positive outcomes. There are many factors at the individual level that can potentially influence organizational vitality. These factors were included in several themes, such as demographic factors, personality characteristics, psychological characteristics, and individual attitudes. Therefore, it is suggested that human resource managers definitely consider the mentioned categories and their subcategory factors in their recruitment strategies and plans. Practical Consequences: According to the results obtained in the present research, welfare programs and extra-organizational activities for the welfare and health of employees are among the most important factors promoting organizational vitality. Also, trust in work environments can lead to organizational vitality. Therefore, it is suggested that in order to strengthen trust and, as a result, increase vitality in the organization, managers adhere to honesty in business relationships, observe justice among employees, and prioritize common goals over individual goals.Innovation or value of the Article: Human resource managers may use the results of this research to improve the vitality of employees and ultimately improve the performance and growth of their organization.Paper Type: Original Paper

Purpose: One of the negative phenomena of organizational behavior in organizations is the marginalization of employees in the context of organizational life. This, as an example of the ugly face of organizations, has many negative consequences for the dependent variables of organizational behavior and ultimately the productivity and performance of the organization. Management and control of the consequences of this reprehensible phenomenon in the organization depend on understanding the process of the emergence of organizational consequences of employees being marginalized. The purpose of this research is to identify the process model of the organizational consequences of the marginalization of employees in the organization and help better understand the consequences of this phenomenon.Design/ methodology/ approach:  In this research, which was conducted with structural-interpretive methodology, and in one of Iran's government organizations in the oil industry, an attempt has been made to consider the narratives and stories of people who have experienced the phenomenon in this organization. The organizational consequences of marginalization in the identification organization and its process model are presented and discussed. The participants of this research were 15 employees who were selected by the purposeful sampling method, and their narratives and lived experiences about marginalization were identified and presented in the form of a marginalization model. Then these results were analyzed and evaluated with the structural-interpretive modeling method.Research Findings: Based on the results of the consequences of marginalization and using structural-interpretive modeling, the process model of the organizational consequences of employee marginalization and its different levels was compiled and discussed. Identifying the elements of the consequences of marginalization in the organization and the different dimensions of these elements was one of the findings of this research. Based on these findings, the ISM graph of the organizational consequences of employee marginalization has eight levels. The organizational consequences of "non-competitive atmosphere in the organization,"  "organizational appearance,"  "organizational injustice," and "lack of meritocracy in the organization" are at the lowest level of the ISM graph, which shows the importance and influence of these consequences on the continuation of the series of subsequent consequences. "Vertical conflicts" are at the next level, followed by "horizontal conflicts," and in the same way, the next elements are placed at higher levels. Also, the variables of the lowest level, along with "horizontal conflicts," "intentional conflicts," "job dissatisfaction," "job burnout," "organizational pessimism," and "emotional burnout," by being placed in the influence section of the MICMAC diagram, give the managers of the organization the knowledge that by changing these variables, they can stop the process of the subsequent consequences and prevent the deepening of the organizational consequences of being marginalized, leading to the transformation of the employees of the organization into isolated and rejected employees from the organization or leaving the organization by them.Limitations & Consequences: The results of this research are applicable in oil and gas industries such as refining, petrochemicals, and gas companies, as well as companies and organizations aligned with oil and gas industries and with similar organizational structures.Practical Consequences: The pattern of the consequences of being marginalized in the organization and the relationship of its elements with each other indicate that neglecting the primary consequences, such as lack of meritocracy in the organization, organizational injustice, organizational appearance, and a non-coercive atmosphere in the organization, aggravates the subsequent consequences and ultimately isolation and rejection. Employees in the organization or leaving the organization by employees. By being aware of the organizational consequences of marginalization in the organization and the degree of influence or effectiveness of each element on other elements, the managers of the organization will be able to predict and control these consequences and will be able to prevent the consequences from intensifying and moving towards the emptying of the organization. Prevent competent employees. Organization managers' attention to the eight levels of the ISM graph of the organizational consequences of marginalization will give them the necessary information about the occurrence of the next consequences. Also, the results of the MICMAC chart are a guide for the managers of the organization to recognize the importance and necessity of each element of the consequences of marginalization and to prioritize and plan to solve them.Innovation or value of the Article: In this article, the elements of the consequences of the marginalization of employees in the organization have been identified and presented from the narratives and lived experiences of the employees. The process of analysis and review of these elements has also been done with the cooperation and supervision of the participants in the research. These elements have been experienced and touched by the employees of the organization over many years, which will ultimately enrich the results and make them more practical.Paper Type: Original Paper