Administrative Reform in Iran:A Case Study of the Establishment of the Institute of Administrative Sciences, University of Tehran (IASUT)

This article is mainly aimed to study the contexts, factors, and actors affecting the establishment of the IASUT in order to reform part of the administrative system of the expanding government of Iran. Using the library method and based on the analysis of documents, historical data and findings of other researchers, this paper seeks to answer the following main question: what are the significant actors and components affecting the establishment of the Institute of Administrative Sciences? The research hypothesis is that the alignment of the need to reform the recordkeeping system in Iran - as an era in administrative modernization-with the policies of the Truman’s Point Four Program has been effective in establishing the IASUT According to the Weber model, the administration of affairs in a bureaucratic setting is based on the preservation of written documents, i.e. records and files; therefore, the reform or modernization of the records management system is a foundation for the evolution of the administrative bureaucracy. Based on the research findings, it can be said that although the establishment of the IASUT was in response to a natural need that arose in a historical context and was influenced by the process of growth and modernization of government institutions; alignment of this need with the policies of the Truman’s Point Four Program has played a catalyzing role in the establishment of this institution. Also, the role of three main groups of actors with different approaches is evident in the establishment of this institution.