فصلنامه چشم انداز مدیریت دولتی
پیاپی 56 (زمستان 1402)

The phenomenon of unreasonable escalation of commitments and decisions, well-known in organizational behavior, is where individuals, particularly managers, persist in investing in failed actions. This study aims to design a model for managing escalation of commitment in the public sector.

Design/Methodology/Approach: 

We employed a qualitative research method based on a data-driven approach. The study population included managers with experience in governmental organizations in Khorasan Razavi Province. Utilizing the saturation principle and snowball sampling method, 12 participants were selected as the sample size. Data collection involved general guidance and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was conducted using quantitative methods and MaxQDA software.

The study reveals that the escalation model for managers' commitment in the public sector comprises several elements: causal conditions with individual, collective, and organizational factors; a central category featuring the escalation of commitment factor; a strategy with resource absorption, time application, and non-limitation strategy components; consequences including undesirable governance and performance reduction; and context with cultural factors, social factors, and environmental factors as the observer.Implications: The negative connotations of the issue and managers' fear of consequences lead them to avoid responding.

Practical Implications: 

Understanding these factors can help managers recognize and address the impacts of commitment escalation.

Innovation or Value of the Article: 

This research uniquely designs a model for managers' commitment in the public sector, highlighting the originality of this article.Paper Type: Research Paper

The phenomenon of the unreasonable escalation of commitments and decisions, well-documented in the field of organizational behavior, describes situations where individuals, especially managers, continue to invest in failing actions. This study aims to develop a model for managing the escalation of commitment within the public sector.

Design/Methodology/Approach:

 This research adopted a qualitative methodology, grounded in a data-driven approach. The participant pool comprised managers with experience in governmental organizations within Khorasan Razavi Province. By applying the saturation principle and the snowball sampling technique, 12 participants were selected for the study. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews, guided by general questions. The analysis of data was performed using quantitative methods and MaxQDA software.

The findings indicate that the model for managing managers' commitment escalation in the public sector includes several components: causal conditions encompassing individual, collective, and organizational factors; a central category identified as the escalation of commitment factor; strategies involving resource allocation, time management, and an approach of no limitations; consequences such as poor governance and diminished performance; and contextual elements including cultural, social, and environmental factors.Implications: The negative implications of this phenomenon and the fear of adverse outcomes among managers often result in their reluctance to address the issue.

Practical Implications:

 Recognizing these factors can assist managers in identifying and mitigating the effects of commitment escalation.

Innovation or Value of the Article :

This study uniquely proposes a model for managing commitment escalation among managers in the public sector, underscoring the novelty and significance of this research.

This study aims to design and elucidate a model for human resource empowerment, predicated on the capabilities of organizational intelligence and the quality of organizational interpersonal relationships.

Design/Methodology/Approach:

 Utilizing a mixed-method approach (qualitative and quantitative), this research endeavors to delineate and craft the dimensions of the proposed model. The qualitative phase engaged managers from the electricity industry, leveraging their expertise through library research and semi-structured interviews for data collection. For the quantitative phase, the structural equation modeling and path analysis were employed to corroborate the qualitative insights. The sample, comprising 372 employees from the electricity sector in Sistan and Baluchestan province, was determined using Morgan’s table. Data were gathered via three Likert-scale questionnaires assessing empowerment, organizational intelligence, and organizational interpersonal relationships. Validity of the questionnaires was ascertained through expert evaluation, while reliability was confirmed via Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability tests.

Findings indicate that both organizational intelligence and interpersonal relationships significantly enhance employee empowerment, with effect coefficients of 77.4% and 62.9%, respectively. The results suggest that augmenting organizational intelligence and interpersonal relationship capabilities can substantially empower employees.Implications: This investigation is confined to the electricity industry within Sistan and Baluchestan Province, suggesting the potential for broader applicability and insights if implemented across diverse organizations. Future research could extend to other sectors to validate the model’s universal applicability.

Practical Implications: 

The study underscores the importance of organizational intelligence and interpersonal relationships in fostering employee empowerment. These elements are pivotal for human resource success and serve as a bedrock for organizational innovation. Managers are encouraged to adopt comprehensive strategies addressing human resource challenges based on these findings.

Innovation or Value of the Article :

This research is distinguished as a pioneering effort in its domain, offering a novel model that addresses a pressing issue in the electricity sector of Sistan and Baluchestan. It contributes a unique perspective on leveraging organizational intelligence and interpersonal relationships for human resource empowerment.Paper Type: Research Paper

 Organizations, irrespective of their size or industry type, strive to forge strong and positive relationships with their employees. An essential aspect of effective communication is understanding the internal motivations of employees. This study aimed to meta-analyze the precursors and consequences of employees' intrinsic motivation.

Design/Methodology/Approach: 

 Employing a meta-analytical approach, this study scrutinized relevant literature from a span of 38 years (1985-2023). Utilizing specific search criteria in various databases, 317 studies were identified. Of these, 30 studies were selected and subjected to analysis via the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA2) software.

 The analysis revealed that relatedness precursors were paramount, leading to positive welfare and behavioral consequences. Among the 13 identified precursors, procedural justice exhibited an effect size below 0.3, categorized as weak (8%), whereas variables such as Islamic work ethics, self-efficacy, autonomy, organizational citizenship behavior, ethical leadership, job satisfaction, job involvement, servant leadership, and psychological empowerment demonstrated moderate effect sizes ranging from 0.3 to 0.5 (69%). Transformational leadership, spiritual leadership, and internal rewards surpassed an effect size of 0.5, classified as strong (23%). Regarding the 13 outcomes, job satisfaction was deemed weak (8%). In contrast, creativity, productivity, performance, risk-taking, organizational identification, organizational commitment, turnover intention, and burnout were moderate (61%), and extrinsic-environmental behaviors, knowledge sharing, job involvement, and retention were strong (31%).Limitations & consequences:  This research primarily focuses on intrinsic motivation due to the scant attention this area has received in existing literature, thereby addressing a significant gap in this field.

Practical Consequences: 

 The findings of this study offer valuable insights for managers in making informed decisions related to human resource practices.

Innovation or value of the article: 

 This study makes a significant contribution by identifying and categorizing the precursors and consequences of intrinsic motivation, presenting a comprehensive model in the realm of intrinsic motivation research.

This study was undertaken to explore the relationship between organizational social capital and organizational cohesion, with co-creation serving as a mediating variable among the academic faculty members at Birjand University.

Design/ methodology/ approach: 

A descriptive-correlational research design was employed. The sample comprised 186 faculty members from Birjand University over the academic years 2010-2019. Data collection instruments included Tahirpour's co-creation questionnaire (2021), Fandio et al.'s organizational social capital questionnaire (2015), and Captain's organizational cohesion questionnaire (2005). Confirmatory factor analysis was utilized to ascertain the construct validity of these questionnaires, yielding reliability coefficients (Cronbach's alpha) of 0.97, 0.93, and 0.93, respectively. Data analysis was conducted using variance analysis, regression analysis, and structural equation modeling.

The analysis revealed that social capital significantly predicts co-creation (standard coefficient = 0.74) and organizational cohesion (standard coefficient = 0.57). Furthermore, co-creation was found to be a significant predictor of organizational cohesion (standard coefficient = 0.74). The results affirmed a positive and significant relationship between organizational social capital and cohesion, with co-creation acting as a significant mediator. Additionally, structural equation modeling confirmed the adequacy of the research model's fit.

Limitations & Consequences: 

The study faced limitations related to sampling and measurement errors, the costly nature of data collection, faculty members' reluctance to participate, concerns over confidentiality, the scope of the higher education system, and a scarcity of necessary research resources.

Practical Consequences: 

Enhancing organizational social capital could facilitate social cohesion and foster co-creation by strengthening trust-based relationships.Innovation or value of the Article: This study is distinct within the national context as it specifically investigates these variables among university academic staff, marking the inaugural application and translation of the organizational social capital questionnaire in this domain.

This study was undertaken to develop and validate an instrument for assessing psychological empowerment among employees.

Design/ methodology/ approach:

 Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study was structured into two phases: qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative phase utilized the phenomenological method, analyzing data from semi-structured interviews with 26 experts, including university professors and Red Crescent personnel such as deputies and volunteers. The subsequent quantitative phase adopted a correlational research design with structural equation modeling (SEM), analyzing data from 350 participants. This phase focused on employees of the Red Crescent Society in Tehran province. Instruments used included the Spitzer Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire (1999) and a questionnaire developed for this research.

Analysis revealed that the 29-item questionnaire possesses a robust factor structure, accurately explaining at least 68% of the variance in employees' psychological empowerment across seven sub-scales: trust, self-determination, sense of meaning, competence, effectiveness, self-confidence, and innovation.

Limitations & Consequences: 

This study exclusively focused on psychological empowerment, not accounting for its broad impact on various dimensions of individual and collective life.

Practical Consequences: 

The research confirms that the 29-item questionnaire for assessing psychological empowerment (R-PES) demonstrates sound face, content, convergent, and structural validity, making it a reliable tool for measuring employees' psychological empowerment. It is advisable for researchers, industrial psychologists, and career counselors to employ this questionnaire for assessing psychological empowerment among employees. Its validated factor structure and its proficiency in capturing significant variance in psychological empowerment render it a valuable instrument in workplace assessments.

Innovation or value of the Article:

 This questionnaire represents the first indigenous Iranian instrument designed to measure psychological empowerment.

Today, we cannot deny the role that organizations and their employees play in the progress and development of societies in different countries. Every institution and organization seeks to maximize its continuity, survival, and organizational dynamism as much as possible, which requires paying more attention to the most important capital of any organization, that is, the human resources of that organization. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of social psychological factors on the quality of professional life and professional ethics.

Design/ methodology/ approach: 

 The research is of an applied type and uses a descriptive-correlation method for collecting information. The statistical population of the research is 476 faculty members of Yazd University, and the sample size was determined to be 213 using Cochran's formula. The tools of this research include standard questionnaires, whose reliability according to Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.944, 0.944, and 0.959 respectively; the validity of the questionnaires was confirmed, and it was examined by face validity and construct validity. Structural equation modeling and SPSS 22 and AMOS 26 software were used for data analysis.

 The results showed that the significant value of the effect of social psychological factors on the quality of professional life (13.219) is greater than 1.96. The significant value of the impact of the quality of professional life on professional ethics (5.374) is greater than 1.96. The significance value of the impact of social psychological factors on professional ethics (5.371) is greater than 1.96; in this way, it can be concluded that the hypotheses were confirmed.

Limitations & Consequences: 

 The lack of similar research and the absence of objective indicators for comparison within the country were the most important limitations.

Practical Consequences: 

 It is necessary to clarify and pay more attention to understanding the professional conditions and complexities of faculty members, because it can affect the quality of their professional life and consequently their professional ethics.

Innovation or value of the Article: 

 Providing a model to show the effect of social psychological factors on the quality of professional life and professional ethics of faculty members of Yazd University.