فصلنامه چشم انداز مدیریت دولتی
پیاپی 57 (بهار 1403)

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.