Ardeshir Shiri; Atefeh Seify; Zahra Heydarnezhad
Abstract
Merit phobia is considered one of the organizational diseases in governmental organizations, which has hindered the favorable appointment process. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to design a managers' merit-phobia model in public organizations in Lorestan province. The present study was qualitative ...
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Merit phobia is considered one of the organizational diseases in governmental organizations, which has hindered the favorable appointment process. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to design a managers' merit-phobia model in public organizations in Lorestan province. The present study was qualitative using the grounded theory method. Participants in the study were managers of public organizations in Lorestan province. Data were collected by using semi-structured interviews with 20 managers who were selected through the purposive sampling method. In the process of data collection and analysis, the grounded theory proposed by Strauss and Corbin was adopted. Six main categories and 45 concepts were extracted from the interviews. The findings revealed that conditions such as the weakness of the succession system, fear of losing position, traditional management systems, narrow-mindedness, partisanship, and lack of a decent career path cause the phenomenon of managers' merit-phobia. Factors such as unhealthy competition, politicization, greed, a relationship-oriented culture, and nepotism provide a background for managers' merit phobia. According to the findings, salaries and benefits, selfishness, dependence on power, and utilitarianism mediate this phenomenon, which leads to consequences such as dwarfism, reduced investment of knowledge and skills for the future, reduced efficiency and effectiveness, job boredom, degradation of the manager's social reputation, increased the employee voluntary leave, reduced organizational creativity, and lack of organizational progress. Finally, the study model was approved by experts.
