Modeling
Rahmatollah Gholipor; Seyed kamal Vaezi; maysam karimi
Abstract
This study aims to develop a comprehensive model for identifying the antecedents, control mechanisms, and mitigative strategies of cyberloafing in Iranian public organizations to enhance productivity and mitigate cyber risks. Prior research highlights a significant gap in culturally tailored strategies ...
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This study aims to develop a comprehensive model for identifying the antecedents, control mechanisms, and mitigative strategies of cyberloafing in Iranian public organizations to enhance productivity and mitigate cyber risks. Prior research highlights a significant gap in culturally tailored strategies for managing cyberloafing in organizational contexts. Employing a qualitative approach with thematic analysis, this study analyzed data from 12 semi-structured interviews with management and psychology experts from organizations such as the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, the National Productivity Organization, the Chamber of Commerce, and universities. The analysis identified three overarching themes: 1) Antecedents of cyberloafing, encompassing individual factors (e.g., lack of motivation, stress, low self-control, burnout, generational digital dependency, workplace loneliness), organizational factors (e.g., weak supervision, poor organizational culture, role ambiguity, lack of reward transparency), and technological factors (e.g., easy internet access, digital triggers); 2) Control mechanisms, including technological tools (e.g., real-time feedback, productivity dashboards, self-regulatory notifications) and organizational policies (e.g., participatory monitoring, transparent guidelines), with challenges such as privacy concerns and implementation weaknesses; 3) Mitigative and preventive strategies, comprising motivation enhancement (e.g., meaningful projects, autonomy, transparent rewards), training (e.g., digital literacy, time and stress management), and organizational culture improvement (e.g., collaborative spaces, transformational leadership, professionalism). Internal digital platforms and social interaction spaces emerged as contextually relevant solutions. Cyberloafing in Iranian organizations is a multifaceted phenomenon driven by individual, organizational, and technological interplay. Effective management requires non-restrictive technological tools and participatory policies, while sustainable reduction hinges on motivation, digital literacy training, and professional culture-building. The proposed model offers practical, context-specific strategies to boost organizational productivity and paves the way for future research on digital behavior management.
Modeling
Jalil Hashemi; Amirhooshang Nazarpouri; Mohammad Hakkak; Seyed Najmeddin Mousavi
Abstract
Introduction
Organizations are complex social systems in which formal structures, informal relations, and hidden emotions continuously interact. Within these systems, perceived injustice, breaches of psychological contracts, and leadership failures often give rise to deviant responses from employees. ...
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Introduction
Organizations are complex social systems in which formal structures, informal relations, and hidden emotions continuously interact. Within these systems, perceived injustice, breaches of psychological contracts, and leadership failures often give rise to deviant responses from employees. While overt forms of workplace deviance; such as absenteeism, open conflict, or explicit resistance; have been widely studied, covert and subtle retaliatory behaviors remain understudied, despite their significant long-term impact. Among these covert forms, the phenomenon of silent revenge has emerged as a hidden but powerful behavioral response. Silent revenge refers to intentional but covert actions taken by employees to retaliate against perceived organizational mistreatment, unfairness, or neglect, without making these actions directly visible to supervisors or formal systems.
The purpose of this study was to design and explain a grounded theoretical model of silent revenge formation in public organizations. In the specific context of Iranian bureaucratic institutions, where voice channels are limited and hierarchical structures are rigid, employees often perceive that overt protest is risky or ineffective. Consequently, they resort to hidden strategies of retaliation that remain invisible on the surface but gradually erode organizational trust, efficiency, and legitimacy. This research therefore sought to uncover the antecedents, processes, and consequences of silent revenge and to provide a model that both scholars and practitioners can use to better understand and address this concealed threat.
The concept of retaliation in organizations has long been linked to theories of organizational justice, social exchange, and psychological contracts. Equity theory argues that perceived inequities generate pressures to restore balance, while social exchange theory highlights the norm of reciprocity—both positive and negative. When employees perceive breaches in distributive or procedural justice, they may feel compelled to reciprocate in ways that disadvantage the organization. However, existing literature has largely emphasized visible deviance or destructive behaviors such as theft, absenteeism, or overt aggression. Less attention has been paid to subtle, invisible behaviors that employees adopt when formal voice mechanisms are absent or ineffective. Silent revenge fills this gap by explaining how employees retaliate not by openly confronting management but by withdrawing effort, withholding cooperation, manipulating information, or subtly sabotaging organizational processes.
In public organizations, where bureaucratic routines, rigid hierarchies, and opaque procedures prevail, silent revenge can be especially destructive. It erodes the credibility of managerial authority, undermines service quality, and contributes to the erosion of trust between citizens and state institutions. This study thus offers both theoretical and practical significance: it extends organizational deviance literature by theorizing covert retaliation, and it provides public managers with insights into how to detect and mitigate these hidden behaviors.
Methodology
This research employed a qualitative design using grounded theory methodology. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews with a purposive and theoretically selected sample of 16 participants, including human resource managers, frontline employees, experienced observers, and retired senior managers from public organizations in Kurdistan province, Iran. Sampling continued until theoretical saturation was achieved: while saturation was evident after 14 interviews, two additional interviews were conducted to confirm completeness.
The interview protocol included open-ended questions regarding perceptions of unfairness, reactions to managerial behaviors, experiences with conflict or retaliation, and strategies used by employees when they felt powerless to voice concerns. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding procedures. NVivo software was employed to support coding and categorization. Trustworthiness was established through prolonged engagement in the field, member checking, peer debriefing, and the maintenance of reflexive journals. These measures enhanced the credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability of the findings.
Findings
The analysis produced a multi-layered model of silent revenge formation consisting of causal factors, contextual conditions, intervening variables, behavioral manifestations, and consequences.
Causal/Antecedent Conditions. Employees described a range of triggers that generated feelings of frustration and injustice, including unfair reward distribution, biased promotions, lack of recognition, prior negative encounters with managers, and the absence of welfare and support systems. These antecedents created emotional tension and a desire for retaliation.
Contextual Conditions. The organizational environment was shown to play a crucial role. Rigid bureaucratic structures, toxic organizational cultures, lack of empathy from leadership, and opaque communication channels limited the possibility of open dialogue. In such settings, employees perceived that overt resistance would not only be ineffective but might also endanger their career security.
Intervening/Moderating Factors. The transition from dissatisfaction to silent revenge was shaped by individual and cultural moderators. Employees with higher emotional sensitivity, lower resilience, or personal economic pressures were more likely to engage in silent revenge. Moreover, socio-cultural norms valuing silence, patience, or indirect resistance reinforced the adoption of covert strategies.
Behavioral Strategies of Silent Revenge. Participants described a variety of tactics, including withholding or distorting information, intentional work slowdowns, reduced quality of output, covert sabotage of resources, spreading rumors to undermine leaders, disengagement from team activities, and undermining managerial authority in subtle ways. Importantly, these behaviors were not random but calculated efforts to retaliate without detection.
Consequences. Silent revenge was shown to produce damaging outcomes at multiple levels. At the individual level, employees experienced burnout, emotional exhaustion, and declining organizational commitment. At the organizational level, consequences included reduced productivity, information breakdowns, declining service quality, and reputational harm. At the societal level, the erosion of trust in public institutions undermined citizen confidence and fostered cynicism toward state governance.
Discussion and Interpretation
The findings extend prior theories of organizational justice, psychological contracts, and organizational silence. While previous studies acknowledged that breaches of fairness can lead to deviance, this study shows that when formal complaint channels are absent, retaliation does not disappear; rather, it takes hidden and less detectable forms.
The model suggests that silent revenge functions as a form of “exit without leaving”-a way for employees to symbolically withdraw while remaining within the organization. This aligns with the literature on “quiet quitting,” but with a more retaliatory orientation. Furthermore, the study highlights the cultural context: in societies where direct confrontation with authority is discouraged, covert retaliation becomes an adaptive response.
By integrating individual, organizational, and cultural factors, the model advances the literature on deviant workplace behavior. It also offers a framework for future research to develop measurement scales, test causal dynamics, and compare cross-cultural differences in silent retaliation.
Practical Implications
The study offers several actionable recommendations for public organizations:
- Strengthening organizational justice: ensuring fairness in reward distribution, transparent promotion systems, and clear procedural guidelines.
- Developing safe voice channels: creating anonymous reporting mechanisms, independent grievance systems, and ombudsperson offices to provide employees with constructive outlets.
- Leadership training: equipping managers with skills in empathy, fair decision-making, and conflict resolution to reduce the likelihood of retaliatory perceptions.
- Early detection systems: using HR analytics and monitoring performance indicators (delays, errors, absenteeism) to identify patterns of silent revenge before escalation.
- Employee support: offering wellness programs, workload management, and professional development to reduce stressors that fuel retaliatory impulses.
Limitations and Future Research
As a qualitative study, the findings are context-specific and not intended for statistical generalization. Future research should develop quantitative instruments to measure silent revenge, conduct large-scale surveys, and employ longitudinal designs to trace the temporal evolution of covert retaliation. Comparative research across sectors and cultural contexts would further validate and refine the model.
This study provides one of the first systematic attempts to conceptualize and empirically model the phenomenon of silent revenge in organizations. By identifying its antecedents, processes, and consequences, the research highlights the hidden ways in which employees retaliate when they feel mistreated but lack safe avenues for voice. For public organizations, recognizing and addressing silent revenge is critical not only for preserving productivity and trust but also for maintaining the legitimacy of state institutions. The grounded theory model and recommendations presented here thus contribute to both academic theory and practical organizational reform.
Modeling
Aliasghar mobasheri; Hadi Teimouri; Sharzad Kiyanpour
Abstract
The aim of the current research was to design a pattern for emergence of bad managers in organizations. This study is developmental in terms of purpose and exploratory in nature, which was conducted using a qualitative method and a grounded theory approach. The statistical population was the public organizations ...
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The aim of the current research was to design a pattern for emergence of bad managers in organizations. This study is developmental in terms of purpose and exploratory in nature, which was conducted using a qualitative method and a grounded theory approach. The statistical population was the public organizations of Isfahan city, where 14 managers were selected as sample members by a purpesfull method and the theoretical saturation rule and individually semi-structured interview was used In order to collect the required data needed. After analyzing the interviews, 82 concepts were identified, which were classified into 6 categories. The results indicate the emergence of bad managers is under the influence of causal factors such as the absence of clear performance indicators in promotion and appointment, replacing relationships instead of criteria, the rule of oligarchic thinking, the weakness of the succession planning system, the weakness of the performance evaluation system and the like. Individual and organizational contextual factors as well as intervening factors also influence the emergence of this phenomenon. Strategies for preventing the appointment of bad managers have also been identified at three individual, group and organizational levels. The results also indicate that the emergence of bad managers will have negative consequences at the individual, group, organizational and extra-organizational levels. The findings can create a suitable insight in relation to the emergence of the phenomenon of bad managers and provide the context to prevent it for the planners and policy makers of the administrative system.
Causation
Elham Mala; Mehdi Keirandish; Mohammad Javad Taghipourian; Davood Kia Kojouri
Abstract
In today's turbulent environment, teamwork is not enough to achieve team goals; In such a situation, Synergic work teams are necessary requirement; Synergy is a process that unifies teamwork in a context and aims to create an optimal harmonious balance. This research was carried out with the purpose ...
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In today's turbulent environment, teamwork is not enough to achieve team goals; In such a situation, Synergic work teams are necessary requirement; Synergy is a process that unifies teamwork in a context and aims to create an optimal harmonious balance. This research was carried out with the purpose of identifying the factors of the synergistic work team model in Iran's government organizations with meta-composite method. The current research is analytical-descriptive in terms of its practical purpose and in terms of the research method, which was carried out using the meta-synthesis qualitative research method. The metasynthesis method was performed using the seven steps of the method of Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). The statistical population of the research included all the articles in reliable domestic and foreign databases during the years 2000-2024, and 27 articles were selected based on the research criteria. The main and secondary factors of the pattern were extracted using the theme analysis method. Based on the meta-combination results, the factors of the model of complementary work teams in Iranian government organizations include 85 primary concepts, 18 sub-categories and 5 main categories, which include organizational soft factors, synergistic human resource management, synergistic team processes, internal interactions of synergistic teams and synergistic members. The findings of this research guide planners and policy makers in the field of achieving and realizing synergistic work teams.
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.
Mehdi Mohammadi; Yasser Maghsoudi Ganjeh; Leila Shahbazi dastjerdeh
Volume 10, Issue 3 , July 2022, , Pages 41-54
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the commotion-goal theory application on organizational resilience with the mediating role of the political behavior of Isfahan public organizations managers. This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive correlation in terms of ...
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the commotion-goal theory application on organizational resilience with the mediating role of the political behavior of Isfahan public organizations managers. This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive correlation in terms of method. The statistical population of the study was 582 managers of public organizations in Isfahan and 231 people were selected as a sample based on Morgan's table. Standard questionnaires were used to collect data. The validity of the tools was confirmed by the opinion of the professors of the management department. Data analysis was performed by structural equation modeling with partial least squares approach and using WarpPLS7 software. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were examined using divergent and convergent validity and two criteria of combined reliability coefficient and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Results show that the commotion-goal theory has a positive and significant effect on organizational resilience and the political behavior of public organizations managers in Isfahan and also political behavior has a positive and significant effect on organizational resilience of Isfahan public organizations managers.
ALi Shariatnejad
Abstract
In today's management world, some leaders, due to having a self-centered and arrogant personality and being in a position of power, use less of their mental abilities and capabilities over time and have little mobility, which over time reduces their intellectual capacity. In fact, these people, after ...
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In today's management world, some leaders, due to having a self-centered and arrogant personality and being in a position of power, use less of their mental abilities and capabilities over time and have little mobility, which over time reduces their intellectual capacity. In fact, these people, after coming to power, suffer from short-sightedness and irrational domination, which results in weakness in the intellectual activities of leaders, especially in their decision-making. The present study aimed at understanding the effective factors and consequences of the leader's Huberris phenomenon. This study was developmental with a qualitative and quantitative approach. The statistical population of the study was experts who were selected using the snowball sampling method based on the principle of theoretical adequacy. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview in the qualitative part and a questionnaire in the quantitative part. The coding method and Atlas.ti software were used for data analysis in the qualitative part and dimittel fuzzy method was used for quantitative analysis. The results indicate that irrational dominance, power paradox, delusional perception of genius and personal knowledge, cerebral immobility and laziness, arrogance and narcissism, and personality and behavioral disorders are the most important factors shaping the phenomenon of Hubris leaders in public organizations. Also, the centralization of decision-making, arrogant leadership, exploitation of human resources, authoritarian management, and reducing the motivation and commitment of followers and subordinates are the most important consequences of the Hubris-leaders phenomenon in public organizations.
Touraj Arjomandiakram; Farhad Nejadhajiali Irani
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the status of new leadership functions in public organizations in West Azerbaijan province and propose an appropriate model for the improvement of the existing situation in them. The present research was applied in terms of purpose and mixed descriptive ...
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The main purpose of this study was to investigate the status of new leadership functions in public organizations in West Azerbaijan province and propose an appropriate model for the improvement of the existing situation in them. The present research was applied in terms of purpose and mixed descriptive (quantitative-qualitative) in terms of nature and method. This research was conducted in two parts, quantitative and qualitative. The statistical population of this research in the quantitative section was managers, heads, and specialized experts in government organizations of West Azerbaijan province, and in the qualitative section were the managers of public organizations, elites, and university professors in West Azerbaijan province. To collect data, in the quantitative research section, a researcher-made questionnaire based on the theoretical framework of "Sanjay Saxena and Pour Nima Avasti" was used and in the qualitative section, open-ended questions were used through semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data in the quantitative part. In this framework, Kolmogorov-Smirnov was used to test the normality of the data distribution of the population, and one-sample t-test, t-student test, linear regression test, structural equation analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to test the research hypotheses. SPSS and AMOS software was used in all calculations and tests. In the qualitative part, open coding tables, conceptualization, thematicization, and variable (theme) construction were used to design and present the main research model. According to the results of this research in the quantitative section, public organizations of West Azerbaijan province use new leadership functions to a lesser extent than the average. In other words, the current situation of new leadership functions in government organizations of West Azerbaijan province is less than average. Based on the results of qualitative research, a model for developing the current status of new leadership functions in government organizations was proposed. In the proposed model for government organizations, there are 14 main themes (main variable) and 39 sub-themes.
Madani madani; Mahdi Alvani
Abstract
Today, with the progress of societies, huge changes and transformations have occurred in various dimensions, which have caused the swelling of governments and their organizations. Thus, most countries are looking for effective solutions in this field, of which decentralization is one of the most important ...
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Today, with the progress of societies, huge changes and transformations have occurred in various dimensions, which have caused the swelling of governments and their organizations. Thus, most countries are looking for effective solutions in this field, of which decentralization is one of the most important ones. The main purpose of this study was to identify and explain the major and effective components in the decentralization of administrative affairs of public organizations. It examines the issue using a mixed method approach with a partially mixed sequential dominant status design in three qualitative-qualitative-quantitative phases. In this research, three methods of "systematic review, thematic analysis, and survey" were used, respectively. The main tool was an interview in the qualitative phase and a questionnaire in the quantitative phase. A total of 12 experts in the qualitative phase and 31 people in the quantitative phase were used to extract information and data. Based on the research results, in the first phase (systematic review method), 19 articles were selected and reviewed to determine thematic axes. In the second phase, 163 indicators were identified using the thematic analysis method, from which 37 basic themes, 17 organizing themes, and four global themes were extracted. Based on the results of analyses, the components can be identified in accordance with the comprehensive plan to reform the administrative system which can be effective in eliminating the gaps and failures in this base.
Modeling
Hassan Danaee Fard; Jalil Delkheh; raziyeh ghanbary
Abstract
Managing the public service motivation of public organizations employees is the biggest challenge facing today's public sector managers because the existentail philosophy of public administration is to serve the citizen in the light of the presence of public servants with a high public service motivation. ...
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Managing the public service motivation of public organizations employees is the biggest challenge facing today's public sector managers because the existentail philosophy of public administration is to serve the citizen in the light of the presence of public servants with a high public service motivation. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of organizational cynicism on the public service motivation, explaining the role of the perception of organizational politics and organizational goal ambiguity as moderating variables. In this research, by using a simple random sampling method, 926 employees of public sector under the supervision of 18 ministries of the country were selected as sample. A standard questionnaire was used to collect data. Validity and reliability of each of the variables were confirmed. Data analysis was performed by Spearman correlation test and stepwise regression using SPSS software. The results show that organizational cynicism leads to a reduction in the public service motivation, and the employees’ negative perception of the organizational politics moderates the relationship between organizational cynicism and the public service motivation in a negative manner. Additionally, the combination of organizational goal ambiguity with the perception of organizational politics intensifies this relationship.
Causation
Reza Zare; Akbar Bahmani Choob Bastani; Alireza Fathizadeh
Volume 4, Issue 3 , July 2016, , Pages 29-48
Abstract
Democracy is not only limited to political structures but including establishing it in the whole society, its structures and organizations. Organizational democracy is necessary and vital to achieve democratic ideals such as individual independence, social liberty, freedom of expression and participation ...
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Democracy is not only limited to political structures but including establishing it in the whole society, its structures and organizations. Organizational democracy is necessary and vital to achieve democratic ideals such as individual independence, social liberty, freedom of expression and participation in all issues that affect citizens' life. The aim of present research is to achieve effective factors on establishment of organizational democracy in public sector organizations so that they can design the way of performing their duties and also work environment by using democratic principles in such a manner that leads to blooming and developing employees' potential abilities and also impressive presentation of products and services to the public. In the present applied-developmental research, descriptive-survey Delphi method has been used to achieve effective factors on establishment of organizational democracy and the descriptive-correlation structural equations modeling has been utilized to confirmatory factor analysis and construct validity analysis. Participants in Delphi parts included university professors and top managers of public sector organizations who were familiar to the concept of organizational democracy. Statistical universe in structural equations modeling part include staff of seven public organizations in Bushehr Province. In present study, a comprehensive study in scientific texts was taken up at first and indicators were identified and then, these indicators were put at the polls of experts. At the end, 32 indicators and 9 main dimensions were identified that are social responsiveness, shared governance, justly organizational atmosphere, organizational generosity, transparency, effective communication, culture of organizational liberalism, organizational flexibility and occupation justice.
Kiarash Fartash; Reza Salami; Seyyed Mehdi Moosavi Davoodi
Volume 2, Issue 2 , April 2014, , Pages 76-106
Abstract
The main goal of this paper is to investigate the relationship between absorptive capacity & competitiveness of developing and emerging countries. After holistic review of literature, absorptive capacity constructive elements and measuring variables of it, was identified and clarified. Then, three ...
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The main goal of this paper is to investigate the relationship between absorptive capacity & competitiveness of developing and emerging countries. After holistic review of literature, absorptive capacity constructive elements and measuring variables of it, was identified and clarified. Then, three main frameworks of measuring national competitiveness and their relative indexed was extracted. Because of lack of Iran’s data in 2 of 3 studied frameworks, WEF framework (2013-2014 report) was selected as a base of this research. After interviewing with 3 outstanding economists, 11 extracted indexes of absorptive capacity from literature was selected. In the next phase, 9 developing and emerging countries like Iran, that are exemplary for their status and are choices for comparison. Quantitive analysis results verified the positive relationship between total absorptive capacity & competitiveness in ten studied countries. With more detail, absorptive capacity has a positive and significant relationship & innovation and efficiency elements of competitiveness. But there is no relationship with basic requirement elements of competitiveness. Based on the results, developing countries like Iran, must consider absorptive capacity as an essential component to enhance competitiveness and must take required actions to meet this objective.
