Document Type : Exploratory

Authors

• Maryam Ghaffarzadehsaraskanroud ¹
• esfandiar farajvand ²
• Yagoob Alavi Matin ¹

¹ Department of Public Administration, Ta.C.,, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.

² Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

In the first phase, the research literature and theoretical foundations concerning the "learning government," learning, and adaptability amidst environmental uncertainty were reviewed; subsequently, the necessary data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with managers and experts from government organizations. Participants were selected using purposive sampling, and the sampling process continued until theoretical saturation was reached—meaning that no new, significant themes emerged in the final interviews. A total of 15 individuals participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews served as the data collection instrument, and data analysis was conducted using thematic analysis, involving a systematic process of coding and categorization. Data analysis resulted in the extraction and categorization of 309 basic themes, 88 organizing themes, and 7 global themes. The findings revealed that a "learning government"—capable of adapting to uncertain environmental conditions—can be defined through seven key dimensions: learning attitude, learning behavior, learning policy, learning interactions, learning structure, learning culture, and learning environment. Through their mutual interaction, these dimensions enhance the government's capacity to acquire and generate knowledge, learn from experience, reflect upon and refine procedures, respond to changes, and adapt to environmental shifts and uncertainties. Based on the research findings, the proposed framework can serve as a practical and operational tool to enhance government learning, foster knowledge development and application, and improve the decision-making and planning capabilities of public sector managers amidst environmental uncertainty. By identifying and elucidating the dimensions of the "learning government" and outlining the conceptual relationships between them, this study not only addresses a gap in the existing literature but also provides a practical framework for strengthening the government's adaptive capacity in the face of uncertain environmental conditions.

Keywords

• The learning government
• Uncertain conditions Environment
• Government
• learning
• Adaptability

Main Subjects

• Modeling