The Relationship between Organizational Culture in the Municipality and Empowerment of Residents of Informal Accommodations (Case study: Mashhad city)

The general purpose of this study was to determine the status of residents' empowerment in marginal areas of Mashhad and the effect of organizational culture on this trend. The research method was descriptive-correlational and the population of the study consisted of 240 residents of informal accommodations in Mashhad as well as 120 officials and personnel of the municipality. Data were gathered using Denison's organizational culture questionnaire and psychological empowerment. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, especially regression and Friedman test. The results showed that the level of empowerment among residents was about 2.41. However, for empowerment, it is imperative that people are also part of the body of planning and implementation. Obviously, following such a comprehensive approach will not be free of challenge, because authorities often fear the transfer or division of power and refrain from providing information to people. Empowerment of the community is a dynamic and inclusive process. The main goal of the empowerment process is to make suitable changes in all dimensions and aspects of lives of individuals, families, groups, and social strata, so that by exploiting the satisfaction and desire of the people, their potential and hidden talents become under control and it is possible to improve their lives. As a result, if the authorities accept that residents have the power and willingness to change affairs, one could hope that the residents' empowerment would increase to an acceptable level.