Strategies for Implementing Managerial Succession Planning in Higher Education System of Islamic Republic of Iran

Recently, universities, colleges, and other higher education institutes are facing a wide range of management development challenges. One of the most important requirements of managerial development is the development of successors capable of taking on important managerial positions in future. However, each organization is expected to adopt its own strategies and mechanisms. Using the qualitative research method of the content analysis approach, this research has been conducted the aiming at identifying the appropriate strategies and mechanisms to implement the succession planning system in Iran's higher education. Our data have been collected through some semi-structured interviews with 17 scholars including the policymakers, and current and former university administrators at different levels using strategies and mechanisms for establishing a succession planning system. Then the collected data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis method using Graneheim & Lundman technique. Finally, the strategies and mechanisms of realizing the succession planning system in higher education of Iran were suggested. It is worth noting that in this regard the cultural, legal, managerial, structural, and developmental strategies and mechanisms have been considered.