Anti-Elitism as a Precondition for Employee Isolation: The Moderating Role of Bureaucratic Culture

Isolation of employees in organizations is one of the most important drivers of deviant behaviors and reduces employee participation and motivation and ultimately reduces individual and organizational performance.  The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of anti-elitism on employee isolation with respect to the moderating role of bureaucratic culture in governmental organizations.

Design/ methodology/ approach:

 The present study is applied in terms of purpose and in terms of the nature, the descriptive-correlation method and in terms of data collection is also part of field research (survey). The statistical population of the present study includes the employees of governmental organizations in Ilam that 375 people were selected for the sample using simple random sampling method. The data collection tool in the present study is a standard questionnaire. Kim and Baker standard questionnaire (2021) was used to measure the anti-elite variable, OKA standard questionnaire (2018) was used to measure the staff isolation variable and Denison (1990) questionnaire was used to measure the bureaucratic culture variable. Visual PLS software was used to analyze the research data.

 The results showed that anti-elitism has a significant effect on employee isolation due to the moderating role of bureaucratic culture in governmental organizations. Also the dimensions of anti-elite are; Targeted organizational rejection, job freezing and knowledge avoidance which have a significant effect on employee isolation due to the moderating role of bureaucratic culture in governmental organizations.

Limitations & Consequences: 

 In this research, only the variable of bureaucratic culture has been considered as a moderating one, while there are other variables that play a moderating role in the impact of anti-elitism on employee isolation. Ignoring elites and anti-elitism in organizations causes the deliberate isolation of employees in them, and this is more evident in organizations dominated by bureaucratic culture.

Practical Consequences:

 In order to reduce the isolation of employees in governmental organizations, there should be a culture and atmosphere of support for elite people.

Innovation or value of the Article:

  In the research conducted in the country, the effect of anti-eliticism on the isolation of employees has not been investigated due to the moderating role of bureaucratic culture.Paper Type: Research article