An analysis of Imam Ali's managerial behavior based on "power distance"

Examining statements related to power in ancient texts is an approach to understanding the political and management discourses formed in the context of history. Discourse analysis based on power distance can provide a profile of the political and managerial culture dimensions of an organization or society. The symmetrical land of Hijaz, with the formation of Quraysh's commercial trips, witnessed the emergence of the wealth foundation discourse, which temporarily faded with the emergence of Islam and the establishment of the prophetic government in Medina and gave way to another discourse; The new discourse was expanded and promoted in an unprecedented way during the rule of Imam Ali (AS). In the present article, which was organized with the descriptive analytical method based on library sources, two competing discourses were analyzed based on the indicators of power distance, and at the end the following result was obtained: Imam Ali (AS), while challenging the authority of the wealthy elite, opposed hierarchical relationships and advocated for intellectual enlightenment within the political and administrative organization. Fundamentally, he did not believe in maintaining a power distance. Based on this research, the result of adopting these strategies was the creation of an open political space for freely expressing positions and criticisms, meritocracy, and also a serious fight against favoritism in the Alevi government, which was unprecedented in the previous and subsequent governments.