Regarding the challenges of Iran's administrative system, the aim of this research was to develop a suitable model that could consider the various elements of the administrative system and its important approaches.

The qualitative content analysis method was used in this research. Interviews were conducted with 26 experts in administrative transformation at the academic and executive level using the targeted snowball method.

The designed administrative model systematically includes the three dimensions of ‘basic theory’, ‘playground’ and ‘output’ which are comparable to the three layers of the iceberg of systemic thinking. The playground layer contains the various elements of the administrative system that fall into the four bases of the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle.

Originality: 

Determining the approaches of administrative system reform that enjoys the consensus of some Iranian administrative experts is one of the values ​​of this research. Also, designing a model that specifies the position of the elements of the administrative system in the three-layer system and the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle is another contribution of this research.

Implications:

 The application of the approaches presented in the administrative system of Iran by the decision-making authorities can greatly contribute to the improvement of the administrative system in order to achieve development.

This research was conducted with the goal of identifying the causes and roots of Cronyism in governmental organizations of Lorestan Province.

The present research was a survey-type regarding purpose, it was descriptive from the viewpoint of data collection method, and with regard to the nature of data, it was a qualitative research based on the grounded theory. The statistical population was comprised of governmental organizations’ senior managers with at least 4 years of managerial experience and with academic education at doctoral level in the fields of management, economics, and law. Applying theoretical sampling method and saturation rule, we selected fifteen managers. The required data were collected using semi-structured interviews.

Results show that 183 identified open codes were combined in the framework of 93 subcategories and 25 main categories, which were then shaped into 6 main layers including causal conditions, central category, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies and consequences.

Originality: 

Presenting a model for organizational cronyism, which includes the most important and underlying factors in the fields of nepotism and gangsterism, the present research can help policymakers and researchers find out the roots of these factors and subsequently, implement strategies and mechanisms to overcome the negative consequences.

Implications: 

Paying attention to policy issues, transparency, accountability, reconsidering performance evaluation programs, and finally, enhancing meritocracy based on objective criteria can largely prevent the occurrence of cronyism in the organization.

The purpose of this article was to examine the role of political development in the context of development planning and public governance in the Islamic Republic of Iran. It also intended to find out if the country has ever followed a formal documented program for political development. Furthermore, it tried to explore the requirements of public governance in the framework of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s system.

Data were collected, organized, and analyzed after reviewing and studying documents, articles, interviews, Sand lectures.

Data analysis shows that there has been no independent, formal, and documented plan for political development ever since the revolution was won. Although some provisions of the Development Plans have focused on political issues, none has provided a noticeable framework to coordinate and align all parts of the Development Plans with political development.

Implications: 

The goal of political development and the function of public governance in the ideology overshadowing the Islamic Republic is regulating the society based on Islamic teaching. The source of this teaching is Shiait Fiqh; accordingly, ideal governance and dependable public governance will be the product of unanimity among Shiait high ranking clergies (Fuqaha). Considering the importance of political development to advance and realize the society’s ideology and the Islamic civilization, it is imperative for the state to produce a workable theory and an independent plan in accordance with the specific concept of political development in the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to be able to harmonize the set of changes in the society and various programs according to the planned steps in the path of Islamic civilization.

This paper aimed to describe tax compliance with a voluntary approach. It also identifies and studies the causality relations and factors affecting voluntary tax compliance. Also, the other purpose of this study is to describe and figure out the amount of effect these parameters have on taxpayers' behavior.   Statistics for the study has collected from taxpayers and business owners in Tehran, a pool of 151 people, using convenience sampling.   The study seeks an applied approach, and the method for data collection is descriptive. It is field research based on exploratory and casualty. Applying factor analysis explores eight components having impacts on taxpayers' compliance behavior.   The study concludes these eight principal components explain and converge with the dependent variable: Tax compliance, measured by a model of five by Kirchler.    These factors include Attitudes toward paying tax, Tax authority quality of service, Legitimacy of government, Raising justice in society through taxes, Complications of the tax system, Attention to ethics, Knowledge about the tax System, Public willingness to pay taxes, and Fairness and humanitarianism.   Applying multivariate regression indicates that the most influential factors are Attention to ethics, Fairness, and humanitarianism, Attitude toward taxes, Raising justice in society by taxes, and Complications of the tax system.

Identifying the main bases of local development and presenting a framework for better understanding its process from the perspective of the activists in the recent community-based development wave in Iran.

This qualitative research uses the Grounded Theory method. The data is collected and analyzed from deep interviews with activists in five successful case studies in Iran.

The results, validated by respondent validation and triangulation methods, demonstrate that community-based local development is most understood by Iranian activists as a human and social phenomenon rather than economic, political, and environmental. The results show that human capital is identified by concepts like responsibility, proactiveness, and psychological empowerment rather than the common indicators of international organizations. Also, social capital and participation are known relatively by concepts such as positive relations, collective actions, positive norms, bridging social capital, and by institutionalization and resource mobilization. The final framework in this article shows that human capital and social capital not only enhance local participation and, therefore the economic, political, and environmental indicators but also are promoted back through reinforcing loops which enable the ongoing running of the development engine.

Research authenticity:

 Despite considerable literature on local development, the authors did not find any published article which identifies the fundamental concepts of community-based development and its process in contexts like Iran which benefit from natural resources to grow outcome development indicators. The suggested framework in this paper well supports the understanding of the explored process.

Development planning in Iran has its history, but not much progress has yet been made in terms of balanced development in the country. The aim of the current research was to examine and analyze the country's centralized planning system in order to pinpoint its weaknesses and challenges and to present a solution.

The research was applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of the nature of the data. In the qualitative part, the statistical population included academic and organizational experts in the field of public administration, and data was obtained through interviews with experts.

  Results show that changing the existing path and trying to reduce the gaps requires serious changes in the mindset of centralized planning. The direction should be towards decentralized, regionalism and pluralistic planning. Also, identifying the challenges of centralized planning in Iran can help the policy makers and policy implementers to focus on the mentioned challenges when formulating and implementing development plans so that they may face fewer problems during the implementation phase.

Originality: 

The use of the qualitative method and a wide range of data sources has made it possible to reach a new classification of the challenges of centralized programs in Iran, which covers different dimensions of policy implementation. The present research has been able to propose a defensible theoretical basis for planning in the administrative system in the development program in Iran and to help improve and promote development policymaking and planning.

The purpose of this research was to identify the relationship between media diplomacy and dimensions of the tourism industry from the viewpoints of experts and media proprietors.

To achieve the mentioned purpose, this research was conducted through quantitative approach using statistical regression tests. The statistical population included official experts and media proprietors. The sample size consisted of 250 individuals, and the sampling method was non-probability and purposive.

Based on the results, six indicators of the tourism industry including foreign investment, health tourism content creation, urban symbols branding, soft power, feeling of security and urban identity have been counted. The results of data analysis show that most dimensions of the media diplomacy influence the tourism industry.

Originality: 

This research develops the existing literature in the field of tourism by presenting a media diplomacy evaluation model based on the indicators of the tourism industry and helps to identify the characteristics of media diplomacy effectiveness.

Implications:

 Rrecommendations of the current research include the preparation of tourism re-education texts on the bases of media indicators, the establishment of a tourism university and related fields such as tourism journalism, and the development of tourism knowledge of tourism officials and planners based on media approaches.