Identification and Ranking of Key Factors in Responsibility Culture with a Blame-Free Management Approach in Iranian Public Organizations
Keywords:
Responsibility Culture, Blame-Free Management, Leadership and Management, Organizational Trust, Modern TechnologiesAbstract
The culture of responsibility in Iranian public organizations, as a key factor for improving performance, transparency, and organizational trust, requires an innovative approach such as blame-free management, which promotes learning from mistakes without fear of punishment. This study aimed to identify and rank the key factors influencing the development of a responsibility culture using a blame-free management approach in Iran's public sector. Employing a mixed-methods approach, thematic analysis was applied in the qualitative phase to identify key factors, and the fuzzy DEMATEL method was used in the quantitative phase to rank these factors. The statistical population consisted of 20 experts (senior managers, human resources specialists, academic researchers, and policymakers) who were studied through semi-structured interviews and fuzzy DEMATEL questionnaires. Data analysis was conducted using MAXQDA 2020 and MATLAB software, resulting in 455 semantic units categorized into 132 initial codes, 35 sub-themes, and 8 main themes: leadership and management, culture and trust, environmental and contextual factors, structure and technology, training and capacity building, measurement and evaluation, legal and regulatory framework, and economic and resource-based factors. Findings revealed that "leadership and management" (D+R = 4.178) and "culture and trust" (D+R = 3.565) are the most significant factors in strengthening a responsibility culture. The study proposes a localized network theory of blame-free responsibility culture, offering a framework that bridges existing gaps in the literature by emphasizing ethical values, utilizing modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, aligning legal frameworks with labor laws, and promoting inter-organizational training. Practical recommendations include designing training programs for managers, implementing digital platforms for anonymous error reporting, drafting supportive guidelines, and benchmarking against international best practices. This model can enhance organizational performance, increase transparency, and reinforce trust in Iran’s public sector, although limitations such as organizational resistance and resource constraints warrant further investigation.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Seyyed Esmail Golrokh (Author); Reza Verij Kazemi; Davood KiaKojouri (Author)
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