Recognizing the Nature, Causes, and Consequences of the phenomenon of Politicization Black Hole: Investigating the Lived Experience of Education Managers using Phenomenology Strategy

پژوهش نامه مدیریت تحول

Article 2, Volume 16, Autumn&Winter2025 - Serial Number 32, January 2025, Pages 32-70   

Document Type: Original Article

DOI: 10.22067/tmj.2024.87927.1571

Authors

Mahdi Mohammadrezai^{* 1}; Behrooz Rezaeemanesh²

¹Ph. D in Public Administration, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

²Associate Professor, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

 
1- INTRODUCTION
Despite the importance of the organizational black hole as a phenomenon that prevents the organization from achieving its goals, the conceptual scope of this research area is still vague and unclear. The current research aims to explain the organizational black hole concept and to identify its consequences in the Ministry of Education and Training. Conceptualizing the organizational black hole by investigating the individuals' lived experiences, this research has improved the understanding and perception of this relatively unknown phenomenon.
 
2- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Previous research in the literature has sporadically investigated the components of the organizational black hole and yet not presented a comprehensive model for its affecting factors in the administrative system. This shows the lack of consensus on this phenomenon's nature, causes, and consequences. Therefore, studies should take action to create conceptual and practical unity of this phenomenon to help comprehensively understand it. Moreover, it is necessary to make a precise demarcation between the organizational black hole and the other related issues, as the total of organizational bottlenecks and inadequacies does not represent it. Accordingly, while defining the organizational black hole and identifying its causes and consequences; this research differentiates it from other problems and challenges.
 
3- METHODOLOGY
The approach of this research is qualitative and the strategy used is phenomenology. To gather data, the present study conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 experts and managers (from all management levels, including the provincial general managers and deputies, district managers and deputies, and school principals) in departments and organizations of the Ministry of Education and Training, with two interviews discarded. Since these people were known to the researcher, purposeful sampling was used to select the interviewees. The theoretical saturation index was used to determine the sample size. Although the researchers found, after 11 interviews, that the obtained data was being repeated, they continued to 6 additional interviews to ensure data saturation. The gathered data was analyzed using the thematic analysis method.
 
 
 
4- RESULTS & DISCUSSION
This research conceptualized a construct containing the meaning, causes, and consequences of the politicization black hole in the Ministry of Education and Training. This phenomenon includes managerial, ideological, and political components. The core phenomenon was comprised of a) politicization of human resources management in the process of appointment, promotion, rights, and benefits, b) excessive influence of ideological discussions in educational goals and contents, and c) political interventions in the structure and administrative and educational programs and dismissals and appointment. The causes include a) organizational factors (individual characteristics, structural alignment, and the organizational extent) and b) contextual factors (non-adherence to laws and undesirable cultural tendencies). Consequences include a) individual (educational and training), b) organizational (weakness in planning and implementation, lack of meritocracy and the existence of dwarfism, lack of organizational stability, and low productivity of human resources), and c) environmental (economic, cultural and social factors). Finally, a one-to-one correspondence was established between the politicization black hole and its consequences.
 
5- CONCLUSIONS & SUGGESTIONS
About the causes, two organizing and five basic themes were extracted. Regarding the essence, three organizing and eight basic themes were identified. Concerning the consequences, three organizing and nine basic themes were obtained. The current research has taken a comprehensive look at the politicization black hole for the first time in the Ministry of Education and Training. Given its novelty, this research can be useful for organizations with similar psychometric profiles, considering its limitations. The first one is the lack of adequate research and evidence which caused a theoretical vacuum. The other one was the difficulty in recording, classifying, and analyzing the excessive data. Future researchers are recommended to capture the concept of the politicization black hole in other organizations. Furthermore, they may utilize other qualitative and quantitative research methods to expand the scope and findings of the current research.
 

Keywords

Black Hole; Politicization; Ministry of Education and Training; Lived Experience

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