A Practical Roadmap for Mitigating the Destructive Effects of Favoritism in Organizations: Thematic Analysis and Prioritization of Strategies

Zeiolabedini, Akbar; Morovati, Alireza

doi:10.22034/jmsmo.2026.602093.1064

A Practical Roadmap for Mitigating the Destructive Effects of Favoritism in Organizations: Thematic Analysis and Prioritization of Strategies

Document Type : Original Article | Persian

Authors

Akbar Zeiolabedini

Alireza Morovati

PhD in Human Resource Management, Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/jmsmo.2026.602093.1064

Abstract

Purpose: Favoritism, as a destructive organizational phenomenon, negatively affects opportunity allocation, recruitment, promotion, and employees' perceptions of justice. The existing literature predominantly focuses on consequences and fails to provide an integrated, prioritized picture of countermeasures. This study aims to identify, integrate, and prioritize strategies for mitigating the destructive effects of favoritism in organizations and to develop a practical roadmap.
Methodology: This study is applied in purpose and employs a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, 147 articles published between 2015 and 2026 were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis. In the quantitative phase, the extracted themes were evaluated through a ranking Delphi procedure involving 14 experts and ranked based on importance, feasibility, and effectiveness. Expert consensus was assessed using Kendall's coefficient of concordance.
Findings: Eight final themes were organized under the overarching theme of "Establishing Anti-Favoritism Organizational Governance." The top priority was "Establishing a Meritocratic System and Ensuring Equal Opportunity" (mean rank = 1.43), followed by "Managing Conflicts of Interest" (2.64), "Transparency and Traceability of HR Decisions" (2.93), and "Reducing Discretionary Authority" (3.29). Kendall's coefficient of concordance (0.289; χ² = 28.33; p < 0.001) was statistically significant.
Conclusion: Sustainable counteraction against favoritism requires reforming the organizational decision-making architecture rather than merely adopting reactive measures. Meritocracy, conflict-of-interest management, transparency, and the reduction of discretionary authority should be positioned at the core of reforms, while ethical leadership, oversight, reporting mechanisms, and technology function as supporting layers.

Keywords

Favoritism

Nepotism

Cronyism

Meritocracy

Anti-Favoritism Organizational GovernanceThis response is AI-generated

for reference only

Subjects

Human resources management

Article Title Persian

نقشه راه عملی کاهش آثار مخرب پارتی‌بازی در سازمان‌ها: تحلیل مضمون و اولویت‌بندی راهکارها

Authors Persian

اکبر زین العابدینی

علیرضا مروتی

دکتری مدیریت منابع انسانی، دانشکده مدیریت، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران.

Abstract Persian

هدف: پارتی‌بازی به‌عنوان یکی از پدیده‌های مخرب سازمانی، بر تخصیص فرصت‌ها، استخدام، ارتقا و ادراک عدالت کارکنان اثر منفی می‌گذارد. ادبیات موجود عمدتاً بر پیامدها متمرکز است و تصویری یکپارچه و اولویت‌بندی‌شده از راهکارهای مقابله ارائه نمی‌دهد. پژوهش حاضر با هدف شناسایی، یکپارچه‌سازی و اولویت‌بندی راهکارهای کاهش آثار مخرب پارتی‌بازی در سازمان‌ها و ارائه نقشه راه عملی انجام شده است.
روش‌شناسی: پژوهش از نظر هدف کاربردی و از نظر روش‌شناختی، آمیخته اکتشافی متوالی است. در مرحله کیفی، ۱۴۷ مقاله منتشرشده در بازه ۲۰۱۵ تا ۲۰۲۶ با تحلیل مضمون براون و کلارک (2006) بررسی شدند. در مرحله کمی، مضامین استخراج‌شده در قالب دلفی رتبه‌ای در اختیار ۱۴ خبره قرار گرفت و بر اساس اهمیت، قابلیت اجرا و اثربخشی رتبه‌بندی شدند. هماهنگی دیدگاه خبرگان با ضریب توافق کندال سنجیده شد.
یافته‌ها: هشت مضمون نهایی ذیل مضمون فراگیر «استقرار حکمرانی سازمانی ضدپارتی‌بازی» سازمان‌دهی شدند. اولویت نخست «استقرار نظام شایسته‌سالار و تضمین فرصت برابر» (میانگین رتبه ۱.۴۳) بود و پس از آن «مدیریت تعارض منافع» (۲.۶۴)، «شفافیت و قابلیت ردیابی تصمیمات» (۲.۹۳) و «کاهش اختیار سلیقه‌ای» (۳.۲۹) قرار گرفتند. ضریب توافق کندال برابر با ۰.۲۸۹ به دست آمد؛ آماره کای دو برابر ۲۸.۳۳ با درجه آزادی ۷ و سطح معناداری کمتر از ۰.۰۰۱ بود که نشان‌دهنده معناداری آماری توافق خبرگان است.
نتیجه‌گیری: مقابله پایدار با پارتی‌بازی نیازمند اصلاح معماری تصمیم‌گیری سازمان است، نه صرفاً برخورد واکنشی. شایسته‌سالاری، مدیریت تعارض منافع، شفافیت و کاهش اختیار سلیقه‌ای باید در کانون اصلاحات قرار گیرند و رهبری اخلاقی، نظارت، گزارش‌دهی و فناوری به‌عنوان لایه‌های پشتیبان عمل کنند.

Keywords Persian

پارتی‌بازی

خویشاوندسالاری

رفیق‌سالاری

شایسته‌سالاری

حکمرانی سازمانی ضدپارتی‌بازی

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