پژوهشهای مدیریت عمومی (Oct 2021)
Explanation the Pattern of Myopia of top Managers of Public Sector Organizations
Abstract
AbstractIn today's changing world, one of the issues that fuels organizational risks is the lack of a strategic and long-term approach. Managerial myopia is a pervasive complication that limits the set of options considered by decision makers. This phenomenon has become an important research necessity due to the problems and issues that it has created for organizations. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of providing a model of managers' myopia in government organizations. This research is applied research In terms of purpose and the philosophy of research is interpretation based on qualitative approach. The studied population of the study is the managers of government organizations who were selected using purposive sampling method based on theoretical adequacy. Also, the data collection tool in the present study is an interview.The results of the research led to the emergence of the final model of research with name of "managerial myopia". The results of data analysis were analyzed using MAXQDA qualitative analysis software and open, axial and selective coding processes. The results of the research include presenting a model that has identified the factors and components related to causes, correlated factors, mediating factors, requirements and results related to the central category of the research. This research has provided the necessary ground for understanding and recognizing this behavior, as well as its control and prevention in the organization.IntroductionFor more than two decades, the literature and research in various areas of management has been the subject of extensive debate over what is called myopia (Laverty, 2004). Reports published by the Aspen Association in 2009 warn that short-sighted behavior is not Constriant to a limited number of investors and speculators, but that the disease is widespread, affecting managers, boards, advisors to organizations, and governments. Reports published by the Global Network of Managers' Associations in 2014 also argue that many corporate executives make unbalanced decisions in which they tend to be significantly less focused on short-term goals and actions (Erasmus, 2015). Iranian society is a society that has a short-term view of issues, therefore, the term old structure is often used to describe Iranian society in which phenomena, especially buildings with an age of 20-30 years are called old and destroyed (Katozian, 2001). Therefore, the occurrence of myopic behaviors in the managers of this organization can have irreparable consequences on a large scale and ultimately damage the people's trust in the body of government. Meanwhile, in Khuzestan province, after thirty years of the imposed war, there are still many problems left by the war and the backwardness caused by it.In recent years, however, it has seldom happened that the directors of government agencies in charge of these affairs provide a long-term and comprehensive vision for the elimination of this province, and what we are witnessing in practice is a series of cross-cutting and discrete decisions. According to what has been said and considering the main issue of the research, the present study seeks to explain the pattern of myopia in government organizations in Ahvaz.Case studyThe statistical population of the study consists of middle managers of government organizations in Ahvaz city, which were selected as a sample using purposive sampling method and based on the principle of theoretical saturation, 21 of them.Theoretical frameworkManagerial myopia refers to a situation in which managers of organizations focus on achieving short-term results and benefits in order to improve their position or in response to organizational and environmental pressures, without considering the long-term consequences of the organization (Dourogbo, 2011). Like other concepts in the field of management, the term myopia has several definitions. Managerial mysticism reflects a limited view of temporary choices, organizational capabilities, environmental forces, and organizational strategies (Levinthal, 1993; Chakhovich, 2012; Holder, 2016; Miller, 2002). The complication of managerial myopia is one of the major obstacles in developing the empathetic relationship between managers and shareholders. In other words, myopia significantly reduces the manager's ability to communicate internally and externally (Oehmen et al, 2020).The results of Daliri et al. (2019) indicate that among the economic components of sustainable performance, which include competitive sustainability and reporting sustainability, the relationship between management short-sightedness with both competitive sustainability and reporting is negative and significant. Among the social components of sustainability performance that is achieved through social sustainability and social sustainability itself includes social impact, social commitment and social benefits, the relationship between management short-sightedness with social sustainability and social impact and social commitment is negative and significant. But it is positive and meaningless with social benefits, and in the end, the lack of short-sightedness of managers and sustainable performance, which is a combination of two social and economic components, is negative and significant. Schister et al. (2020) surveyed 1,500 companies from 1992 to 2013 and acknowledged that managerial myopia is a persistent phenomenon and is more common among very large corporations. However, companies under the auspices of the founder show less short-sighted behavior than other companies.Materials and MethodsThe present research is based on qualitative research and fits into the inductive paradigm (except reaching the whole).In this research, grounded theory was used to analyze the data using the Glazier (emerging) approach. It should be noted that in Glaser approach, after data collection, real and theoretical coding is done. After the actual coding, a set of concepts or codes that were similar are placed in a category.The code family is for developing and interpreting results and helping the writing process. The family (6C or 6C) is one of the coding families that has been used in this research (Mohammadi Shahroudi, 2019). The statistical population of the study consists of middle managers of government organizations in Ahvaz city who were selected as a sample using purposive sampling method and based on the principle of theoretical saturation. Data collection tool in the present study is a semi-structured interview that after the interview, the data were analyzed by using the coding process and MAXQDA software.Discussion and ResultsThe aim of this study was to design a model of managerial myopia in Ahvaz government organization. In this research, it simultaneously examines the causes, central categories and consequences in the form of a conceptual model. The findings indicated that there are several factors that develop or create the phenomenon of managerial myopia. Correlated causes support the main causes and mediator requirements and conditions play the role of mediator and mediator in the conceptual model of the present study, respectively. In the present study, the category of causes is formed from two spectrums of individual and organizational causes. In some researches and studies, individual and organizational causes of myopia have been mentioned. However, the individual and organizational causes identified in this study also have some overlaps with the factors known in previous research that were involved in the phenomenon of managerial myopia so that their results can be compared with each other. For example, Simmons and Renist (2005); Catinio (2013) and Wake and Sutcliffe (2007) pointed to the phenomenon of positive hallucinations, self-centeredness and unwanted inattention (blindness) as effective factors in managerial myopia, which in the present study were also classified as individual factors.ConclusionMyopia can also result from overemphasis on the perspective of a particular function in the organization. In this case, organizational actors make mystical decisions in the field of human resources, research and development, finance, production, etc.
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