Administrative Culture in Iran: an Institutional Approach

shows how a government approaches the running of the country. Administrative governance behavior shows the type of administrative culture which dominates the country. Administrative culture at its fundamental analytical level looks at the behavioral pattern embracing the country’s administrative system. Taking into account the modern institutional approach, this article intends to define and evaluate the administrative culture as one of the three main components of Iranian administration system. This study used an outsider’s perspective/approach (ETIC) to administrative culture and evaluated nine indexes: institutional collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, future orientation, performance orientation, power distance, in-group collectivism, humane orientation, assertiveness, and gender egalitarianism. Using random sampling method, data was collected from 166 managers, experts, and scholars of management. Findings show that power distance and in-group collectivism are perceived at a higher level, while there is a vital need to improve and develop institutional collectivism, future orientation, performance orientation, uncertainty avoidance and assertiveness. Finally, based on the findings, recommendations are presented to managers and researchers.