Pathology of Human Resource Staffing System in Higher Education: Codification and Validation of a Model

Higher education system is considered to be one of the most important factors in development and progress of a society. The present research aims to conduct a pathological study of staffing system in higher education and, thereby, proceed to codify and validate a model for it. The methodology was practical and developmental. A combined sequential exploratory (heuristic) method of the modelling type was utilized for data collection. Drawing from multiple data synchronization in three stages, a primary theoretical framework was codified and, accordingly, it was validated in the form of a model. For the pathology of the staffing system, the first stage used a Scoping review and 15 studies conducted in this area in authentic databases were analyzed and investigated based on a purposeful approach according to Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage framework. At the second stage, qualitative case study was used according to which the perspectives and experiences of 12 experts, managers and specialists were taken into account with a purposeful approach through theoretical saturation criterion. It should be noted that semi-structured interview was utilized at this stage and the gathered data were analyzed by drawing from Thematic Content Analysis technique. The third stage applied a survey method and the components extracted from an ascertained questionnaire given to 98 staffing managers and experts in public universities under supervision of Tehran Ministry of Science, Research and Technology were analyzed based on a relative class sampling method. In order to analyze the gathered data and validate the codified framework, partial least squares analysis was utilized by drawing from Smart PLS software. After coding the data derived from analysis of documents and interviews, 213 codes were defined and categorized as 33 components and 14 perspectives as follows: job design and analysis, human resource planning, employment, selection, appointment, orientation and awareness, technology, systematic, structure and resources, Rules and Regulations, university autonomy, cultural, political and economic. According to identified defects, the pathological model for staffing system in universities was codified and validated. Human resource planning, human resource selection and job design and analysis as variables played the highest role (coefficient of determination calculated to be 0.83, 0.79 and 0.79 respectively) while economic, political and cultural factors (coefficient of determination calculated to be 0.41, 0.49 and0.51 respectively) had the lowest role in determining the pathological model of the staffing system. Therefore, the codified model in the present research can be considered as an appropriate framework to investigate, conduct pathological study and improve the staffing system of universities by higher education policy-maker institutions.