Identifying the Factors of Elite Selection Failure in Governmental Organizations Using the Trident Model
Keywords:
Elite Selection, Meritocracy, Governmental Organizations, Human Resource Management, Trident ModelAbstract
This study aims to systematically identify and explain the structural, behavioral, and contextual determinants of elite selection failure in governmental organizations using the Trident Model. This applied qualitative study was conducted in two phases: document analysis and semi-structured interviews. The research population consisted of management scholars and senior executives from five governmental organizations in Fars Province. Using purposive sampling and theoretical saturation, 18 participants were selected. Data were collected through document review and a validated interview protocol containing seven main and fourteen subsidiary questions. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Validity and reliability were ensured through expert review and three-coder agreement. Results revealed that elite selection failure is produced by the dynamic interaction of three core domains: structurally, inefficient recruitment systems, weak meritocracy, defective performance evaluation, centralized decision-making, and outdated hiring processes; behaviorally, preference for personal relations, elite-averse leadership, organizational distrust, anti-elite attitudes, and resistance to change; and contextually, political pressures, influence of powerful groups, weak governance support, anti-elite public culture, and elite migration. These factors collectively generate a self-reinforcing cycle of elite exclusion. The proposed Trident Model demonstrates that sustainable reform of elite selection requires simultaneous structural, behavioral, and institutional interventions, and that isolated reforms are insufficient for lasting effectiveness.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Enayat Mohammadpour (Author); Shamsossadat Zahedi; Mohammad Montazeri (Author)
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