Identifying and Analyzing Types of Management Traps in the Administrative System Using the FCM Method

Document Type : Based on PhD Thesis

Authors
farnaz mehdikhani 1
ali shariatnejad 2
najmeddin mousavi 3
reza sepahvand 3
1 PhD student, Department of Management, Faculty of Management, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
2 Lorestan university assistant professor, Management faculty, Korramabad, Iran
3 Professor, Department of Management, Faculty of Management, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
10.48308/jpap.2026.243707.1549
Abstract
Purpose: Accurate and timely recognition of Management traps helps government managers recognize warning signs before they get caught, design more effective control and monitoring mechanisms, institutionalize a culture of real accountability, and ultimately direct limited resources toward tangible and sustainable results. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and analyze the types of management traps in the administrative system.
Design/ methodology/ approach: The present study is exploratory in purpose and in data collection. This research also uses a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach, based on a deductive-inductive design. The study population comprises managers of government organizations and university professors, selected through purposive sampling based on the principle of theoretical adequacy. The qualitative data collection tool is an interview, and its validity and reliability were confirmed using content validity, theoretical validity, and intra-coder and inter-coder reliability methods. The quantitative data collection tool is a questionnaire, the validity and reliability of which were confirmed using content validity and test-retest reliability. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, and quantitative data were analyzed using the fuzzy cognitive map method.
Research Findings: The qualitative findings identified 15 management traps in the administrative system. The quantitative findings also indicate that, among the 15 management traps identified in the qualitative part, the bureaucratic inertia trap, the confirmation bias trap, and the negligence trap in strategic decision-making are the most important management traps in the administrative system.
Limitations & Consequences: The findings of the present study provide significant insight into the concept of management traps; however, the study also has limitations. Among the limitations of the research, it can be noted that the research findings may not be generalizable to all organizations and administrative systems, given the characteristics of the organizations and the statistical population under study, and that some participants may have refrained from fully expressing their views on management traps for organizational or personal reasons.
Practical Consequences: Managers at various levels often engage in short-term, reactive decision-making; avoid the risks necessary for change; interpret information selectively; confirm their own assumptions; and fall into the trap of relying on previously tested solutions. Therefore, by identifying the types of management traps in the administrative system, the present study helps managers become aware of these traps, avoid getting caught in them, and stay safe from the harmful consequences mentioned in this study.
Innovation or value of the Article: The present study, focusing on identifying and analyzing the types of management traps in the administrative system, presents a new initiative in the public management literature that not only examines management traps, but also reveals the local and cultural patterns of these traps by using a mixed qualitative-quantitative method and a case study on the administrative system of Lorestan. The main value of this research is providing a practical framework for managers and policymakers to improve decision-making at different organizational levels by suggesting preventive and corrective strategies that ultimately lead to sustainable transformation in the administrative system.
Paper Type: Original Paper
Keywords
Showcase Performance
Deviant Behaviors
Managers of Governmental Organizations
FCM Method
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