Designing a Conceptual Model of Employment Policymaking in Iran: A Political Economy Approach

Abstract

The objective of this study was to design a conceptual model of employment policymaking in Iran from a political economy perspective using a qualitative research approach. Grounded theory was employed to analyze official documents, laws, development plans, executive policies, and scientific studies related to employment. The data were analyzed through three stages of coding—open, axial, and selective coding—and a paradigmatic model comprising five main components, namely causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, strategies, and consequences, was ultimately developed. The findings indicated that employment policymaking in Iran has been influenced not only by external pressures, such as sanctions and economic fluctuations, but also substantially by politicization, administrative corruption, institutional incoherence, the absence of an independent evaluation system, and centralized and non-accountable decision-making structures. Employment-generation policies have often been symbolic and short-term in nature, lacked a sufficient scientific foundation, and were sometimes inconsistent with the actual needs of the labor market, rather than being oriented toward structural reforms. From a developmental perspective, employment policies during the period under investigation contributed relatively little to improving human resource productivity, regional equity, and the economic participation of disadvantaged groups; rather than promoting empowerment, they frequently reproduced poverty and inequality. From an institutional perspective, weaknesses in governance structures, the absence of effective monitoring mechanisms, and insufficient inter-institutional interaction were identified as major barriers to achieving sustainable employment objectives in the country. The final model developed in this study, as an indigenous analytical framework, can serve as an effective instrument for evaluating previous policies and formulating future employment policies at national and regional levels. Moreover, the findings may assist policymakers, planners, and development researchers in reconsidering approaches to employment governance in Iran.