The role of a merit-based employment system in reducing administrative corruption.

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Hossein Sharifi
Department of Law, Public Law, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Administrative corruption is one of the most important challenges of governance systems, the effects of which include reduced productivity, waste of resources, and public distrust. Focusing on the role of a merit-based employment system, this research examines the hypothesis that the establishment of merit-based recruitment and promotion mechanisms can act as one of the key strategies in reducing administrative corruption. In explaining the subject, first, the concepts of "meritocracy" and "administrative corruption" are defined and their distinction from traditional and relationship-based approaches is specified. The research method is descriptive-analytical and by examining laws, regulations, official reports, and case studies, an attempt is made to clarify the relationship between merit-based mechanisms and corruption reduction indicators. The objectives of the research include: identifying indicators and operational tools of meritocracy, evaluating its impact on preventing administrative corruption, and providing a proposed framework for reforming the employment system. The findings indicate that applying precise criteria of merit in recruitment, transparency and healthy competition in the recruitment process, effective monitoring of the evaluation stages, and the use of electronic systems can lead to a significant reduction in corruption, improve the efficiency of executive agencies, and increase public trust. Finally, the conclusion of the study emphasizes that meritocracy is not only a recruitment approach, but also an effective tool for promoting administrative health and improving governance.
Keywords
Merit-based recruitment, administrative corruption, administrative health, good governance