Background & Purpose: The selection and appointment of managers in the public sector is a fundamental process that affects the efficiency of the administrative system and the achievement of the country's development goals. Competent managers are the helms of change and progress in public organizations and play a pivotal role in promoting governance and accountability. Therefore, the correct selection of managers is more than a routine administrative action, but rather a strategic decision with wide-ranging consequences on the performance of organizations and public trust. The appointment of capable managers paves the way for transformative initiatives, continuous improvement of processes, and the establishment of a culture of excellence in the public sector. The main objective of this research is to identify and explain recurring appointment errors and provide practical solutions to improve this process.
Methodology: The present research, with a phenomenological approach and relying on the autophenomenological method, conducts an in-depth study of common errors in the process of selecting and appointing public sector managers. In this regard, the lived experiences of the authors as researchers of the administrative system have been analyzed and explored.
Findings: The findings of this study identified cognitive and perceptual errors, systemic and process errors, and cultural and structural errors as the most important categories of common errors in the appointment of public sector managers. Identifying these errors provides the basis for reducing subjective and subjective choices, paying more attention to real competencies, and ultimately, appointing more efficient managers.
Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the need for a fundamental review of existing approaches and processes and a move toward selecting and appointing managers based on competence, transparency, and objective data.