Designing a Governance Model with Emphasis on the Theory of Agency, Structure, and Culture in Iran

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

PhD in Sociology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jppolicy.2025.105208

Abstract

This study aims to design a governance model grounded in the theory of agency, structure, and culture. Employing a qualitative approach through thematic analysis, data were purposefully collected from the speeches and statements of Imam Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Revolution, and Ayatollah Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic system. Analysis yielded 260 sub-codes, which were synthesized into a comprehensive governance framework. Findings indicate that governance in the thought of Imam Khomeini and the Leader is conceptualized as a three-dimensional model, with value-orientation and people-centeredness as its focal components. At the agency level, the faithful human being—including the leader, the people, and committed officials—emerges as the principal actor of governance. Three thematic dimensions highlight religious-value-based attitudes, committed performance indicators, and the active participation of both citizens and officials in achieving systemic goals. At the structural level, the Islamic Republic and its institutions provide the institutional foundation of governance. Key themes include legislation, policymaking, planning, regulation, facilitation, networking, institutionalization, addressing vulnerabilities, and the distribution of power. At the cultural level, the values of the Islamic Revolution, discourses of resistance, progress, justice, and the Iranian-Islamic lifestyle—anchored in shared identity and beliefs—constitute the semantic basis of governance.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Public Policy
Volume 11, Issue 4
December 2025
Pages 193-205

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