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Employee Selection Mechanisms in Iraq, Egypt, and Iran: Assessing Alignment with the Merit Principle
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Abstract: (4 Views) |
| In Iraq, public sector recruitment mechanisms rely primarily on a centralized employment system for graduates, where top academic performers are automatically hired. However, this system is limited and non-inclusive, often dominated by patronage culture, political connections, or tribal affiliations, resulting in recruitment that lacks competency-based foundations. In Egypt, mechanisms are governed by the new Civil Service Law (No. 81 of 2016), which emphasizes competitive processes and written examinations to ensure transparency. This is further supported by the establishment of Human Resource Management (HRM) units designed to develop assessment models and performance tracking, with a particular focus on enhancing female participation in government competitions to promote meritocracy. In Iran, selection is conducted by centralized committees that evaluate moral, ideological, and professional competencies in accordance with Islamic rationality, guided by laws such as the Teacher and Civil Servant Selection Law; nonetheless, these processes are frequently influenced by political or religious affiliations. The findings indicate that the alignment of recruitment mechanisms with the merit principle in Iraq is very weak, as corruption and hiring based on political and familial ties prevail, leading to an inflation of incompetent personnel and a decline in overall public efficiency. In Egypt, alignment is considered moderate to good, particularly following reforms that strengthen competency-based competition, despite certain implementation challenges that contribute to the gradual improvement of government performance. In Iran, the alignment is mixed; while the system aims for meritocracy through Islamic criteria—such as intelligence and integrity—it is simultaneously influenced by non-professional factors, including beliefs and affiliations, which diminish full transparency |
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Article number: 2 |
| Keywords: Selection, Merit Principle, Iraq, Egypt, Iran. |
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Full-Text [PDF 744 kb]
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/09/12 | Revised: 2026/09/12 | Accepted: 2026/02/20 | Published: 2026/02/20
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