The Transparency Paradox in Iran’s Governance: Interactive Modeling of E-Government, Human Development, and Perceived Corruption on Government Effectiveness

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student in Public Administration, Department of Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran (corresponding author). abdeshahi.aa@fh.lu.ac.ir

2 Lorestan University

Abstract

Inefficiency of the administrative system, weak transparency, and the persistence of corruption are among the most significant obstacles to enhancing government effectiveness in Iran, with profound consequences for governance, institutional trust, and systemic resilience. The aim of this research is to model the interactive and non-linear relationships among three key components e-government, the Human Development Index, and perception of corruption, in order to provide a data-driven framework for policy optimization. To this end, data from the period 2010 to 2024 were collected from international statistical databases and analyzed using Response Surface Methodology. The results indicate that human development is the strongest driver of government effectiveness, and without the enhancement of human capital, no technological transformation leads to sustainable effectiveness. Furthermore, e-government has an exponential effect on effectiveness, but this effect remains sustainable only when synergized with institutional integrity and human development. The most important finding of the research is the explanation of the "transparency paradox" in the Iranian context; meaning that although concrete anti-corruption measures improve institutional performance, their extensive and directional media coverage can increase the perception of corruption and undermine public trust. This gap between actual performance and public perception highlights the necessity of institutionalizing "public perception management alongside performance management" as a key governance strategy. In addition, the discrepancy between actual and model-predicted values indicates the role of exogenous factors such as sanctions and inflation in weakening government effectiveness.

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References

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History

  • Receive Date: 13 November 2025
  • Revise Date: 07 December 2025
  • Accept Date: 10 January 2027
  • First Publish Date: 10 January 2027
  • Publish Date: 22 December 2025

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