This editorial, originally published in the Veterinary Quarterly in the summer of 2011, offers a critical and satirical look at the phenomenon of managerial instability and the successive replacement of leaders, particularly within Iran’s Veterinary Organization and Fisheries Organization during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Using the metaphor of a ‘domino effect,’ this piece illustrates how a single high-level change would trigger a cascade of replacements down the administrative chain, stripping the nation’s specialized institutions of stability. During that period, the average tenure for a director at the Fisheries Organization had fallen to just 11 months, and mismatched appointments, such as placing a sports manager at the head of this technical body, had become commonplace.
This analysis paints a picture of managerial turmoil and an administrative system where rumor and reality intertwined, making stability an unattainable dream. Republishing this text serves as a reminder of the critical importance of stability and meritocracy in the governance of public institutions.
Original Editorial Text (Published in Summer 2011)
When you enter the meeting hall on the fifth floor of the Veterinary Organization’s building at the Yusefabad intersection, several picture frames hanging on the wall catch the eye of any newcomer. They have mounted photos of the organization’s past heads since the revolution, along with their names and years of service. They’ve hung the frames so high that a short person needs to stand on tiptoe to read the names and make sense of them. Among the photos, the face and description of Dr. Masoumeh Mohammadi draw the most attention—first, for holding the title of “acting head,” then for her short tenure, and finally, for being a woman in this all-male lineup. A close look at the tenures shows that after a transitional period following the revolution, management became stable. However, as you approach the most recent frames, the old pattern of instability is returning.
Before the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, replacing managers in the specialized organizations of the Ministry of Agriculture was done with considerable thought and review. The 21-year tenure of Abbasali Motalebi at the Veterinary Organization and the decade-long leadership of Rasoul Lahijanian at the Fisheries Organization (then known as the Fisheries Joint Stock Company) in the not-so-distant past are testaments to this. Of course, there were plenty of other examples from that era. With the ninth government, several new precedents were set in the country’s administrative system, one of which was managerial instability, or rather, the short tenure of managers. This issue was not limited to mid-level managers and was even seen at the ministerial level. The situation in the Ministry of Agriculture was perhaps a bit more dire, with the banner of instability flying over the Fisheries Organization, where the average managerial tenure was 11 months.
Since the beginning of the first Ahmadinejad government, seven individuals have managed this organization. Just a few weeks after Mohammad-Reza Eskandari came to the ministry, he dismissed Saeedi and tasked Shabanali Nezami with steering this turbulent ship. Then, Vahid Zare arrived. By the time he figured out the workings of the Fisheries, it was time to say goodbye. Ali-Naghi Sarpanah also happily took the seat, thinking that with all these changes, the die of stability would be cast in his name. But Sarpanah was unlucky; the shrapnel from conflicts in the Physical Education Organization hit his chair. Mohammad Aliabadi was sent to the Fisheries by decree—an unrelated appointment that drew everyone’s ire. The veterinary community sent a harsh letter to the minister’s office. The government-appointed board members saw that by remaining in this non-governmental society, they would lose their government posts; they resigned and left. Of course, another veterinarian entered the scene here—a veterinarian who wanted both a government seat and the favor of his sports-world friends. Mohammad-Hossein Ansarifard, who is still the editor-in-chief of a sports weekly, was then the Director-General of Public Relations and spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture. When he saw the veterinary community’s letter, he had a clever idea. He invited a collaborating journalist and, after some pleasantries, gave him a pre-written interview to publish quickly. In that text, the Ministry spokesman confidently stated that Aliabadi was a civil engineer and his field was very relevant to fisheries; he had come to reform the infrastructure. Of course, Aliabadi himself left in less than a hundred days without laying a single brick. Now it was Taghavi Motlagh’s turn. He, too, seriously believed he was the permanent manager. But it was not to be. He was also gone just a few weeks ago, and now it is Gholamreza Razaghi’s turn.
Changing the head of an organization is a simple title, but behind the scenes, it entails dozens of changes and upheavals. Iranians, by nature, like to make their presence known, whatever their views. Managers are no exception. When they arrive, they replace the deputies. After a few months, it’s the turn of the directors-general. The domino of replacement reaches the provincial managers. It’s natural that the districts are the last dominoes to fall to the ground. Despite this short tenure, the replacements start all over again.
In the Veterinary Organization, although the situation has been slightly better, rumors of replacement are once again heard in the organization’s corridors. Colleagues say a new frame is to be added. Some are happy that Dr. Dastour’s frame is coming, while others are upset because they know their own frames will inevitably follow. Although it is still just a rumor, those who wish for it say there is evidence of its seriousness. They believe that since the deputy of the organization left three months ago to become the head of the Razi Institute and a replacement has not been appointed, the matter is settled. The reality is that they are the only ones processing this in their minds, as the experience of recent years has shown that you don’t need a reliable source for such talk. We can create this rumor ourselves, because in the current administration, it could become reality at any moment. If it happens, they’ll say, “So-and-so knows everything,” and if it doesn’t, they’ll say, “The current minister is holding off for now.” Apparently, the rumor of late has been just that, and Minister Khalilian is holding off for now
To download the full article in Persian as a PDF file, please click on the link below.
