Identifying and Prioritizing the Antecedents and Consequences of Open Government-Based Policymaking in Higher Education

Open government has emerged as a governance paradigm that promotes transparency, accountability, participation, and collaboration through the disclosure and effective use of public data. Despite its growing importance, the antecedents and consequences of policymaking based on the open government approach in higher education remain insufficiently explored, particularly in developing countries. This study aims to identify and prioritize the antecedents and consequences of policymaking based on the open government approach in higher education, using the University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran, as a case study. A mixed-methods research design was employed. In the qualitative phase, ten experts were selected through purposive sampling to identify the dimensions of open government and its antecedents and consequences. The identified factors were validated using the Grey Delphi method. In the quantitative phase, data were collected from faculty members and administrative staff of the University of Sistan and Baluchestan, and the Friedman test was applied to prioritize the identified categories, dimensions, and components. The qualitative findings showed that the antecedents of policymaking based on the open government approach comprise three categories: structural, behavioral, and underlying factors. Open government was conceptualized through four dimensions: open data, transparency, participation, and collaboration. In addition, its consequences were classified into three categories: improving accountability, enhancing organizational performance, and reducing academic corruption. The quantitative results indicated that information technology, organizational justice, and political factors were the highest-priority antecedents, whereas financial and budgetary issues, policymaking, and socio-cultural factors received the lowest priority. Among the dimensions of open government, open data ranked first, followed by participation, transparency, and collaboration. Regarding the consequences, reducing organizational violations, reducing data falsification, and improving legal accountability received the highest priorities. This study develops and empirically validates an integrated framework linking the antecedents, core dimensions, and consequences of policymaking based on the open government approach in higher education. The findings provide policymakers and university administrators with a comprehensive framework for strengthening transparency, participation, accountability, and institutional performance through open government initiatives.

کلیدواژه ها:

Open Government ، Higher Education ، Public Policymaking ، Open Data ، Grey Delphi ، Organizational Accountability