The Effect of Organizational Transparency with a Cognitive Approach on Organizational Paranoia at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences: A Structural Model
Keywords:
Organizational transparency, cognitive approach, organizational paranoiaAbstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of organizational transparency with a cognitive approach on organizational paranoia at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences and to propose an explanatory structural model. This applied study employed a descriptive–survey design. The statistical population consisted of 630 faculty members of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, from whom 239 participants were selected using Cochran’s formula and stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the Cognitive-Based Organizational Transparency Questionnaire (60 items across 8 dimensions) and the Organizational Paranoia Questionnaire developed by Callaghan et al. (13 items across 3 dimensions). Face and content validity were confirmed by experts, and reliability coefficients were 0.95 for organizational transparency and 0.96 for organizational paranoia. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling with SPSS and LISREL software. Inferential results indicated a significant negative effect of cognitive-based organizational transparency on organizational paranoia (β = −0.60, t = −8.61). Model fit indices demonstrated satisfactory fit (RMSEA = 0.072, CFI = 0.92, GFI = 0.93), confirming the adequacy of the proposed structural model. The findings suggest that enhancing organizational transparency from a cognitive perspective significantly reduces organizational paranoia among faculty members. Institutionalizing transparency as a managerial strategy can therefore contribute to improved psychological well-being and organizational performance in academic institutions.
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