Research Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of identifying and prioritizing the antecedents and consequences of organizational cronyism in government organizations.

Research Methodology: This research is applied in terms of purpose and exploratory in terms of data collection, which was executed using a mixed-methods approach (qualitative-quantitative) based on an inductive-deductive philosophy. In the qualitative phase, 25 experts were interviewed using purposive sampling, and the data were analyzed through content analysis using specialized software. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire based on the qualitative findings was designed, and the causal relationships and the degree of influence of the components were calculated using the fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) method.

Research Findings: The findings revealed that "organizational culture," "administrative profiteering," "inefficient administrative system," and "lack of control and monitoring systems" are, respectively, the most important antecedents of organizational cronyism. Furthermore, "violation of psychological contracts," "reduced work performance," "tendency toward laziness and procrastination," and "deviant employee behavior" were identified as its key consequences.

Conclusion: Organizational cronyism is a multi-causal phenomenon with devastating consequences for human capital and the productivity of government organizations. The most important strategy to combat it is to reform organizational culture and strengthen monitoring systems and meritocracy.

Innovation and Originality: This research, for the first time, employs the fuzzy cognitive mapping approach to simultaneously identify the antecedents and consequences of cronyism in Iranian government organizations and, by presenting a causal model, provides a comprehensive framework for the systemic analysis of this phenomenon. The value and applicability of the research findings are of great importance for human resource managers and organizational planners in designing preventive policies and improving the administrative environment.