Alireza Bali; Seyed Jafar Moosavi; Azim Salahi Kojour; Farshad Emami
Abstract
Objective: Given the importance of deeply understanding the complex phenomenon of narcissism in sports managers for their success and effectiveness, the main issue of this qualitative research is identifying the dimensions, components, and characteristics of narcissism in senior, middle, and operational ...
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Objective: Given the importance of deeply understanding the complex phenomenon of narcissism in sports managers for their success and effectiveness, the main issue of this qualitative research is identifying the dimensions, components, and characteristics of narcissism in senior, middle, and operational managers of professional sports clubs and organizations responsible for championship sports in Iran. The aim is to design a comprehensive model of narcissism in sports managers, providing a new theoretical and practical framework for understanding and managing this phenomenon.
Methodology: The research method is grounded theory. This study was conducted from March 2023 to August 2023. Participants were selected using the snowball sampling method among professors, researchers, psychologists, consultants, and experienced and successful managers in professional sports clubs and organizations responsible for championship sports across Iran to ensure diversity and richness of data. Data were collected using library studies and in-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 individuals. Lincoln and Guba's (1985) evaluation criteria were used to examine the quality and validate the qualitative results. ،The intra-subject agreement method between two coders was used to calculate the reliability of the interviews, resulting in a reliability coefficient of 91%.
Results: The findings revealed that the narcissism model of sports managers includes positive aspects (leadership and inspirational ability, high self-confidence, motivation and ambition, creativity and innovation) and negative aspects (grandiosity and excessive pride, self-centeredness and disregard for others, intolerance of criticism, dominance, and control, lack of empathy and understanding of others, refusal to accept failure and mistakes).
Conclusion: To leverage the benefits of positive narcissism and prevent its negative consequences, it is essential to provide training in interpersonal skills, emotional management, balanced manager selection, and appropriate supervision. Establishing feedback systems and encouraging collaboration can reduce adverse effects and enhance positive aspects.
