Azam Saberi; Houriyhe Dehghanpouri; Hasan Bahrololoum
Abstract
The main aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of job involvement on the performance of physical education teachers in Razavi Khorasan Province with the role of moderating job stress.
The present study was applied in terms of purpose, cross-sectional in terms of time, descriptive-correlational ...
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The main aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of job involvement on the performance of physical education teachers in Razavi Khorasan Province with the role of moderating job stress.
The present study was applied in terms of purpose, cross-sectional in terms of time, descriptive-correlational in terms of data collection method, and applied research. The statistical population of the study was all physical education teachers in Razavi Khorasan province in the academic year 2023-2024 (2057 people). The sample size was estimated between 70-350 using Kline's theory (2014) and considering the number of items. The data collection tools were Kanungo's job involvement questionnaire (1982), Patterson & Husband's job performance (1970), and Hellriegel and Slocum's job stress questionnaire (2004). The reliability of the questionnaires was examined and confirmed with Cronbach's alpha. After distributing the questionnaires in an accessible manner, 223 questionnaires were analyzed. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling in PLS software.
The results of the research model analysis also showed that job stress does not play a moderating role in the relationship between job involvement and job performance of physical education teachers in Razavi Khorasan Province.
Although job stress did not play a moderating role in this study, this result does not mean that stress is unimportant, but rather shows that in work environments full of engagement and dynamic activities, motivational factors may overcome stressful challenges.
Nasrin AlSadat Khanbabaei; Tayiba Sadat Zargar; Akbar Afarinesh Khaki
Abstract
Objective: Corruption in sports management, as one of the major and multidimensional challenges, exerts extensive negative impacts on social, economic, cultural, managerial, and human resource structures.
Methodology: The present study, entitled Political and Structural Challenges in Combating Corruption ...
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Objective: Corruption in sports management, as one of the major and multidimensional challenges, exerts extensive negative impacts on social, economic, cultural, managerial, and human resource structures.
Methodology: The present study, entitled Political and Structural Challenges in Combating Corruption in Sports Management: Emphasizing Human Resource Reform, was conducted using a qualitative approach and thematic analysis method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 experts in the fields of management, sports policy-making, law, media, and oversight institutions, and were analyzed using thematic content analysis.
Results: Findings revealed three overarching political challenges: politicization within the structure of sports management, inefficiency of oversight and control systems, and corruption within the financial and media cycles of sports. In contrast, four strategic overarching themes were extracted as executive solutions: transparent governance in sports management, reforming the human resource structure in sports, institutional renewal in sports governance, and legal frameworks for anti-corruption efforts.
Conclusion: Additionally, a linkage matrix was developed between the identified challenges and strategies to facilitate the design of more precise policy-making models. The results of this study can contribute to improving transparency, accountability, and administrative integrity in the country’s sports management system and offer a practical model applicable to other areas of governance.
Rezgar Pourmarouf; Ali Afrouzeh
Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to explore the professional career path of e-sports gamers in Iran, focusing on their challenges from the perspective of the Job Demands-Resources theory.
Methodology: The research was conducted using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, focusing on the lived experiences ...
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Purpose: This study aimed to explore the professional career path of e-sports gamers in Iran, focusing on their challenges from the perspective of the Job Demands-Resources theory.
Methodology: The research was conducted using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, focusing on the lived experiences of 14 male professional gamers with a history of team participation at national and regional levels. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews during official competitions and analyzed thematically using a deductive method within the JD-R theoretical framework. Data coding was divided into two categories: job demands and job resources. Guba and Lincoln’s criteria were applied to assess data credibility.
Findings: The results revealed that Iranian professional gamers face psychological pressures, life-game interference, unhealthy lifestyles, lack of supportive resources, weaknesses in specialized training, and insufficient team support, all of which contribute to motivational exhaustion and threaten their mental and physical health.
Discussion and Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the lived experiences of professional gamers in Iran involve complex, multilayered job demands, set in an environment lacking supportive infrastructure—especially in psychological, educational, and legal domains—resulting in chronic and exhausting pressures. It is recommended that Iranian e-sports institutions improve professional gamers’ conditions by establishing psychological counseling centers, strengthening legal and contractual mechanisms, developing specialized training, and enhancing technological infrastructure. Moreover, targeted financial support and increasing social acceptance of gamers are essential measures to sustain this industry in Iran.
Esmaeil Shamsaie; Leila Sadat Jamshidian; eyed Mohammad Ali Mirhosseini
Abstract
The present study was conducted with the aim of designing a reverse mentoring model in the context of digital media with an emphasis on empowering human resources in sports organizations. Given the technological developments and the increasing role of media in organizational interactions, traditional ...
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The present study was conducted with the aim of designing a reverse mentoring model in the context of digital media with an emphasis on empowering human resources in sports organizations. Given the technological developments and the increasing role of media in organizational interactions, traditional mentoring has faced challenges and newer models such as reverse mentoring are developing. This research was conducted with a qualitative approach and thematic analysis method. Participants included 18 mentors, mentees, human resource managers, and media expert's active in the field of sports, who were selected purposively and until theoretical saturation was reached. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview, and data analysis was conducted based on Brown and Clark's six-step model. Findings were extracted in the form of five overarching themes, ten organizing themes, and twenty-five basic themes. The overarching themes included redefining mentor-mentee relationships, the role of digital media in restructuring the mentoring structure, implementation challenges, the consequences of human resource empowerment, and policy and institutional requirements. The results showed that reverse mentoring in the media context, by creating two-way interaction and reducing hierarchy, leads to increased trust, mutual learning, and development of digital skills and promotion of employee self-efficacy. At the same time, the full realization of this model requires a review of formal training structures, the development of organizational regulations, institutional the provision of media infrastructure. Finally, a conceptual model for media-oriented reverse mentoring was presented that can be the basis for decision-making in the field of sports human resource management.
Abdulrahman Hasan Al-Maliki; Abbas naghizadeh Baghi; Mehrdad MoharramZadeh; Farzad Nobakht
Abstract
Purpose: Handball in Iraq requires strategic planning for comprehensive development. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify strategies for the development of handball in Iraq.
Methodology: This qualitative study employed qualitative content analysis using thematic analysis. The research sample ...
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Purpose: Handball in Iraq requires strategic planning for comprehensive development. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify strategies for the development of handball in Iraq.
Methodology: This qualitative study employed qualitative content analysis using thematic analysis. The research sample consisted of 20 participants, including handball coaches, members of the Iraqi Handball Federation, and university academics with expertise in this field. Sampling was conducted purposively and, in some cases, through snowball techniques, based on predefined criteria. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Trustworthiness was addressed through credibility, transferability, confirmability, and test–retest procedures.
Findings: Analysis of the data yielded 64 open codes, 11 subthemes, and 3 main themes. The main themes included: (1) management and human resource development (educational strategies for coaches and referees, professional training and development, talent identification and nurturing, scientific and technological strategies); (2) strengthening infrastructure and competitive structures (competition and event strategies, infrastructural and organizational reinforcement, planning strategies, financial and supportive strategies); and (3) enhancing networks and communications (collaborative strategies, international cooperation and knowledge exchange, media and promotional strategies).
Conclusion: The findings indicated that the development of handball in Iraq necessitates a holistic approach that simultaneously enhances human resources, improves infrastructure, and expands inter-organizational collaboration. Based on this, the study proposes strategies at three temporal levels: short-term, medium-term, and long-term. The implementation of these strategies, with the involvement of relevant stakeholders, can elevate the status of Iraqi handball at both the national and international levels.
Zahra Ranjgar; Mahdi Bashiri; Yousef Yavari
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to presenting an occupational socialization model for physical education teachers.
Methodology: Employing a quantitative, applied research approach with a survey method, the study targeted all PE teachers in the province (N = 1,294). Using the Krejcie-Morgan table, a sample ...
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Objective: This study aimed to presenting an occupational socialization model for physical education teachers.
Methodology: Employing a quantitative, applied research approach with a survey method, the study targeted all PE teachers in the province (N = 1,294). Using the Krejcie-Morgan table, a sample of 297 participants was selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the Vasquez & Wallhead (2023) questionnaire, with validity confirmed via content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI). Reliability was established through Cronbach’s alpha.
Results: Factor prioritization revealed: Acculturation (coaching orientation) as the most influential, Acculturation (teaching orientation) second, Organizational socialization third, and Occupational socialization fourth. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and bootstrap testing in Smart PLS-3 demonstrated strong model validity, with a second-order correlation coefficient of 0.703 and a GoF index of 0.861.
Conclusion: The findings underscore that occupational socialization significantly impacts educational quality. Strategic investments in teacher training, mentorship, and supportive work environments can enhance PE teachers’ socialization, thereby improving educational outcomes.
Akbar Jaberi; Farzaneh Mazloomi soveini; Hamideh Iranmanesh
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of media literacy on the e-learning intention of undergraduate students in sports science with the mediating role of spatial intelligence in 2025.
Methodology: This field research was a descriptive-correlational study and applied in terms of purpose. ...
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Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of media literacy on the e-learning intention of undergraduate students in sports science with the mediating role of spatial intelligence in 2025.
Methodology: This field research was a descriptive-correlational study and applied in terms of purpose. Research population included 326 students of sports science at Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. Based on sample determination formula of structural equation modeling (5q≤ n≤ 15q), 102 students were studied using the purposive sampling. The intention to e-learning was measured by adapting Lee (2010) questionnaire, media literacy was measured by the Koc and Barut (2016) questionnaire, and spatial intelligence was measured by Tirri and Nokelainen (2008) questionnaire. For descriptive and inferential analysis, SPSS version 20 and PLS version 3 software were used.
Results: The results showed that media literacy had a significant effect on both the tendency to e-learning intention (β=0.28) and spatial intelligence (β=0.31). The effect of spatial intelligence on intention to e-learning was also reported to be positive and significant (β=0.33). According to the Sobel test, media literacy had an effect on the e-learning intention of students through spatial intelligence. The value of the GOF index also indicated a favorable fit of the research model.
Conclusion: Given the increasing trend towards new teaching methods, the results can carry valuable messages for instructors, administrators, and policymakers in the field of sports science education. The findings indicate that media literacy, along with enhancing spatial intelligence, can provide the basis for sports science students' tendency towards e-learning.
Tahereh Moosavi rad; Abdolrahim Shahrdrazi
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to Identifying the Determinants of Managerial Corruption in Talent Management within Youth Football Clubs in Tehran Province.
Methodology: The research was applied in purpose and used a mixed-method (qualitative–quantitative) design. In the qualitative phase, the fuzzy Delphi ...
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Objective: This study aimed to Identifying the Determinants of Managerial Corruption in Talent Management within Youth Football Clubs in Tehran Province.
Methodology: The research was applied in purpose and used a mixed-method (qualitative–quantitative) design. In the qualitative phase, the fuzzy Delphi technique was applied with 20 experts in sports management and football clubs of Tehran Province, leading to the identification of 42 initial indicators. Through three rounds of consensus, these indicators were grouped into five main dimensions: financial, ethical, organizational, political, and socio-cultural. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance increased from 41/0 in the first round to 71/0 in the third, indicating convergence of expert opinions. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population included managers, assistants, head coaches, and coaches of youth football clubs in Tehran. Out of 300 distributed questionnaires, 278 valid ones were returned. The researcher-made questionnaire, developed based on qualitative results, showed acceptable validity and reliability (α, CR >7/0). Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
Findings: The results showed that financial, ethical, and organizational factors had the strongest direct effects on the formation of managerial corruption, while political and socio-cultural factors had weaker but significant effects. Moreover, strategic talent management and organizational consensus were key elements in reducing managerial corruption.
Conclusion: Establishing transparent policies, strengthening control systems, and adopting a strategic approach to talent management can play an important role in preventing managerial corruption in youth football.
reza rahimi; seyed reza hosseini nia; hadi bagheri
Abstract
Abstract
Objective: Athletes, as social role models, are always in a complex context of interpersonal and social interactions. However, these interactions are not always positive and in some cases can lead to the formation of a phenomenon called "social attrition". The aim of this study was ...
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Abstract
Objective: Athletes, as social role models, are always in a complex context of interpersonal and social interactions. However, these interactions are not always positive and in some cases can lead to the formation of a phenomenon called "social attrition". The aim of this study was to identify the antecedents and consequences of social attrition among Iranian athletes.
Methodology: This is a qualitative study conducted with an inductive approach. The participants in the study included coaches, referees, professional athletes, club managers, sports and media experts. The participants were selected purposively and data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 of them. The reliability of the interviews was confirmed using the test-retest reliability method. Data analysis was performed using the content analysis method of Brown and Clark (2006).
Findings: Based on qualitative data analysis, social factors, behavioral factors, individual factors, and economic factors were identified as antecedents, and internal exhaustion and functional decline were identified as consequences of social attrition.
Conclusion: The results showed that social attrition in athletes is a multidimensional and complex phenomenon that stems from the interaction of four main categories of social, behavioral, individual, and economic factors. These results indicate that social attrition is not simply an individual issue, but is rooted in the social, cultural, and economic context of Iranian professional sportsTherefore, managing and reducing social attrition requires an integrated and systematic approach. These results can help prevent and design effective interventions to improve the atmosphere, increase professional longevity, and athlete performance.
Dorry Dolatkhah Laein; Reza Andam; Hassan Bahrololoum; David Clutterbuck
Abstract
Objective: The present study aimed to design and validate a model of academic coaching needs among physical education students.
Methodology: This applied study employed a descriptive–correlational design. The statistical population consisted of all students majoring in Physical Education and Sport ...
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Objective: The present study aimed to design and validate a model of academic coaching needs among physical education students.
Methodology: This applied study employed a descriptive–correlational design. The statistical population consisted of all students majoring in Physical Education and Sport Sciences at universities located in Educational Region 9 of Iran. In the exploratory factor analysis phase, 188 participants were selected, and in the confirmatory factor analysis phase, 200 participants were selected using cluster sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire comprising 35 items rated on a five-point Likert scale. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify the underlying factor structure, while first- and second-order confirmatory factor analyses were performed to examine construct validity and assess model fit. Data were analyzed by using SPSS and LISREL software.
Results: The results of the exploratory factor analysis indicated that the 35 identified academic coaching functions were classified into five components: Adaptation and Well-being, Psychological Empowerment, Career Readiness, Academic Progress, and Academic Self-Management. These five factors collectively explained 66.86% of the total variance of the construct. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported the adequacy of the measurement model and confirmed its acceptable fit.
Conclusion: The findings revealed that the academic coaching needs of physical education students are multidimensional and extend beyond mere academic support. The extracted model has good fit and can be used as a conceptual framework for designing academic coaching programs based on the needs of physical education students.
Yousef Yavari; Saba Artik; Rasoul Faraji
Abstract
Objective: The present study aims to analyze and precisely identify the challenges and problems in karate refereeing in East Azerbaijan Province.
Methodology: This research was conducted using a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design. The statistical population consisted of male and female ...
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Objective: The present study aims to analyze and precisely identify the challenges and problems in karate refereeing in East Azerbaijan Province.
Methodology: This research was conducted using a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design. The statistical population consisted of male and female referees with a minimum of three years of experience officiating at provincial, national, or international levels. Purposeful sampling was employed, selecting 12 referees (8 female and 4 male, with an average age of 42) until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews (each lasting 30 to 45 minutes) and analyzed using Collaizi seven-step method.
Findings: The results revealed that East Azerbaijan Province possesses significant potential in terms of distinguished referees and young talent; however, only a limited portion of this potential is actively utilized. The main identified challenges include high costs associated with referee grade promotion, inadequate financial support, insufficient infrastructure and standard equipment, inefficient competition management, conflicts arising from different karate styles, lack of meritocracy, and the occurrence of bias in the refereeing process.
Conclusion: To improve the state of karate refereeing in the province, structural and supportive reforms are necessary. Strengthening financial and motivational support, upgrading refereeing infrastructure and equipment, training sports managers, institutionalizing meritocracy, and managing stylistic conflicts can enhance fairness, increase referee participation, and restore the province’s standing at national and international levels.
Hamed Siri; Mehran Nasiri; Siavash Khodaparast
Abstract
Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of designing a talent management model for Iranian football referees.
Methodology:This research is descriptive-survey in nature and follows a mixed-methods approach (qualitative content analysis and the Delphi technique). Data were collected through ...
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Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of designing a talent management model for Iranian football referees.
Methodology:This research is descriptive-survey in nature and follows a mixed-methods approach (qualitative content analysis and the Delphi technique). Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 experts (including members of the Football Federation, the Referees Committee, international referees, and university professors) and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The extracted components were then evaluated and consolidated through a two-round Delphi questionnaire administered to the same experts.
Findings: The final model of referee talent management was designed in three main stages:
1) Talent Discovery (including sub-stages of attraction, training/engagement, and final selection), 2) Talent Development (emphasizing technical, psychological, and technological training), and 3) Talent Retention and Support (focusing on fairness, material and spiritual support, and job security).
The model also incorporates the possibility of returning to previous stages to ensure quality preservation.
Conclusion: The proposed model provides a comprehensive and localized framework for systematizing the processes of identifying, developing, and retaining elite football referees in Iran. Implementing this model can help train competent referees for officiating at national and international levels and ultimately lead to an overall improvement in the quality of refereeing in the country.
Tahmaseb Shirvani
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to design a smart human resources governance model for the Iranian Ministry of Sports and Youth, which was carried out in 2025.
Methodology: The present study was conducted using a qualitative and exploratory approach, employing the grounded theory method to develop ...
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Objective: The purpose of this study was to design a smart human resources governance model for the Iranian Ministry of Sports and Youth, which was carried out in 2025.
Methodology: The present study was conducted using a qualitative and exploratory approach, employing the grounded theory method to develop the theoretical framework. The research population consisted of specialists in sports management, human resources, as well as managers and experts working at the Ministry of Sports and Youth. Sampling was performed using the snowball technique, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was carried out in three stages: open, axial, and selective coding.
Findings: During the open coding phase, a total of 142 unique initial codes were identified. These codes were subsequently grouped into 14 concepts, which were further organized into 6 overarching categories.
Conclusion: The innovation of this research is in presenting a local model of smart human resource governance based on field data of the Ministry of Sports and Youth and in line with the institutional and mission requirements of this ministry. Based on the results, for the establishment of smart human resource governance in the Ministry of Sports and Youth, solutions such as strengthening smart human capital through empowerment and targeted training, redesigning human resource structures and processes with a smart and transparent approach, developing data-driven policymaking and planning, and establishing participatory and justice-oriented systems in human resource decision-making are proposed.
Mahsa Norouzi Shahri; Zhaleh Memari; Abbas Rezaei Pandari; Mehri Pouyandekia
Abstract
Purpose: This research studies multi-tiered league structures in the talent program role.
Methodology: Qualitative content analysis was employed. The sampling was “census-based,” and included the documents related to the subject under study.
Results: The findings were organized into six themes and ...
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Purpose: This research studies multi-tiered league structures in the talent program role.
Methodology: Qualitative content analysis was employed. The sampling was “census-based,” and included the documents related to the subject under study.
Results: The findings were organized into six themes and 19 categories, including the organizational structure of the League system, such as the decision-making model within clubs, the flow of authority from the top to operational levels, structural changes within clubs, the general assembly of the League Organization, the structure of the German Football Association, and the method for distributing media-rights revenues. The management structure of football clubs, the league licensing system across nine categories, covering the club licensing process, legal requirements, and academy development, including academy certification; key components of the German football structure; coaching; refereeing; local and international academies; tournament tours; and football schools. The competitive levels within youth football leagues, as well as the next one, focus on the DFBnet database. The details the structure of the professional leagues at three levels: Bundesliga, Bundesliga2, and Liga3.
Conclusion: Success in talent identification and development programs requires reforming and upgrading league structures across age levels, along with creating equal opportunities for active participation and the development of potential at all stages nationwide. Therefore, the DFB and DFL have simultaneously focused on developing leagues at all levels while implementing talent management programs. Consequently, the proposed operational model can serve as a practical blueprint for the redesign of the football league system in Iran.
Abed Mahmoudian; Soheila Moradi; Arash Zarei; Ali Nazarian
Abstract
Objective: The present study aimed to analyze AI literacy in sports coaches with a case study of coaches in Kurdistan province.
Methodology: The research method was quantitative and based on structural equation modeling. A total of 208 sports coaches were selected as a statistical sample based on random ...
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Objective: The present study aimed to analyze AI literacy in sports coaches with a case study of coaches in Kurdistan province.
Methodology: The research method was quantitative and based on structural equation modeling. A total of 208 sports coaches were selected as a statistical sample based on random and convenience sampling. The measurement tools included the perceived knowledge questionnaires from Chen et al. (2020), the application from Wang and Zhang (2020), and the ethics and evaluation from Bai and Cheng (2015). Their face and content validity were confirmed by expert opinions, the confirmatory factor analysis test was used for construct validity, and the Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability tests were used for reliability.
Findings: The findings indicate that the use of artificial intelligence has a positive and significant effect on perceived knowledge of artificial intelligence with a coefficient of 0.84, on the evaluation of the use of artificial intelligence with a coefficient of 0.15, and on the ethics of artificial intelligence with a coefficient of 0.78. Also, perceived knowledge of artificial intelligence and ethics of artificial intelligence have a positive and significant effect on the evaluation of the use of artificial intelligence with coefficients of 0.14 and 0.62, respectively.
Conclusion: The findings of this study extend existing frameworks in the field of AI literacy to the field of sports coaching. Sports organizations, including federations and sports boards, should facilitate the increase of coaches' literacy and competencies in the field of AI by holding courses, workshops, lectures, etc.
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