Authors
1 Ph.D. student, Department of Sports Management,, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Sports Management, South Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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 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.
Keywords
- Corruption in Sports
- Sports Management
- Political Challenges
- Transparent Governance
- Executive Solutions
Main Subjects
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