Human Resource Management in Sports

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A study of the professional career path of e-sports gamers in Iran from the perspective of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory

Authors

1 Allameh Tabataba'i University

2 Shahid Beheshti University

10.22044/shm.2025.16450.2770

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 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.

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References
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Human Resource Management in Sports
Volume 13, Issue 2
August 2026
Pages 301-326
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