Authors
Department of Sports Management, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran
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 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.
Keywords
- Intergenerational interaction
- digital competence
- job self-efficacy
- educational policy-making
- organizational transformation
Main Subjects
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