اکبر جابری

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of brand association on the brand positioning of football clubs in the Iranian premier league with the mediating role of fan-team identification. The present study is a descriptive and correlational study that has been conducted in the field. The research population of the study included football fans of popular football clubs in the Iranian premier league. Based on the formula for the SEM approach , 208 fans were selected through purposive sampling. Brand association, brand positioning, as well as fan-team identification Questionnaire, were used to collect data. The validity of the tool was calculated and confirmed based on content and structural validity, and the reliability was assessed according to Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability. Structural equation modeling via PLS was used to test the research hypotheses. The results showed that brand association had a significant effect on both brand positioning (β= 0.23) and fan-team identification (β= 0.31). The results also confirmed the positive and significant effect of fan-team identification on the brand positioning of football clubs in the Iranian premier league (β= 0.29). Moreover, based on the Sobel test, brand association through fan-team identification was effective on the brand positioning. The value of the GOF also indicated the proper fitness of the research model. This study is one of the few types of research that combines and examines brand associations, fan-team identification, and brand positioning through a comprehensive model in the field of Iranian sports.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of organizational support on life satisfaction and job satisfaction of female coaches in Isfahan with the mediating role of work-family conflict. Methods:  It was a descriptive – field study and a practical one. The research population was female coaches in Isfahan and 206 coaches in sport complexes were selected through convenience sampling. Cammann’s questionnaire (1983) was used to evaluate job satisfaction, and Diener et al.'s (1985) questionnaire was used to measure life satisfaction. Netemeyer et al.’s questionnaire (1996) was used to assess work-family conflict, and organizational support scale of Eizenberger et al. (1996) was used for measuring organizational support. The reliability of questionnaire was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha; and content, face and structural validity were also conducted to investigate the questionnaire validity. To measure the validity and fitness of the model, structural equation modeling by AMOS20 has been applied. Results: The findings demonstrated that “Organizational support” had a significant effect on “work-family conflict” (β= -0.37), “Job satisfaction” (β= 0.54), “Life satisfaction” (β= 0.48). In addition, “work-family conflict” had a significant effect on “Job satisfaction” (β= -0.31), and “Life satisfaction” (β= -0.26). Moreover, the Sobel test confirmed the role of the mediating variable. The fit indices also confirmed the research model fitness. Conclusion: According to the role of organizational support in decreasing the work-family conflict as well as the effect of work-family conflict on job satisfaction and life satisfaction, to pave the way for presence of females in sport field, sports organizations should plan their strategies by focusing on the concepts and results of this research.

Knowledge management and its dimensions have an important role in the sustainable development of sport organizations; therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of social capital components on knowledge sharing in sport and youth offices in Kerman. 193 staff in sport and youth offices in Kerman participated in this study through a total sampling approach, and completed a valid and reliable questionnaire. The findings of the research by applying structural equation modeling demonstrated that the social capital components (mutual respect and trust, participation and teamwork, social cohesion, openness to criticism, and relationship networks) had a positive and significant effect on the knowledge sharing in sport and youth offices in Kerman. According to the research findings, developing social capital and its components can play an important role in the process of knowledge sharing in sport and youth offices in Kerman.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of creativity on performance with the mediating role of knowledge sharing in sports federations. Method: This field study was a descriptive-correlative research and a practical one. The research population consisted of all presidents, vice presidents, general secretaries, committee managers and experts in 51 sport federations (N=780), and 267 subjects were studied through stratified random sampling approach that was consistent to recommended sample by Krejcie & Morgan table. The research tools were adopted from the existing literature to collect the data. The reliability of the research tools were confirmed according to Cronbach’s alpha. Face, content, and construct validity were used to evaluate the validity of the research tools. To test the research hypotheses, structural equation modeling was conducted by applying Smart PLS. Results: The findings demonstrated that "Creativity" had a positive and significant effect on "Performance", as well as "Knowledge sharing". Moreover, "Knowledge sharing "had a positive and significant effect on "Performance". The results also showed that "Knowledge sharing" mediate the relationship between "Creativity", and "Performance "in sport federations. Conclusions: The findings of this study, with emphasis on the role of creativity and knowledge sharing in improving the performance, can be regarded as a platform for enhancing the performance of sports federations. Creativity and knowledge sharing can play a significant role in empowering the human capital that ultimately result in performance development.