Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Sports Management Department, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran

2 Department of Sports Management, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran.

3 . Department of Sports Management, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan Branch (Khorasgan), Iran.

Abstract

Objective: the present study aimed to design a comprehensive succession planning pattern in sport organizations using grounded theory and interpretive structural model.
Methodology: in terms of the type, this study is of a mixed one. The study population included the elites of the sport organizations; the study sample volume was estimated equal to 15 individuals based on the theoretical saturation. For this a subjective sampling method was used. In the qualitative section of the research and in order to collect the required information a deep interview was utilized; in the quantitative section a questionnaire was used. In order to analyze the qualitative section’s information, three overlapping open, axial and selective coding processes were utilized and, in order to analyze the quantitative section’s information, interpretive structural modeling method assisted by ISM Software was used.
Findings: the findings indicated that the succession planning model obeys 20 secondary topics and 5 primary topics (causal factors, background factors, intervening factors, interactional factors and outcomes) for the sport organizations. Moreover, the model was eventually found consisted of eight levels; the lowest level of the organizational structure was composed of social and cultural factors as well as the peripheral environment and international environment and the highest level was composed of the individual and organizational factors.
Conclusion: it can be stated according to the study findings that the individual and organizational outcomes attributed to succession planning obey causal, background, intervening and interactional factors.

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