Mapping the influence of government on the professionalization process of national sport federations in Iran

ABSTRACT

This study aims to investigate Iran as a context to address the question: “How do the Iran’s government structures impact the sport system’s prospects toward sport professionalization?” This study used Nagel, S., Schlesinger, T., Bayle, E., & Giauque, D. [(2015). Professionalisation of sport federations – a multi-level framework for analysing forms, causes and consequences. European Sport Management Quarterly, 15(4), 407–433] multilevel analysis to identify potential sport professionalization causes and consequences and profile Iranian national sports federations (NSFs). Data were collected through 16 semi-structured interviews with Iranian NSF experts and analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach. The study offers a consolidated comprehensive framework for analyzing the professionalization of sports in the context of government influence within Iran showing how the systemic, organizational, and occupational processes are associated with leadership bodies (LB), presidential sport organizations (PSOs) and NSFs. Findings revealed that sport professionalization in Iran depends on the government, and policymaking conflicts between PSOs and LBs need to be addressed. This study delineates that sport professionalization consequences are not limited to NSFs and their member associations because the prospect of sport professionalization in Iran represents a means to achieve national outcomes such as soft power and society’s health. This study used Iran as a context to explain the influence of government on and identify new factors for sport professionalization.

KEYWORDS:

• Iranian sport system
• sport governance
• sport professionalization
• political system
• sport policy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Organizational Size = Number of Paid Staff.