Developing a Managerial and Psychological Framework of Organizational Culture in the Ministry of Sports and Youth: A Qualitative Approach Using the Delphi Technique

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to develop and validate a managerial and psychological framework of organizational culture in the Ministry of Sports and Youth based on experts’ perspectives.

Methodology: This study was conducted using a mixed-method exploratory qualitative design. The statistical population consisted of 12 university professors, sports management specialists, and experts from the Ministry of Sports and Youth who were selected through purposive and snowball sampling methods. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed and validated using the Delphi technique in three consecutive rounds. To evaluate the validity of the research instrument, the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI) were calculated, while reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Quantitative data obtained from the Delphi process were analyzed using SPSS version 22 through descriptive indicators including mean, standard deviation, Kendall’s coefficient of concordance, skewness, and kurtosis.

Findings: The findings revealed that organizational culture in the Ministry of Sports and Youth consists of five major dimensions, including administrative system, leadership style of managers, employees’ professional culture, societal and family culture, and sports facilities and environment, encompassing a total of 25 subcomponents. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance increased from 0.463 in the first Delphi round to 0.601 in the third round, indicating a significant level of consensus among experts. Furthermore, all final dimensions demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability indices, and the normality tests confirmed that the distribution of all variables was statistically normal.

Conclusion: The results indicated that organizational culture in the Ministry of Sports and Youth is simultaneously influenced by managerial, professional, social, and infrastructural factors. Systematic attention to these dimensions can improve organizational performance, strengthen internal coordination, promote professional behaviors, and enhance organizational productivity. In addition, strengthening participatory leadership styles, reforming administrative structures, and developing sports infrastructures were identified as essential requirements for improving organizational culture.