Economic and sports effects of the development of sports diplomacy in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master student of sports management at Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Sports Management, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran.

https://www.doi.org/10.34785/J021.2022.008

Abstract

Today, sports diplomatic literature has been able to blur the borders and open more ways for dialogue so that different people can gather together. Therefore, sports diplomacy is an elixir for governments to eliminate differences and promote development, dialogue and sustainability as a pristine and untouched diplomatic tool. Institutions that operate in the field of sports and diplomacy can increase positive sports values such as mutual respect, order, patience, tolerance and compassion in the midst of violent and violent political relations and become the source of this environment. In a comprehensive definition, sports diplomacy can be called a bold part of public diplomacy, in which all the hardware and software capacities of a country's sports, such as sports equipment and spaces, athletes, coaches, sports managers, and its soft power are used in the field between The international should be strengthened. that the institutions related to sports and Iran's foreign policy have not used the global capacity of sports in order to advance political goals as they should, also in relation to the development strategies of sports diplomacy, branding and crediting, interactivity with the world and empowerment of capacities" score achieved a high level for the development of sports diplomacy in the country, sports diplomacy has potentials to improve various aspects of sports, therefore this research aims to investigate the economic and sports effects of sports diplomacy on the Islamic Republic of Iran, and as a result, aims to What are the economic and sports consequences of sports diplomacy on the country? Since the current research seeks to develop the boundaries of knowledge in relation to the topic of sports diplomacy, therefore, from the point of view of the purpose of this research, it is practical, as stated, this research is a mixed research method. has been used as a research strategy. In this research, considering that the researcher is looking for the consequences of sports diplomacy, therefore, the quantitative method cannot 1. Master student of sports management at Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran. *Responsible auther: Email: omidfatahi3944@gmail.com 2. Associate Professor, Department of Sports Management, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran. 3. Associate Professor, Department of Sports Management, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran. be the basis of the research alone. Therefore, the mixed research method of the descriptive type (quantitative, qualitative) is used. It is worth mentioning In this research, first, the dimensions, components and indicators of sports diplomacy were extracted from the depth of the research literature and theoretical foundations, and using the theoretical foundations, a researcher-made questionnaire was created, and then explanatory and descriptive interviews were conducted with experts in the society. The case study was extracted and then using qualitative thematic method to describe each of the components for the development of sports diplomacy in the country. The statistical population of the current research in the quantitative part of doctoral and specialized doctorate students in the field of sports management and international relations is approximately 150 people and the sample size is 110 people. The statistical population of the present research in the qualitative section was made up of specialists, managers and people with experience in this field. The questionnaire used in the research is two-faceted, with positive and negative sides, which is based on a seven-point Likert scale. The reliability rate was obtained using Cronbach's alpha of 0.91, which is an acceptable coefficient. Also, for data analysis in this research, AMOS22 and Spss22 software were used for data analysis and ranking and confirmation of factors. In the descriptive statistics, the findings showed that the largest number of respondents are men, with 64.14%, with the number of 84 people. Also, the most respondents were people under the age of 35, 48.18%, the number of 53 people had the highest frequency, and the least respondents over 40 years old with the number of 15 people, equivalent to 13.63%, had the lowest frequency, and finally, 66.36 The percentage of 73 respondents have average knowledge and information about sports diplomacy, 14.54 percent of 16 respondents have a lot of information and knowledge, and 3.63 percent of 4 respondents have very much information and knowledge in the field of sports diplomacy. Also, from the number of respondents, 16 people have 14.54% little knowledge and 0.9% have very little information and knowledge about sports diplomacy. The findings related to the dimension of sports consequences of the research showed that the item (sports diplomacy plays a role in the conditions of the country's athletes in international sports events, with a factor load of 0.81) and the item (sports diplomacy plays a role in the development of sports infrastructure, with a factor load of 0.81) factor (0.79) and item (sports diplomacy plays a role in attracting sports elites) have the highest factor load, with a factor load of 0.61) in the sports consequences of the development of sports diplomacy in the opinion of experts. And also in relation to the economic consequences, the findings showed that the item (holding sports events strengthens the infrastructure and creates suitable facilities, with a factor load of 0.96) and the item (sports diplomacy increases the accumulation of physical capital, with a factor load of 95) (0.0) has the highest factor load and the item (sports diplomacy increases the economic culture in the country, with a & factor load of 0.41) in the economic consequences of the development of sports diplomacy in the opinion of experts. The codes obtained in the interviews of the qualitative part, according to the interviews conducted in the economic dimension, most of the interviewees emphasized the relationship between sports diplomacy and sports tourism, which is one of the main concepts that can be referred to in the economic dimension of sports diplomacy. He pointed out that tourism and sports are combined, and in the sports dimension of sports diplomacy, the lack of suitable sports infrastructure for international events has played a significant role in the development of sports diplomacy in the country. According to the current research, one of the most important consequences of sports diplomacy is its economic dimension, which sports brings with it wide economic effects, and that is why it has been named as a dynamic industry and is currently one of the 10 industries in the world. It is superior in developed and developing countries, which is important in relation to the transformation of sports as a money-making industry for developing countries. In the time period of conducting the research, there were limitations such as the small cooperation of some research samples, the lack of knowledge of some samples of sports diplomacy, the conditions of the Koid 19 epidemic in the information gathering stage, and limited theoretical foundations in the field of sports diplomacy, especially in the economic dimension. that has prevented better performance. According to the attractiveness and income generating potential of the sports industry, there seems to be less of a problem for the existence of the private sector investor, except for some legal obstacles and lack of support. Based on this, it is suggested that the government, by formulating a plan and preparing soft and hard infrastructures in areas such as building sports facilities, holding international events, exchange of athletes, etc., will create the basis for the presence and participation of the private sector and use of its capabilities. the country's tourism for the increasing development of the country's sports diplomacy.

Keywords


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