Strategic Planning for Sports Talent Management in Iraq
Keywords:
Strategic planning, Sports talent management, Iraq, Mixed research method, SWOT, RBVAbstract
This study aimed to design a comprehensive strategic planning framework for sports talent management in Iraq, encompassing key dimensions such as athlete recruitment, retention, development, performance management, compensation, and motivation, all aligned with the long-term development of professional sports. A mixed-methods (qualitative–quantitative) approach was adopted to combine the conceptual depth of qualitative inquiry with the statistical rigor of quantitative methods. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 experts in the fields of sports and sports management. SWOT analysis and the Resource-Based View (RBV) approach were employed to identify the components and challenges of sports talent management in Iraq. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire developed based on the qualitative findings was administered to 75 sports managers, coaches, and experts, and the collected data were analyzed using statistical methods. The quantitative results indicated that the key components of strategic planning—including talent recruitment and identification, retention, performance management, individual and team development, compensation, and motivation—were all considered highly important by the study population, and the proposed model significantly addressed these dimensions. Furthermore, prioritizing strategies using the Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE) and the External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFE) contributed to determining effective operational pathways. Given the complexity and multidimensional nature of sports talent management, the combined model based on SWOT and RBV proved effective for strategic planning. The proposed model can serve as a foundation for developing a sports talent management system in Iraq and improving the long-term performance of professional sports.
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