Modeling the Factors of Development of the Coaching Organization in the Higher Education Administrative System with an Interpretive Approach

Abstract

The study aimed to design a model to identify and explain the factors influencing the development of a coaching organization in the Iranian higher education administrative system. Philosophically grounded in an interpretive approach, this study adopted an inductive and applied-developmental research design. The participants were faculty members and administrators from public universities in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, selected through purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was reached with 16 interviews. Semi-structured interviews and a decision matrix-based questionnaire were used for data collection. Data validity and reliability were confirmed through Holsti’s method, Cohen’s kappa, and the intra-class correlation coefficient. Thematic analysis was conducted using MaxQDA20, and relationships among constructs were determined using structural-interpretive modeling in MicMac software. The results indicated that organizational culture, technological infrastructure, and leadership style directly affect strategic orientation and organizational structure. In turn, strategic orientation and organizational structure influence human capital and organizational processes, which ultimately lead to the development of the coaching organization within the administrative system of higher education. The findings suggest that the development of a coaching organization is a multidimensional process shaped by managerial, organizational, and technological factors. The proposed model can serve as a roadmap for higher education administrators to strengthen organizational culture, enhance human capital, and implement effective structures to achieve sustainable development goals.