Structural Factors of Sport for All in Iran with Mixed Method Research Design

The objective of this study was to identify and rate the most important structural factors influencing popularity of recreational sports in Iran. This study was performed consecutively using the exploratory mixed method in a quantitative and a qualitative phase. In the first stage, the targeted sampling method and the snowball sampling method were used to select 28 experts at recreation sports in Iran. Information on these experts was gathered through depth interviews. Next, data from twenty eight interviews was encoded and analyzed in three steps based on the Grounded Theory. As a result of grouping the data, seven effective structural factors were identified. In the second stage, a questionnaire was designed on the basis of previous findings and the research literature. After examining and confirming the psychometric features of the questionnaire, it was distributed among 301 experts, managers and researchers active in the field of public sports in Iran. The respondents were selected using the stratified sampling method and questionnaires were collected following completion. Afterwards, a hierarchical regression analysis was performed considering the predictor path coefficients so as to determine structural effective factors in the order of significance. These factors included the following: organizational media, financial resources, rules and regulations, human resources, equipment and infrastructure, technology and partner organizations. Research results reflected the importance of organizational media, financial resources, and rules and regulations in providing a structure suitable enough for popularity of sports in Iran.