Validation of the Denison's 360-degree Leadership Model in Sports Federations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the goodness-of-fit and explanation of the 360-degree leadership model of Denison in sports federations. This research was applied in terms of purpose and in terms of data collection method, it was descriptive-survey. The statistical population of this research included all experts of the Iran’s sports federations that number was 320 people. Based on Morgan table, 171 people were selected by simple random sampling method as a research sample. The Denison's 360-degree leadership questionnaire (2007) was used for data collection. Reliability (Cronbach's alpha and combined reliability), convergent validity, and divergent validity of the questionnaires were verified and confirmed after content reliability, which was verified by 11 professors and experts. Additionally, the fitting of the general model was confirmed by the Confirmatory Factor Analysis and via Smart PLS 2 software. The results of Factor Analysis show that all of 12 dimensions have a desirable level (above 0.4). Also content validity, convergent validity (AVE) and divergent validity was at acceptable levels. Also, the general fitting value of the model was GOF = 0.726 indicating its strong goodness-of-fit. Overall, the results of the study indicated that the Denison leadership model, which included four dimensions and 12 components, was approved its applicability in the Iranian sports federations and could provide a valuable tool for the managers of these federations to establish an effective leadership.