Designing a Productivity Management Model for Physical Education Departments in Universities and Higher Education Institutions in Iran with the aim of Improving Accountability System

Accountability is one of the perquisites of modern governance today, so the main purpose of this study was to investigate the accountability system in physical education departments and higher education institutions, and to design a productivity management model based on accountability.

This research work adopted a mixed methology (qualitative-quantitative), and falls into the category of applied research in terms of its objective. The statistical population of the research work in the qualitative section consisted of practicing and academic experts in universities at their departments of physical education and in higher education institutions; and in the quantitative section, it consisted of the all heads and deputies at the General Department of Physical Education of the Student Affairs Organization (86 individuals) and deputies and senior experts at the physical education departments in universities and higher education institutions (31 provinces), who were identified and selected through the cluster-sampling method. In the qualitative section, the authors conducted a systematic analysis based on the grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin's paradigm model, 2006). In the quantitative section, the authors developed a questionnaire based on the findings of the qualitative section, and after confirming the construct validity through confirmatory factor analysis, examined the fit of the obtained quantitative model based on structural equation modeling using the Smart PLS software.

Inefficiency of the accountability system in physical education departments and higher education institutions is evident. The results helped identify causal factors, contextual factors, intervening factors, strategies, and outcomes related to the productivity model based on the accountability system. The causal factors addressed the inefficiency of systems, organizational aspects, work autonomy, work support aspects, inefficiency, financial aspects, and lack of institutional accountability. The contextual factors addressed the technical, human, and cultural aspects. The intervening factors addressed structural conditions, infrastructures, and the accountability process. Taking initiatives such as micro-, mid-, and macro-level strategies could pave the way to achieving outcomes such as transparency, improved performance, higher degrees of trust, enhanced motivation, greater effectiveness of the measures, and to prevent loss of resources and capabilities.

Reorganization of the administrative system of the physical education departments and higher education institutions, development of individual and organizational accountability, training of human resources and meritocracy, development of an accountability culture in the organization, and attention to infrastructures and financial aspects are among the practical research suggestions.