The Role of Win-win Conflict Management Strategy and Political Intelligence on the Perception of Selected sports Federations Employees about Organizational Justice

Background and Purpose
The success and sustainability of any organization heavily depend on the alignment of its members toward shared goals and objectives. However, conflicts among individuals within organizations can disrupt this alignment, impeding progress and reducing productivity (Devin, 2016). Effective conflict management strategies are therefore essential to maintain organizational harmony and enhance performance. Among these strategies, the win-win approach—which emphasizes collaboration and compromise—has been shown to correlate positively with human resource productivity. Individuals employing win-win conflict management styles tend to foster teamwork, achieve mutually satisfactory resolutions, and contribute to both organizational and team productivity (Kiani & Radfar, 2014).
In the context of sports federations, where teamwork and cooperation are vital, managing conflicts constructively is crucial. Additionally, political intelligence—the ability to understand and navigate organizational politics and power dynamics—plays a significant role in conflict management and organizational justice perceptions. Political intelligence enables managers to employ flexible and effective problem-solving approaches, influencing organizational dynamics positively.
Given these considerations, this study aims to investigate the role of the win-win conflict management strategy and political intelligence on employees’ perceptions of organizational justice in selected Iranian sports federations, including basketball, weightlifting, wrestling, rowing, and shooting. Organizational justice pertains to employees’ perceptions of fairness in the workplace, which significantly affects motivation, satisfaction, and performance.
 
Materials and Methods
This research is applied in nature, utilizing a descriptive-survey methodology for data collection. The study population comprised 130 employees from the selected sports federations. Using the Morgan table and accessible random sampling methods, a sample size of 97 participants was obtained.
Data were collected via a structured questionnaire consisting of two parts: demographic information and research variables measured on a five-point Likert scale. The questionnaire was adapted from standardized instruments assessing organizational justice, political intelligence, and conflict management strategies.
The validity of the questionnaire was established through expert review by sports management professors. Reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha, which yielded a high overall reliability coefficient of 0.892, indicating consistency and dependability of the instrument.
Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22 for descriptive and inferential statistics and AMOS version 22 for testing the research hypotheses and structural equation modeling.
 
Findings
The demographic profile of the sample indicated that 68% were male and 32% female. Age distribution showed that 41% were between 30 and 40 years old, 24% under 30, and 35% over 40. Regarding education, 54% held a master’s degree, 29% a doctorate, and 17% a bachelor’s degree. Job roles included 53% middle managers, 26% senior managers, and 21% operational managers.
The model fit indices demonstrated strong support for the conceptual framework. The normalized Chi-square value was 1.72, indicating a good fit, and the RMSEA value of 0.043 further confirmed model adequacy. Other fit indices also fell within acceptable ranges.
Analysis of the model’s components revealed that within political intelligence, the “political personality” dimension had the highest factor loading at 0.84. For organizational justice, “procedural justice” emerged as the most significant dimension with a loading of 0.63. Within the win-win conflict management strategy, the “collaboration” dimension was most prominent, with a value of 0.73.
Path coefficient analysis showed positive and statistically significant relationships between political intelligence and organizational justice (β = 0.12), political intelligence and the win-win strategy (β = 0.07), and the win-win strategy and organizational justice (β = 0.08), all significant at the 0.01 level. These results suggest that managers who possess higher political intelligence are more likely to employ collaborative conflict management strategies, which in turn enhance employees’ perceptions of fairness within the organization.
 
Discussion
The findings highlight the critical role of political intelligence in navigating organizational conflicts and fostering perceptions of justice among employees. Managers with high political intelligence can better understand the power structures and informal networks within organizations, enabling them to resolve conflicts effectively through win-win strategies.
The positive impact of the win-win conflict management approach on organizational justice aligns with previous studies emphasizing the benefits of collaboration and compromise in conflict resolution. Collaborative strategies ensure that all parties feel heard and valued, which enhances trust and fairness perceptions.
The prominence of procedural justice in the model underscores the importance of transparent, consistent, and fair processes in organizational decision-making. Employees’ perceptions of fairness are strongly influenced by how procedures are implemented, which affects their overall satisfaction and commitment.
Given the demographic composition of the sample, the study also suggests that educational attainment and managerial level influence the adoption of political intelligence and conflict management strategies, with middle and senior managers playing pivotal roles.
 
Conclusion
This research confirms that the win-win conflict management strategy and political intelligence significantly influence employees’ perceptions of organizational justice in sports federations. Managers who are politically intelligent and employ collaborative conflict management styles contribute to a fairer and more effective organizational environment.
To enhance organizational justice and performance, sports federations should invest in training programs focused on developing political intelligence and conflict resolution skills among managers and employees. Workshops and seminars can equip personnel with the tools necessary to navigate complex organizational dynamics and foster collaborative problem-solving.
Consistent with Saberi et al. (2019), the study recommends prioritizing the selection and development of managers with high political intelligence to improve conflict management and organizational outcomes. Such initiatives can ultimately lead to increased efficiency, employee satisfaction, and organizational success within sports federations.