Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Master's degree graduate in Sports Management, Department of Sports Management, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
2
Associate Professor of the Department of Sport Management, Sport Sciences faculty, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
3
Ph.D. in Sports Management, Department of Sports Management, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
4
Ph.D. student in Sports Management, Department of Sports Management, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to analyze the context of implementing digital marketing in professional handball clubs (a case study of Iran's Premier League). The statistical population included managers, experts from the Handball Federation, provincial boards, Premier League clubs, and sports marketing specialists. Purposeful and quota sampling methods were used, with samples selected from individuals willing to participate. To determine the minimum sample size in PLS-SEM, the sample adequacy rule was applied, and 217 questionnaires were analyzed. Smart PLS software was chosen due to the complexity of the conceptual model and the non-normal distribution of the data. The researcher-developed questionnaire, derived from theoretical literature, consisted of four perspectives (readiness and capacity, barriers and challenges, strategies and solutions, outcomes and consequences), each with four dimensions, and its validity and reliability were confirmed. The Friedman test was used to prioritize the dimensions, revealing that environmental strategies, with an average rank of 6.19, were the top priority. Path coefficient analysis also showed that environmental strategies (path coefficient of 0.80) had the greatest impact. Digital marketing in handball requires technological transformation and an innovation ecosystem, and managers must examine the interplay of factors at various levels to achieve optimal performance.
Keywords
Main Subjects
