Media Trustees as Key Actors in Dealing with Iraq's Sports Crises

Subject Areas : Sport Management

Vesam Mohammad Tomeh ¹ , Vahid Shojaei ^{2 *} , Suhair Meteab Munaf ³ , Rasool Nazari ⁴

1 - Department of Physical Education, Isf. C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
2 - Department of Physical Education, Sar.C., Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran
3 - Department of Physical Education, Baghdad University, Iraq
4 - Department of Physical Education, Isf. C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

Received: 2025-05-30 Accepted : 2025-08-18 Published : 2025-09-22

Keywords: Key players, Media, Risk, Productivity Improvement, Sport ,

Abstract :

Objective: Improving productivity in sports is a vital tool for maintaining sustainability and facing sudden challenges. Facing crises through management strategies not only prevents potential losses but also leads to enhancing the sustainability and added value of professional sports. Therefore, the main objective of the present study is to present risk reduction strategies according to the objectives of actors, especially media managers, to improve productivity in Iraqi professional sports, based on the key actor analysis technique.

Methods: This was done using a strategic planning simulation tool called MacTur. In this study, 18 participants were selected purely purposefully.

Results: The findings show that the objectives or social crises, lack of hardware standards, environmental, political, technological, economic, media and emerging crises are fully agreed upon by all the main actors in the issue of crisis management in Iraqi professional sports. However, the main actors, in relation to natural, security and global crises, do not have such a firm opinion and are somewhat opposed to some of the goals. It was also found that the sports federation and sports do not have any special ability in the face of security crises. It seems that the goals of each of these actors in promoting productivity overlap to some extent, but there are also differences in their priorities and approaches.

Conclusions: The selection and implementation of appropriate strategies for risk reduction depends on various factors, including the type of crisis, the goals of the actors and the available resources. A strategy for developing media literacy among various stakeholders of sports with education was also presented.

References:

Adamson, M.M., Aftab, K., Madrigal, E.P., Timmerman, M.A., Chung, J., Galhotra, P.P., & et all. (2024). Rehabilitation Strategies and Innovations in Later Life for Traumatic Brain Injury. Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology, Ready to publish. Doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-818697-8.00019-4.
Bentley, S., Haslam, C., Cruwys,T., Cao, Y., &Milic, J. (2024). Groups 4 Health in Later Life. Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology, Ready to publish. Doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-818697-8.00037-6.
Bowers, M. R., Hall, J. R., & Srinivasan, M. M. (2017). Organizational culture and leadership style: The missing combination for selecting the right leader for effective crisis management. Business horizons, 60(4), 551-563.
Bundy, J., Pfarrer, M. D., Short, C. E., & Coombs, W. T. (2017). Crises and crisis management: Integration, interpretation, and research development. Journal of management, 43(6), 1661-1692.
Chang, R. (2007). Financial crises and political crises. Journal of monetary Economics, 54(8), 2409-2420.
Chaudhuri, R., Chatterjee, S., Kraus, S., & Vrontis, D. (2023). Assessing the AI-CRM technology capability for sustaining family businesses in times of crisis: the moderating role of strategic intent. Journal of Family Business Management, 13(1), 46-67.
Grundy, S. M. (2006). Drug therapy of the metabolic syndrome: minimizing the emerging crisis in polypharmacy. Nature reviews Drug discovery, 5(4), 295-309.
Gwartz, E., &Spence, K. (2022). Conscious capitalism and sport: Exploring higher purpose in a professional sport organization. Sport Management Review, 23(4), 750-763.
Hamilton, M. (2021).Future Directions in Digital Information:Envisioning Education 4.0—A scenario planning approach to predicting the future. Published by Elsevier Ltd, 267-283.
Hsiung, T.T. (2024). Corporate social responsibility and sport governanceea casestudy of Turkey.Taiwan Society for Sport Management, 43,2e15.
Inoue, Y., Sato, M., Filo, K., Du, J., & Funk, D.C. (2023). Sport spectatorship and lifesatisfaction: A multicountry investigation.Journal of Sport Management, 31(4), 419e432.
Islam, M. N. (2023). Managing organizational change in responding to global crises. Global Business and Organizational Excellence, 42(3), 42-57.
Jackman, P.C., Dargue, E.J., Johnston, J.P., Hawkins, R.M. (2021). Flow in youth sport, physical activity, and physical education: A systematic review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 53, 101852. Doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101852.
Madden, P. (2012). Fan welfare maximization as a club objective in a professional sports league. European Economic Review, 56(3), 560-578
Manoli, a. E., & janečić, d. (2021). Challenges to the role of media in reporting sport corruption: insights from reporters in balkan countries. International review for the sociology of sport, 56(6), 842-858.
McCuea, R., McCormacka,A., McElnay, J., Alto, A., & Feeney, A. (2019). The future and me: Imagining the future and the future self in adolescent decision making. Cognitive Development, 50, 142-156.
Naseri, A., Yousefi, B., Hasani, Z., & Khazaei, A.A (2022). Analysis of network corruption in sports with Delphi-fuzzy approach, Organizational Behavior Management Studies in Sports, 9(1), 89-104 (In Persian).
Nazarı, R. (2017). The Impact of Mental Skills on Management Skills and Selecting Management Models on Sports Managers. International Journal of Sport Culture and Science, 5(3), 124-133.
Nazari, R., & Ghasemi, H. (2013). The role of mass media as an opportunity for sustainable development in sport. Communication Management in Sport Media, 1(1), 40-44.
Nazari, R., Seirafian Baboldashti, M., & Rahimi, G. (2023). The Conscious Prediction Model of Crisis in Sports: Professional Football in Iran. Sport Management Journal, 15(3), 370-352. doi: 10.22059/jsm.2023.353302.3088
Nazari, Rasool; Shaholi Kohshuri, Javad. (2021). Strategic scenarios of health-oriented sports education in Iran. Journal of Sports Management, 14(1), 151-172. (In Persian).
Oh, O., Agrawal, M., & Rao, H. R. (2013). Community intelligence and social media services: A rumor theoretic analysis of tweets during social crises. MIS quarterly, 407-426.
Pakbaz Khosrowshahi, Ali. (2020). Designing a crisis management model in the media. Media magazine, number 3, serial 112, pp. 125-146. (In Persian).
Richardson, J., & McKenna, S. (2022). An exploration of career sustainability in and after professional sport. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 17, 103314. Doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2019.06.002.
Seirafian Baboldashti,, M., Nazari, R., & Rahimi Sarshabadrani, Q. (2024). The future of crisis management in Iran's professional football: a multi-faceted scenario planning. Research in Sport Management and Marketing, (), -. doi: 10.22098/rsmm.2024.14710.1327
Shahryari, N., Tabesh, S., Nazari, R., & Zolfagharzadeh, M. M. (2019). Meta-analysis of the Effects of Social-Health Development on the Institutionalization of sport for all. Nurse and Physician Within War, 25(7), 41-48.
Sohrabi, Z., Moharramzadeh,, M., Naghizadeh-Baghi, A., & Azizian Kohan, N. (2024). Analysis the of Key Players and Goals of Iranian Professional Sports through MACTOR. Sport Management Journal, 16(1), 194-171. doi: 10.22059/jsm.2023.356101.3120
Stathopoulou, a., quansah, t. K., & balabanis, g. (2022). The blinding effects of team identification on sports corruption: cross-cultural evidence from sub-saharan african countries. Journal of business ethics, 179(2), 511-529.
The business research company. (2020). Sports global market report 2021. Https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/ sports-global-market-report.
Trudeau, F., & Yao, P.L. (2021). Athletic identity concept:French validation of the Athletic Identity Questionnaire. Int J Appl Sport Science, 30, 111–125.
Tseng, K. F., Yang, W. L., & Cheng, C. F. (2017). Differences in charitable activities ofprofessional sports between Taiwan and the united Sstates.Sport Research Re-view, 143,22e31.
Whittle, S. (2024). The Role of Sport Involvement in Reducing Depressive Symptoms via Changes to Hippocampal Structure: Next Steps for Research in Developing Samples. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, 4(5), 421-422.
Yen, c. T. N. (2023). The role of mass media in vietnam’s anti-corruption campaign nowadays. European science review, (1-2), 15-21.