International Journal of Innovation Management and Organizational Behavior (IJIMOB)

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of married female principals of girls’ upper secondary schools in their professional relationships with teachers.

Methods and Materials: This qualitative study employed a descriptive phenomenological design to capture the essence of participants’ lived experiences. The research population consisted of married female principals working in public girls’ upper secondary schools across the five educational districts of Tabriz. Participants were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling based on defined criteria, including a minimum of five years of managerial experience, at least a master’s degree, and having at least one child. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted until theoretical saturation was achieved with twelve participants. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method. Credibility and trustworthiness were ensured through prolonged engagement, member checking, careful transcription review, and consistency in coding and theme development.

Findings: Data analysis led to the extraction of three main categories reflecting the principals’ lived experiences: low job motivation among teachers, the necessity of effective communication and mutual understanding, and teachers’ personal problems affecting professional functioning. These categories encompassed experiences related to reduced responsibility, task avoidance, limited participation in school administration, resistance to professional updating, unprofessional behaviors, and the impact of family- and health-related issues such as childbirth and frequent absences.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that the leadership experiences of female school principals are deeply relational and shaped by ongoing efforts to balance empathy, accountability, and organizational effectiveness. Understanding these lived experiences can inform more context-sensitive leadership development and support strategies in secondary education.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of organizational well-being on organizational flourishing among employees of selected martial arts federations with the mediating role of psychological flexibility.

Methods and Materials: The present research employed a descriptive–correlational design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of 337 employees from the martial arts, judo, wushu, karate, and taekwondo federations, from which 175 participants were selected through proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the Organizational Well-Being Questionnaire, the Organizational Flourishing Questionnaire, and the Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using correlation analysis, multiple regression, and structural equation modeling with PLS and SPSS software.

Findings: The results indicated that organizational well-being significantly predicted organizational flourishing (β = 0.460, t = 5.766, p < .001) and psychological flexibility (β = 0.584, t = 3.156, p < .001). Psychological flexibility also significantly predicted organizational flourishing (β = 0.496, t = 6.600, p < .001). Mediation analysis revealed that psychological flexibility significantly mediated the relationship between organizational well-being and organizational flourishing, as the direct effect of organizational well-being on organizational flourishing decreased after inclusion of the mediator while the indirect effect became significant. Organizational well-being explained 21.16% of the variance in organizational flourishing and 34.10% of the variance in psychological flexibility, while psychological flexibility explained 24.60% of the variance in organizational flourishing.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that organizational well-being enhances organizational flourishing both directly and indirectly by strengthening employees’ psychological flexibility, highlighting psychological flexibility as a core psychological mechanism in sustainable organizational development within sport federations.

Objective:  This study aims to investigate the effect of COVID-19 consequences on supply chain integration and supply chain performance, considering the mediating role of strategic flexibility in Iranian airline companies.

Methods and Materials: This applied, descriptive-correlational study examined employees of airline companies in Tehran as the statistical population (N = 3400). Using Cochran’s formula, a sample of 240 participants was selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected via a Likert-scale questionnaire whose reliability was confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha coefficients exceeding 0.70. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and PLS software at both descriptive and inferential levels. Descriptive indicators such as mean, standard deviation, and frequency distribution were used, while structural equation modeling (SEM) and path analysis tested the research hypotheses. Additional indices such as CR, AVE, Q², SRMR, NIF, and GOF were used to evaluate model fit. The Sobel test was applied to assess the mediating role of strategic flexibility.

Findings: Results indicated that COVID-19 consequences significantly affected supply chain integration (β = 0.456, t = 10.100) and supply chain performance (β = 0.325, t = 10.222). COVID-19 also had a significant effect on strategic flexibility (β = 0.258, t = 7.455). Strategic flexibility significantly influenced supply chain integration (β = 0.459, t = 8.200) and supply chain performance (β = 0.369, t = 12.123). Sobel test results confirmed the mediating role of strategic flexibility, with indirect effects of 0.39 and 0.44, both with confidence intervals above zero. Model fit indices and R² values supported strong predictive power and high model adequacy.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that COVID-19 consequences significantly shape supply chain integration and performance, and strategic flexibility serves as a vital mediating mechanism that enhances organizational resilience and operational effectiveness within Iranian airline supply chains.

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop and empirically validate a comprehensive model of ambidextrous human resource management (A-HRM) tailored to the structural and behavioral requirements of project-oriented organizations.

Methods and Materials: This study employed a mixed-methods sequential exploratory design consisting of qualitative and quantitative phases. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 experts in ambidextrous HRM using purposive and snowball sampling until theoretical saturation was achieved. The interviews were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding using MAXQDA, and thematic structures underlying motivational, empowering, and opportunity-creating HRM practices were extracted. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-developed questionnaire was administered to 213 employees of a large project-oriented organization. Measurement reliability was assessed through Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability (CR), and average variance extracted (AVE), while normality was examined using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to examine path coefficients, t-values, predictive relevance (Q²), coefficient of determination (R²), and overall model fit (GOF).

Findings: The Kolmogorov–Smirnov results indicated all variables were non-normal (p < 0.05), supporting the use of SEM with non-parametric assumptions. All main constructs—motivational practices (R² = 0.836), empowering practices (R² = 0.813), and opportunity-creating practices (R² = 0.733)—showed strong explanatory power. Path coefficients exceeded significance thresholds (t > 1.96), confirming meaningful relationships among variables. Predictive relevance values indicated strong model validity (Q² > 0.35). The overall model demonstrated excellent global fit (GOF = 0.56), confirming strong structural integrity and predictive capability.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between ethical climate and organizational commitment among physical education teachers in Iran, focusing on the mediating role of organizational–professional conflict.

Methods and Materials: A correlational–descriptive design was used. The statistical population consisted of all physical education teachers in Iran (N ≈ 27,000). Based on Cochran and Sharp’s formula, 476 participants were selected through random sampling. Data were collected using four standardized instruments: the Ethical Climate Questionnaire (Cullen et al., 1993), the Organizational–Professional Conflict Questionnaire (Shafer et al., 2002), the Affective Commitment Scale (Meyer & Allen, 1984), and the Impression Management Scale (Paulhus, 1991). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranged from 0.76 to 0.89, confirming acceptable reliability. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression analysis via AMOS software, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Findings: Results revealed that ethical climate dimensions significantly influenced both organizational–professional conflict and affective commitment. Egoistic/individual, egoistic/cosmopolitan, and benevolent/local climates negatively predicted organizational–professional conflict, whereas principled/individual and principled/cosmopolitan climates showed positive effects. Ethical climate variables accounted for 47% of the variance in organizational–professional conflict and 37% in affective commitment. Organizational–professional conflict exhibited a significant negative correlation with affective commitment but did not mediate the relationship between ethical climate and commitment. Impression management significantly influenced reported perceptions of ethical climate and commitment, indicating potential social desirability bias.

Conclusion: The ethical climate in educational organizations plays a pivotal role in shaping teachers’ commitment and managing professional conflicts. Benevolent and principled ethical climates foster stronger affective commitment, whereas egoistic climates undermine it. However, organizational–professional conflict does not function as a mediator in this relationship. Enhancing ethical awareness, fairness, and supportive communication among educational managers can improve teachers’ affective commitment and organizational harmony.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to summarize the definitions, classifications, and characteristics of indicator systems and to create a foundation for understanding and developing a common system through a systematic review.

Methodology: Through a review study, using two English keywords, "Indicator System" and "System of Indicators", five databases—Springer, Sage, Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, and Emerald—were systematically searched. After applying exclusion criteria, a total of 68 documents, which based on PRISMA indicators demonstrated acceptable quality for this study, were selected and analyzed. Data analysis in this research was conducted using Altheide’s method.

Findings:  According to the identified components, the indicator system “refers to a set of characteristics that, through quantitative and qualitative indicators, are influenced by three dimensions—temporal, environmental, and content-related—as well as the target audience, thereby enabling the reflection of changes, the simplification of understanding phenomena, and the measurement and provision of meaningful information about them.” Furthermore, the review of existing classifications in the design and development of indicator systems led to the proposal of a new taxonomy, structured into 40 levels and 14 categories, which are consolidated into six overarching themes: the nature of the indicator, the nature of indicator data, the degree of importance and order of operational steps, application and performance (thematic), number of indicators, and level.

Conclusion:  In addition, the findings of this study identified the characteristics of indicators as essentially descriptive, prescriptive, and deductive. It also provided explanations regarding the selection of good indicators, which will be further elaborated in the following sections.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate a comprehensive model of organizational legitimacy in Iraqi public universities.

Methodology: The research employed a quantitative–descriptive design. The statistical population consisted of 6,000 employees from Iraqi public universities, from which a sample of 361 participants was selected through stratified random sampling using Cochran’s formula. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire containing 80 items across 14 dimensions, including independence, innovation, organizational culture, participation, commitment, adaptability, leadership style, organizational support, reward systems, result orientation, mission clarity, organizational behavior, identity, and organizational structure. Validity was established through content and construct validity procedures, while reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.86. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with LISREL software, and model fit was assessed using multiple fit indices.

Findings: All dimensions demonstrated statistically significant path coefficients, generally exceeding 0.5, with many approaching or surpassing 0.8, indicating strong contributions to organizational legitimacy. The highest factor loadings were observed for independence, innovation, and organizational culture. All t-values exceeded 1.96, confirming statistical significance. Model fit indices indicated strong alignment with the observed data.

Conclusion: The validated model confirms that organizational legitimacy in Iraqi public universities is a multidimensional construct influenced by both internal capabilities and external stakeholder perceptions. Strengthening independence, fostering innovation, cultivating organizational culture, promoting participation, and ensuring transparent governance are key strategies for enhancing legitimacy. The model offers a practical framework for policymakers and university leaders to guide institutional development and strategic planning in higher education.