International Journal of Innovation Management and Organizational Behavior (IJIMOB)

Objective: This study aimed to identify the components of strategic human capital and its impact on employees' innovative work behaviors with the moderating role of job embeddedness in Karbala municipal offices.

Methodology:  The present research adopted a mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative) approach, gathering data through systematic review, Delphi method, and questionnaires.

Findings:  In the systematic review section, 27 primary indicators of strategic human capital were identified, from which, following Delphi surveys and exploratory factor analysis, three main components were extracted: "value creation and strategic competitiveness," "agility and strategic adaptability," and "alignment and strategic participation." In the quantitative phase, using structural equation modeling, the positive impact of strategic human capital on innovative work behaviors was confirmed, and the moderating role of job embeddedness in this relationship was found to be significant.

Conclusion:  The results indicate that strategic human capital effectively enhances innovative behaviors and creates a conducive environment for improving organizational performance. By identifying the components of strategic human capital and examining its effective mechanisms, this study contributes to filling gaps in the research literature and provides practical suggestions for enhancing human resource management.

Objective: This study aims to develop and present a model of shadow leadership in Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources by examining its causal conditions, intervening factors, strategies, and consequences.

Methods and Materials: The study employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative research. In the qualitative phase, 18 experts, including university faculty members specializing in behavioral sciences and water resource professionals, were selected through purposive sampling for in-depth interviews. The qualitative data were analyzed using grounded theory, including open, axial, and selective coding. In the quantitative phase, 384 employees of the Ministry of Water Resources were surveyed using a researcher-designed questionnaire based on qualitative findings. The questionnaire’s validity was assessed using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR), and its reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.858. Data analysis involved structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed model.

Findings: The results indicate that shadow leadership in Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources is shaped by political, social, and institutional factors. Causal conditions include power challenges, shadow power requirements, social challenges, environmental instability, and governmental shortcomings. Contextual conditions such as networked power, ideological influence, and media control reinforce shadow leadership mechanisms. Intervening factors, including critics’ management, stakeholder expectations, and political identity, shape strategic actions. Identified strategies encompass social development, professional development, media transformation, and fear-based cultural tactics. The consequences highlight both stabilizing effects, such as leadership efficiency and interaction development, and challenges, such as political control and reduced transparency.

Conclusion: Shadow leadership operates as an alternative mechanism of influence in bureaucratic institutions, particularly where formal leadership structures are constrained by political and governance challenges. While it can stabilize decision-making, it also poses risks to transparency and accountability. Strengthening formal governance mechanisms, fostering ethical leadership, and increasing participatory decision-making can mitigate the adverse effects of shadow leadership while leveraging its stabilizing role.

Keywords: Shadow leadership, informal power structures, governance, political influence, Iraq, structural equation modeling, grounded theory.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of job embeddedness on the organizational performance of employees in the Ministry of Sports and Youth, considering the mediating role of organizational justice.

Methodology: The present research is a descriptive-correlational study in which data were collected through a questionnaire using a field research method. The statistical population consisted of all employees of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, totaling 900 individuals. Based on Krejcie and Morgan’s table (1970), a sample of 269 employees was selected using a cluster random sampling method. Data were gathered using the Job Embeddedness Questionnaire by Crossley et al. (2007), the Organizational Performance Questionnaire by Patterson (1992), and the Organizational Justice Questionnaire by Niehoff and Moorman (1993).

Findings: The face and content validity of the questionnaires were confirmed by the research supervisor, and their reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, which was calculated as 0.88 for job embeddedness, 0.75 for organizational performance, and 0.91 for organizational justice. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis, and all calculations were performed using PLS and SPSS software. The results indicated that job embeddedness significantly affects both organizational performance and organizational justice, explaining 35.40% of the variance in organizational performance and 11.22% of the variance in organizational justice. Furthermore, organizational justice mediates the relationship between job embeddedness and the organizational performance of employees in the Ministry of Sports and Youth.

Conclusion: This study highlights the negative impact of job embeddedness on organizational performance, with organizational justice as a mediating factor. Enhancing fairness, transparency, and employee engagement can mitigate these effects and improve overall productivity.

Objective:  The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of organizational commitment in the causal relationship between Islamic work ethics and psychological empowerment with job performance of employees of the Ministry of Sports and Youth.

Methodology: The research method is descriptive-correlational and applied in terms of purpose. The statistical population of this study was the staff of the Deputy for Management Development and Support Resources of the Ministry of Sports and Youth (290 people). According to Cochran's formula, the number of samples was 132. Data collection tools of this study were Ali and Al-Kazemi (1988) Islamic Work Ethics Questionnaire with 18 items, Spiritual and Mishra (1995) Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire with 15 items, Allen and Meyer (1990) Organizational Commitment Questionnaire with 24 items and Patterson Job Performance (1970) with 15 items. Structural equation modeling under Smart PLS3 software was used to investigate the research model and validate the hypotheses.

Findings: The results show that the variable of Islamic work ethic has a positive and significant effect on organizational commitment. Also, the positive and significant effect of Islamic work ethic variable on job performance and psychological empowerment on organizational commitment was confirmed. The effect of psychological empowerment on job performance was also confirmed. Regarding mediation relations, it was found that organizational commitment mediates the effect of Islamic work ethic on job performance. Also, organizational commitment plays a mediating role in the relationship between psychological empowerment and job performance.

Conclusion: Based on proposed model suggested that the managers of the Ministry of Sports and Youth increase the job performance of their employees by training and strengthening, Islamic work ethic and psychological empowerment.

Objective:  This study aims to prioritize the Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) tools in the sports tourism sector in Iran based on the ACCA model to enhance the effectiveness of marketing strategies and attract more tourists.

Methods and Materials: A descriptive-field research method was employed to achieve the study's objectives. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire administered to a statistical population comprising 53 experts and specialists in sports management, all holding at least a master's or doctoral degree in the field. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used as the data analysis method to determine the weight and priority of IMC tools. The study ensured consistency in responses by calculating the inconsistency rate for paired comparisons, ensuring it remained below the acceptable threshold of 0.1.

Findings: The results revealed that advertising and public relations hold the highest importance in creating awareness within the sports tourism sector, with television advertising ranking the highest among advertising tools. Sales promotion emerged as the most significant tool for developing comprehension, with discount coupons receiving the highest final weight. For fostering conviction, personal selling and direct marketing were found to be the most influential, with presence selling and catalog distribution identified as the most effective methods. Finally, in the action stage, personal selling and direct marketing remained the most impactful tools, highlighting their significance in converting potential tourists into actual customers.

Conclusion: The study concludes that an effective IMC strategy in sports tourism should prioritize advertising and public relations to build awareness, followed by sales promotion for comprehension and personal selling for conviction and action. These findings provide valuable insights for tourism authorities and marketers in Iran to allocate resources more efficiently and optimize communication strategies to boost the country's sports tourism industry.

Objective: This study examines the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on accounting conservatism in companies listed on the Iraq and UAE stock exchanges.

Methods and Materials: The statistical sample of the study was selected systematically from companies listed on the Iraq and UAE stock exchanges during the period from 2016 to 2022. This sample includes 31 companies from the Baghdad Stock Exchange and 52 companies from the Abu Dhabi and Dubai stock exchanges. Additionally, the hypotheses of the study were tested using the panel data regression method.

Findings: The results of hypothesis testing indicated that the board size, board independence, managerial ownership, and institutional ownership have a positive and significant impact on accounting conservatism in companies listed on the UAE stock exchange. Moreover, the results showed that only board size has a negative and significant relationship with conservatism in the Iraq stock exchange, while the other results were similar to those of the UAE stock exchange.

Conclusion: The study concludes that board characteristics and ownership structure significantly influence accounting conservatism in Iraq and UAE, with notable differences observed in board size's impact across the two markets.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the components of strategic human capital and its impact on employees' innovative work behaviors with the moderating role of job embeddedness in Karbala municipal offices.

Methodology:  The present research adopted a mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative) approach, gathering data through systematic review, Delphi method, and questionnaires.

Findings:  In the systematic review section, 27 primary indicators of strategic human capital were identified, from which, following Delphi surveys and exploratory factor analysis, three main components were extracted: "value creation and strategic competitiveness," "agility and strategic adaptability," and "alignment and strategic participation." In the quantitative phase, using structural equation modeling, the positive impact of strategic human capital on innovative work behaviors was confirmed, and the moderating role of job embeddedness in this relationship was found to be significant.

Conclusion:  The results indicate that strategic human capital effectively enhances innovative behaviors and creates a conducive environment for improving organizational performance. By identifying the components of strategic human capital and examining its effective mechanisms, this study contributes to filling gaps in the research literature and provides practical suggestions for enhancing human resource management.