Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Ph.D. Student sports management, Ha.c., Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran
2 Department of Physical Education, Ha.c., Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran
3 Department of Physical Education, Mal.c., Islamic Azad University, Malayer, Iran
Abstract
The aim of the present study is to explain and design a dynamic model of sports equipment research and development in the complex ecosystem of knowledge-based companies. This study seeks to identify the fundamental factors, pivotal processes, and consequences governing this ecosystem in order to provide an integrated understanding of how it is formed and evolved. This study was conducted with a qualitative approach and using the data-based theorizing method with the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin. Data were collected through 23 in-depth and semi-structured interviews with key experts including entrepreneurs, academics, and policymakers in the sports innovation ecosystem. The purposive sampling process continued until theoretical saturation was reached, and data analysis was conducted in three stages of open, pivotal, and selective coding. The findings showed that the struggle for survival and the effort for innovative growth as a pivotal phenomenon constitute the core of the dynamics of this ecosystem. Causal conditions, including access to financial and knowledge resources and ecosystem structure, force companies to adopt multiple strategies such as resource management, agile product development, networking, and environmental management. These strategies, influenced by contextual conditions (such as the macroeconomic situation) and intervening conditions (such as the capabilities of the entrepreneurial team), ultimately lead to three-level outcomes at the company level (survival or failure), the ecosystem (learning and maturation), and the country's sports industry (reducing dependence and increasing the level of technology). The resulting conceptual model provides a comprehensive roadmap for understanding the complex relationships governing this area.
Keywords
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