Individual Characteristics Built from the Lived Experience of Cultural Intelligence of Iranian Sports Supervisors

Background and Purpose
One of the essential factors in the success of sports teams are the individuals chosen as leaders. Therefore, one important aspect of sports team leadership is that team members often come from diverse cultural backgrounds. Moreover, participation in international competitions exposes teams to environments with even greater cultural diversity. Many experts believe that leaders must possess the ability and skill of cultural intelligence to interact more effectively with team members and navigate different cultural environments. Cultural intelligence is an essential skill for navigating multicultural situations, enabling individuals to quickly understand various cultural components and respond appropriately to each one (Eken, Özturgut, Craven, 2014). Recognizing the importance of cultural intelligence, this study aims to explore and develop individual characteristics based on the lived experiences of cultural intelligence among Iranian sports supervisors.
 Materials and Methods
The present study was qualitative in nature, aiming to build individual and personality characteristics of sports supervisors based on their lived experiences of cultural intelligence. To explore these lived experiences, a phenomenological approach was employed. Phenomenology, as a research method, focuses on studying phenomena and describing the structures of lived and conscious experiences without referencing theories, comparative-hypothetical thinking, or prior theoretical assumptions (Tayebi Abolhasani, 2019).  The participants were selected using a homogeneous purposeful sampling method, as the researcher aimed to choose samples with similar characteristics. There was an iterative process between sampling and data analysis, where the researcher revisited the field to conduct additional interviews if gaps in the data analysis were identified. Sampling continued until theoretical saturation was reached, meaning no new or significant data emerged. As a result, the sample size was finalized at 12 participants. These 12 Iranian sports supervisors had sent their athletes to international competitions at least once. The data collection tool used was a semi-structured in-depth interview. The data were analyzed using content analysis, which involves a systematic process of identifying open themes (codes and key points from the text), secondary themes (themes derived by combining and summarizing basic themes), and main themes (higher-level themes that encompass the overall principles of the text) (Broun and Clarke, 2006). To ensure the validity of the analysis, the audit technique was applied, where several experts in thematic analysis supervised the different stages of coding and theme extraction. Additionally, the participants were asked to review the findings and provide feedback on their authenticity. All of these validation steps were confirmed during the investigation.
Finding
In this study, the findings were presented in two parts. First, the demographic characteristics of the participants were described. Second, the findings were presented in the form of themes derived from the interviews, including open codes, sub-themes, and the main themes, all of which were identified using content analysis. After conducting and reviewing the interviews, the data were analyzed using the content analysis method. The results of the study—open codes, sub-themes, and main themes—were based on the lived experiences of sports supervisors regarding cultural intelligence, with a particular focus on individual characteristics. Finally, four main themes were identified: "personality education," "cultural awareness," "psychological characteristics," and "cultural compatibility." Personality education is defined as the organization within the emotional systems- emotional, cognitive and conceptual of a person, which determines the unique reactions of humans to the environment and to the relatively constant pattern of states and behaviors that express tendencies. The main theme of personality education was formed from three sub-themes including: "law-orientedness, responsibility and chivalrous behavior". Cultural awareness refers to the decision to move beyond specific knowledge and begin learning about cultures one is unfamiliar with. This knowledge encompasses general information, such as beliefs, customs, and language, that helps individuals understand and navigate different cultural contexts effectively. The main theme of cultural awareness, based onthe lived experiences of Iranian sports supervisors was formed from three sub-themes of "following world news, reading books and using educational packages". Psychological characteristics refers to the individual mental traits that differentiate one person from another, and it encompasses various aspects of personality and mental processes. The sub-themes contributing to this theme include: Self-efficacy, sense of worth, and having positive thoughts" Cultural compatibility refers to the ability to harmonize, compromise, and get along with different cultures and social environments. It involves adapting either oneself or the social environment to fit diverse cultural contexts. This skill is fundamental for navigating multicultural situations and requires effective emotional and behavioral regulation. The main theme of cultural compatibility consisted of three sub-themes "conformity with religious beliefs, cultural convergence and avoiding dogma". The findings of the study showed that individual and personality characteristics that include the comprehensive themes of "personality education", "cultural awareness", "psychological characteristics" and "cultural compatibility" are among the factors that develop the cultural intelligence of sports supervisors. In sum, the findings state that individual characteristics can be a prerequisite for cultural intelligence.
Conclusion
According to the mentioned themes, it can be concluded that the personal and personality characteristics of sports supervisors, such as personality development, cultural awareness, psychological characteristics and cultural adaptation, play a crucial role as prerequisites and necessary conditions for the development of cultural intelligence.Additionally, the skill of cultural intelligence is crucial for achieving greater success in the sports community, particularly at the international level. This skill serves as one of the fundamental competencies for the success of sports teams. Based on the findings of this research, it can be concluded that the development of cultural intelligence in
sports supervisors is a key factor for achieving success in the sports community, especially at the international level. Cultivating cultural intelligence can enhance sports performance, strengthen interpersonal and group relationships, and increase cultural awareness and adaptation in the sports environment.
Funding
This study received no funding from public, commercial, or nonprofit organizations.
Authors’ Contributions
First and Second Author: Data collection and authorship of the introduction; Second and Third Author: conceptualization and presentation of the idea, authorship of the introduction, discussion and methodology; First and Fourth author: data analysis. All authors contributed equally to the writing and revision of the article.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declared no conflict of interest.