Qualitative Analysis of Factors Affecting the Development of Personal Brand of Iranian Sport Coaches: A Grounded Theory Approach

The aim of this study was qualitative analysis of those factors affecting the development of personal brand of sport coaches in Iran using the grounded theory approach. The present study was applied in terms of objectives and the method of data collection was library-field. This study was qualitative that was carried out by the grounded theory method. The sample was selected by purposive sampling method in the first stage and snowball method in the second stage and continued until theoretical saturation. 18 subjects participated in the interview. In the present study, semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. After coding, 93 concepts, 25 categories and 6 dimensions were obtained that indicated "personality", "coach behavioral approach", "off-campus lifestyle", "promotion", "coach expertise, performance and skill" and "environmental factors" were the most important factors influencing the development of sport coaches’ personal brand in Iran. Coaches and managers in Iran can rely on these factors to lay the necessary groundwork for the development of sport coaches’ personal brand and help increase their income and reputation.