Identifying the Effective Factors (Casual, Intervening, Contextual) on Development of Handball Sport of IRAN Based on the Grounded Theory Approach

The purpose of this study was to determine the effective factors (causal, intervening and contextual) on development of handball sport of IRAN using the grounded theory. This research was exploratory research and a qualitative in nature. The data gathered through documents and interview for 14 handball experts in deep-interview and semi-structured forms. The sample selected through subjective sampling and snowball approach and interviewing continued to get theoretical saturation. Then, data analyzed by grounded theory in coding process included three steps: open, axial and selective coding. The findings indicated that there were 259 effective items (open code) in the causal factors section, that were formed into 19 sub-categories and four main categories; individual factors, development resources, managerial-organizational factors and sports participation. In the contextual factors section, 53 items were classified in seven categories; handball factors, legal factors, economic factors, geographical factors, social factors, cultural factors and political factors. Also in the intervening section, 34 items were classified in two subcategories: facilitators and limiters. Generally, the effective factors obtained from this study can helpgovernment officials in making decisions and adopting appropriate strategies for the development of handball in the country.