Gray analysis in the evaluation of sports and cultural recreation places in Isfahan city: an approach to optimizing social function

The purpose of this research was to identify a set of indicators for the evaluation of recreational sports pools in Isfahan, which was carried out using gray relation analysis.

This research is descriptive-analytical in terms of practical purpose and in terms of data collection and research design. The statistical population of this research included all professors and experts (including managers, experts and inspectors) in the field of sports with a special focus on the field of swimming. The approach of this research is hybrid, and for this reason, purposeful snowball sampling was used for sampling in the qualitative part, and the number of samples was determined based on the theoretical saturation level, which was 13 people. In the quantitative section, due to the large size of the population, the sample size was estimated to be 380 people using the Cochran method. In the qualitative part, in order to reach the indicators, a library study was done, and in order to complete it, an interview method was used to complete it. In the quantitative section, experts' opinions were used to determine the final indicators, and then, with the cooperation of sports centers, necessary measures were taken to collect information on the indicators. The scope of the research included 20 pools located in 15 different areas of Isfahan, Sepahanshahr and Baharestan. In order to analyze the data in the qualitative part, inductive theme analysis and in the quantitative part, second-order confirmatory factor analysis in PLS software and gray relation analysis in Excel software were used. To ensure the validity of the questionnaires, face validity and construct validity were used, and Cronbach's alpha was used to ensure reliability.

Based on the findings, indicators of the state of equipment and facilities, infrastructure and structure, technology, location, architecture and building design, manpower, safety and health, marketing factors, management factors and the quality of ancillary services were approved for the evaluation of pools and based on the gray relationship of the pool Azadi and Revolution have the highest rating, and sample pools and Behtovan pools do not have a good rating.

From the information status of these pools, it is clear that the infrastructure, safety and health, marketing factors, technology, architecture and building design, and management factors are things that can be very effective in competitiveness and attraction of the audience and should be considered in the management of pools.