Introduction

In the current era, known as the era of globalization, organizations are facing challenges arising from global competition. This intense competition makes the need for fundamental changes and continuous innovations more felt than ever before. Therefore, organizations are forced to turn to new and creative methods after years of following fixed procedures (1). In this regard, creativity is recognized as a key factor in the success of organizations. Employees who are creative in their workplace can provide innovative ideas for products, services and processes and, in this way, help the organization adapt to environmental changes (2). As one of the most important assets of organizations, human resources play a significant role in achieving organizational goals and plans. Employee empowerment and their creativity can lead to improved performance and increased efficiency of organizations. Empowering human resources means promoting a sense of self-efficacy and creating a space for freedom of action for employees. This provides an opportunity to improve employees’ skills and abilities and helps them achieve organizational goals (3).

Empowerment means delegating more authority and responsibility to employees (4). According to Spreitzer’s theory, empowerment involves organizational actions that allow employees to have more autonomy in their decision-making. This approach emphasizes that empowerment is not only the responsibility of managers, but also depends on employees’ perceptions and attitudes about their role in the organization (5).

In today’s world, the slogan “You will perish if you are not creative” has become a serious warning for organizations (6). Research shows that several factors affect employee creativity, but intrinsic motivation and skills related to creativity and innovation are key components of increasing creativity. Psychological empowerment of employees can help improve these motivations (7).

Since creativity in sports management may be more important than the sports activity itself in some cases, it seems that enhancing employees’ creativity can also help empower them. This two-way relationship can lead to improved performance and service quality in sports organizations (8).

Given the importance and key role of creativity and empowerment in today’s organizations, this study seeks to answer the fundamental question of whether there is a meaningful relationship between creativity and dimensions of psychological empowerment of employees of the General Directorate of Sports and Youth of Qom Province? Investigating this issue can help to better understand how to increase creativity and empowerment in workplaces and pave the way for developing effective strategies for human resource development in sports organizations.

The results of this study can help managers and planners to provide a suitable platform for the growth and development of their organizations by better understanding the factors affecting creativity and empowerment. Ultimately, it is expected that this research will lead to improving the quality of management and sustainable development in sports organizations and will be used as a scientific reference in the field of human resource management and creativity.

Method: The present study is a correlational study.

Participants: The statistical population includes all employees of the General Directorate of Sports and Youth of Qom Province, 82 people. Due to the limited number of people in the population, the total number sampling method was used and all members of the population were considered as samples.

Measurement tools:

Two standard questionnaires were used to collect data:

Spritzer Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire: This questionnaire consists of 12 items and 4 subscales including meaningfulness, competence, choice, and effectiveness. Each subscale consists of 3 items. Subjects must express their level of agreement with each item on a 5-point Likert scale (from very high to very low). The validity and reliability of this questionnaire have been confirmed in the study by Mousavi, Safania, and Shirvani (2014).

Randsip Creativity Questionnaire: This questionnaire consists of 50 items and is designed based on a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree, 5; agree, 4; neutral, 3; disagree, 2; strongly disagree, 1). The validity and reliability of this questionnaire have also been confirmed in the research of Zarghami, Jafari, and Akhavan (2012).

Results: Based on the results of the Pearson correlation test, the value is r=0.24 and p=0.05, and it can be concluded that there is a positive and significant relationship between creativity and psychological empowerment in the General Directorate of Sports and Youth of Qom Province.

Based on the results of the Spearman correlation test, the value is r=0.21 and p=0.21, and it can be concluded that there is no significant relationship between creativity and the effectiveness of employees in the General Directorate of Sports and Youth of Qom Province.

Based on the results of the Spearman correlation test, the value is r=0.23 and p=0.05, and it can be concluded that there is a positive and significant relationship between creativity and having the right to choose in the General Directorate of Sports and Youth of Qom Province.

Based on the results of the Pearson correlation test, the value is r=0.21 and p=0.08, and it can be concluded that there is no significant relationship between creativity and competence in the General Directorate of Sports and Youth of Qom Province.

Based on the results of the Pearson correlation test, the value of r = 0.14 and p = 0.24, and it can be concluded that there is no significant relationship between creativity and meaningfulness in the General Directorate of Sports and Youth of Qom Province.

Conclusion: Creativity is recognized as one of the fundamental pillars of organizational success. In recent years, attention has been paid to the role of psychological empowerment as a facilitating factor in increasing creativity (9). Psychological empowerment allows employees to feel competent and effective in their work environment and, accordingly, to display their creativity. Research shows that psychological empowerment can act as a facilitating factor in increasing creativity. By creating an environment where employees feel their abilities are respected and they are given freedom to act, it can help improve creativity in organizations (10). The results of the research clearly indicate that the lack of conformity with some previous research can be due to cultural and local differences in Qom province. This indicates the importance of paying attention to cultural and local contexts in analyzing research results (11). Given the advances in technology, the use of digital tools and project management software can help improve creativity and innovation in workplaces. These tools can allow employees to easily share their ideas and work on joint projects (12). Continuous and constructive feedback is a key factor in enhancing creativity in organizations. Creating an environment where employees can easily express their opinions and ideas and benefit from positive and negative feedback can help increase their motivation and creativity (13). Effective leadership is a critical factor in empowering employees and promoting creativity. Leaders should provide an environment where employees feel that their ideas are valued and that they are given freedom to act (14). Training and skills development are also important aspects in promoting empowerment and creativity. Training programs should be designed to address not only technical skills, but also creative skills and critical thinking (15).

The results of this study can help managers and planners to better understand the factors affecting creativity and empowerment, and provide a suitable platform for the growth and development of their organizations. This understanding can help improve performance and increase efficiency in the General Directorate of Sports and Youth of Qom Province (16). Given the results obtained, it is suggested that future research should examine the relationship between different dimensions of empowerment and creativity in more detail and consider cultural and local influences. Also, examining the effects of new technologies on creativity and empowerment can help enrich this field (17).

Research has shown that cultural and local conditions can have a great impact on creativity and empowerment. For example, in some cultures, creativity may not be encouraged enough or ignored, which can negatively affect the overall performance of the organization (18). Therefore, future research should consider these cultural and local dimensions as a key factor in analyzing the results. Some new approaches to employee empowerment, including the use of new technologies and digital tools, can help improve creativity and innovation in workplaces. For example, the use of project management software and online collaboration tools can allow employees to easily share their ideas and work on joint projects (19). Continuous and constructive feedback is a key factor in enhancing creativity in organizations. Creating an environment where employees can easily express their opinions and ideas and benefit from positive and negative feedback can help increase their motivation and creativity (20). Effective leadership is a critical factor in empowering employees and promoting creativity. Leaders should provide an environment where employees feel that their ideas are valued and that they are given the freedom to act. This type of leadership can lead to encouraging employees to express creativity and innovation (21). Training and skills development are also important aspects in promoting empowerment and creativity. Training programs should be designed to address not only technical skills, but also creative and critical thinking skills. These trainings can help employees to make the most of their potential (22).

Given the importance of creativity and empowerment in today’s organizations, it seems that paying attention to these two factors can lead to improved performance and service quality in organizations. This research clearly shows that there is a significant relationship between creativity and dimensions of psychological empowerment. Finally, to improve the quality of management and sustainable development in sports organizations, it is essential for managers and planners to identify and strengthen these relationships (23).

Given the inconsistency of some of the results of this study with previous research, there is a need for further research in this area. Therefore, it is suggested that future research examines these relationships in more detail and considers the micro-components of empowerment. This can help develop new theories and improve management practices in sports organizations. Also, examining the environmental and social influences on creativity and empowerment can help to better understand these phenomena (24). Managers and planners should pay attention to the results of this research and, based on it, develop strategies to improve creativity and empowerment in their organizations. Creating an environment in which employees feel empowered If they are respected and given freedom to act, it can help improve creativity in organizations (25).

Keywords: Competence, Creativity, Empowerment,

Ethical Considerations

Compliance with ethical guidelines

The ethical principles observed in the article, such as the informed consent of the participants, the confidentiality of information, the permission of the participants to cancel their participation in the research. Ethical approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of the Islamic Azad University.

Funding

This study was extracted from the M.A thesis of first author at Department of Sport Sciences of Islamic Azad University.

Authors' contribution

All authors contributed equally to the conceptualization of the article and writing of the original and subsequent drafts.

Conflict of interest

The authors declared no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all participants of the present study.