Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Zeinab Mondalizadeh ¹
• Sadaf Nagsh Javahei ²

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Sport Management, Arak University, Arak, Iran

² Ph.D. of Public Administration, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

1.Introduction
Absorptive capacity is a knowledge creation and knowledge utilization dynamic asset that enhances the potential of an organization to enhance performance. Enhancing human capital in this regard can raise absorptive capacity. Considering the significance of these three variables in sport organizations, the primary objective of the study is to examine the role of purposeful organizational forgetting on the capacity for absorptive capacity with the mediating effect of human capital in Tehran province sport and youth departments.
Research Hypothesis

Purposeful organizational forgetting affects human capital.
Human capital affects the capacity for knowledge absorption.
Purposeful organizational forgetting affects the capacity for knowledge absorption.
Purposeful organizational forgetting, with the mediating role of human capital, affects the capacity for knowledge absorption.


2.Literature Review

The study validates that in organizational sport literature, there is no analysis of the phenomenon of intentional organizational forgetting and absorptive capacity in the context of human capital's role. Absorptive capacity is a dynamic capacity in terms of the acquisition and utilization of knowledge that enhances the organization's ability for improved performance. By doing so, it would appear that enhancing human capital can enhance the ability to absorb knowledge, as well as the removal of outdated knowledge, old scientific concepts and attitudes, which can assist in developing incremental innovations in sporting organizations and organizational learning, and therefore to enhance the ability to absorb knowledge. Alternatively, however, it appears that relinquishing old knowledge, with consideration for new technology and technologies, can influence the ability to intake knowledge and implement knowledge via human capital. Since human capital and its function have been studied in intentional organizational forgetting research such as Yeh et al. (2020), Hosseini et al. (2019), and Mohammad Esmaeil and Seyed Vakili (2018), and the significance of human capital has been investigated. Conversely, organizational forgetting by intention and its impact on the capacity for knowledge absorption have been explained in Ghiasi et al.'s (2015) and Doostar et al.'s (2015) studies.

3.Methodology

The given study followed a descriptive-analytical applied research approach. The researchers' statistical population included all employees of the Ministry of Sports and Youth. Deciding the minimum number of samples necessary for collecting data in reference to structural equation modeling is critical; however, a minimum of 200 samples is acceptable. In the context of confirmatory factor analysis, the minimum sample size is based on factors and not on variables. For structural equation modeling, it requires about 20 samples per factor (latent variable). Based on that, taking into consideration the dropout rate, 300 questionnaires were distributed, of which 213 were ultimately usable and uploaded to the software. Questionnaire distribution was done face-to-face. The tool formulated by Manbiwa et al. (2003) was utilized to measure the knowledge absorption capacity dimension, which had 10 items. While the questionnaire established by Meshbaki et al. (2013) was used for measuring the purposeful organizational forgetting dimension, which had 5 items, and the questionnaire developed by Pike et al. (2002) was used for measuring the human capital dimension, which included 10 items.

4.Results

The results of the study showed that purposeful organizational forgetting has a positive and significant effect on human capital and knowledge absorption capacity, and human capital has a significant effect on knowledge absorption capacity. In addition, purposeful organizational forgetting has a significant effect on knowledge absorption capacity with the mediating role of human capital. Knowledge absorption is influenced by getting rid of useless organizational knowledge and creating change and transformation by increasing the individual abilities and skills of employees. Considering the model indicators, it can be concluded that the model is in a suitable condition in terms of indicators. In fact, the level of these indicators (adaptive fit, goodness of fit index, incremental fit index, non-soft fit index and normalized fit index) should be higher than 0.9 for the model to have a good fit, which was evaluated as appropriate.

5.Discussion

Purposeful organizational forgetting has a positive and significant effect on human capital. In addition, purposeful organizational forgetting has a positive and significant effect on the capacity to absorb knowledge. Human capital also has a positive and significant effect on the level of the organization's knowledge absorption capacity. Another finding of the research was the mediating role of human capital in the effect of purposeful organizational forgetting on the capacity to absorb knowledge. In other words, when organizational forgetting is purposeful and new knowledge is applied and old knowledge is discarded, the level of human capital is improved, and by improving the level of human capital, including knowledge, abilities, skills, and mindset of employees, the organizational absorption capacity is improved.

6.Conclusion

Knowledge absorption is influenced by getting rid of useless organizational knowledge and creating change and transformation by increasing the individual abilities and skills of employees. In fact, in order to absorb new knowledge and apply organizational knowledge, it is necessary to make changes and transformations in the organization, which can happen with the help of employee empowerment. As a result, organizations need to move towards new knowledge due to facing changing environments and, in other words, take the lead in applying new knowledge, which will be driven by the human capital of each organization. Sports organizations need knowledge dynamics due to environmental changes.

Keywords

• Purposeful Organizational Forgetting
• Knowledge Absorption Capacity
• Human Capital
• Sports

Main Subjects

• Knowledge Management