Purpose: The aim of the present study was to design the business model development framework for Iranian wrestling using the Strauss and Corbin grounded theory approach. Methods: The present study was applied and exploratory qualitative in nature. The study population consisted of experts in sport business management, managers and officials of the Wrestling Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, wrestling club managers, and university faculty members. Participants were selected using snowball sampling, and data were collected through 25 semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding based on Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory. Results: During the open coding stage, 150 initial codes were identified and organized into 20 axial categories, resulting in 15 selective categories within the Strauss and Corbin paradigm model. The main causal conditions included strategic leadership, innovation, human capital, financial resource development, and marketing. Good governance, infrastructure, stakeholder engagement, and wrestling culture emerged as the key contextual conditions, while economic fluctuations, financial constraints, and managerial changes were identified as the primary intervening conditions. The principal strategies comprised revenue diversification, private-sector partnerships, digital transformation, branding, and commercialization, leading to outcomes such as enhanced financial sustainability, reduced dependence on government funding, strengthened organizational performance, and an improved competitive position for Iranian wrestling. Conclusion: the proposed model can serve as a practical framework for planning, policymaking, and the sustainable development of the Wrestling Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Yari Kalvani, H. , Khodayari, A. and Kohandel, M. (2026). Designing the Business Model Development of Iranian Wrestling Using the Grounded Theory Approach. Research in Sport Management and Marketing, (), -. doi: 10.22098/rsmm.2026.20343.1591
MLA
Yari Kalvani, H. , , Khodayari, A. , and Kohandel, M. . "Designing the Business Model Development of Iranian Wrestling Using the Grounded Theory Approach", Research in Sport Management and Marketing, , , 2026, -. doi: 10.22098/rsmm.2026.20343.1591
HARVARD
Yari Kalvani, H., Khodayari, A., Kohandel, M. (2026). 'Designing the Business Model Development of Iranian Wrestling Using the Grounded Theory Approach', Research in Sport Management and Marketing, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22098/rsmm.2026.20343.1591
CHICAGO
H. Yari Kalvani , A. Khodayari and M. Kohandel, "Designing the Business Model Development of Iranian Wrestling Using the Grounded Theory Approach," Research in Sport Management and Marketing, (2026): -, doi: 10.22098/rsmm.2026.20343.1591
VANCOUVER
Yari Kalvani, H., Khodayari, A., Kohandel, M. Designing the Business Model Development of Iranian Wrestling Using the Grounded Theory Approach. Research in Sport Management and Marketing, 2026; (): -. doi: 10.22098/rsmm.2026.20343.1591
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