Developing a Structural Equation Model of the Relationships of Spiritual Intelligence, Personality Traits, and Social Support with Organizational Resilience: The Mediating Role of Altruism among Sport and Youth Department Employees

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and test a structural equation model of the relationships of spiritual intelligence, personality traits, and perceived social support with organizational resilience, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of altruism among Sport and Youth Department employees. This quantitative, fundamental, field-based study employed a descriptive, nonexperimental causal design. The statistical population comprised employees of the Sport and Youth Departments in Semnan and Tehran provinces. A total of 363 questionnaires were distributed using random sampling, and after data screening, 348 cases were retained for the final analyses. Data were collected using the Abdollahzadeh Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire, Costa and McCrae Big Five Personality Inventory, Zimet et al. Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Rushton et al. Altruism Scale, and McManus Organizational Resilience Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS through Pearson correlations, structural equation modeling, and bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples. Structural modeling showed that openness to experience (β=0.12), extraversion (β=0.33), and perceived social support (β=0.68) had significant positive effects on altruism, whereas neuroticism had a significant negative effect (β=-0.07; all p<0.001). Altruism exerted a strong positive effect on organizational resilience (β=0.73, p<0.001). Perceived social support positively predicted organizational resilience (β=0.31, p=0.004), while neuroticism negatively predicted it (β=-0.15, p=0.005). Significant indirect effects of neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, perceived social support, and spiritual intelligence on organizational resilience through altruism confirmed its mediating role. The modified model demonstrated satisfactory fit (CFI=0.97, IFI=0.97, GFI=0.96, AGFI=0.93, NFI=0.92, RMSEA=0.046). Altruism constitutes an important explanatory mechanism through which spiritual intelligence, personality characteristics, and perceived social support contribute to organizational resilience. Accordingly, organizational interventions designed to strengthen altruistic behavior, supportive interpersonal relationships, collaborative practices, and employees’ spiritual capacities may improve adaptability and organizational sustainability in demanding sport-sector environments.