Future of Work and Digital Management Journal 4 Serial Number 11 2026 01 01 Design and Validation of a Model for Identifying Career Anchors among Employees of the General Departments of Sport and Youth in Northwestern Iran Design and Validation of a Model for Identifying Career Anchors among Employees of the General Departments of Sport and Youth in Northwestern Iran 1 11 EN Journal Article 2025 07 23 <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p>The purpose of this study was to design and validate a model for identifying career anchors among employees of the General Departments of Sport and Youth in northwestern Iran. The research was applied in purpose, descriptive-survey in data collection and implementation, and quantitative in nature. The statistical population consisted of all employees of the General Departments of Sport and Youth in the northwestern provinces of Iran (Ardabil, East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, and Zanjan). A stratified random sampling method proportional to the population size was used. Based on Morgan’s table (1998), a total of 120 individuals were selected to participate in the study. The data collection instrument was Edgar Schein’s (2006) standardized Career Anchor Questionnaire, consisting of 40 items rated on a four-point Likert scale (1–4). The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts and specialists in sport management, and its internal consistency reliability, determined through a pilot study, was 0.91. Descriptive statistics and the Friedman test were used for data analysis, and all computations were performed using SPSS software. The results indicated that all dimensions of career anchors were at a desirable level. The ranking of the career anchor variables was as follows: (1) security-stability, (2) lifestyle, (3) general managerial competence, (4) pure challenge, (5) technical-functional competence, (6) entrepreneurial creativity, (7) autonomy-independence, and (8) service and dedication. The findings can assist human resource managers and decision-makers in the General Departments of Sport and Youth to design their human resource management policies in a way that enhances motivation, job satisfaction, and the retention of skilled personnel through a better understanding of employees’ career anchors. Moreover, attention to these anchors can facilitate the development of diverse and personalized career paths that align with individual characteristics.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> https://www.journalfwdmj.com/index.php/fwdmj/article/download/168/159