M.R. Bahadoran - Department of Sports Management, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
H. Ghasemi - Department of Sports Management, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
A. Farahani - Department of Sports Management, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
M. Hoseini - Department of Sports Management, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

KGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Knowledge is a key factor and strategic resource for gaining assets and non-functional organizational capabilities. Knowledge Management is the knowledgeable process of creating, validating, presenting, distributing and using the knowledge in an organization. Successful organizations consider human resource development as a fundamental principle. Many organization find their knowledge management process to be ignored by the employees. Gamification is a way of enhancing knowledge management with game design elements to increase employee’s engagement, content creation and satisfaction.METHODS: The research method was descriptive-survey and based on variance-based structural equation modeling. The statistical population included ۳۸۴ employees of the sports organization of selected metropolises. The statistical sample size was determined by stratified random sampling method, ۳۸۴ employees who answered the research tools: questionnaires of gamification, performance improvement and knowledge management. The validity of the instrument was confirmed by ۵ professors of sports management and their reliability was calculated with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and combined reliability in the dimensions of the questionnaires, higher than ۰.۶۹۶ and ۰.۷۵۷, respectively. Data analysis was performed by descriptive and inferential statistics tests and sobel test in SPSS ۲۲.۰ and SmartPLS ۲.۰.FINDINGS: The relationship between research constructs with their dimensions, gamification with performance improvement and knowledge management with performance improvement of positive and significant research model (T≥۲.۸۶) and research model fit (GOF = ۰.۵۸۹) was evaluated as strong. As a result, managers of metropolitan municipal sports organizations can play a mediating role in the relationship between gamification and performance improvement by implementing knowledge management in the organization.CONCLUSION: According to the research results, although gamification is an effective factor in improving employee performance, but knowledge management plays a crucial role. Therefore, it is suggested that municipal sports managers pay special attention to knowledge management and gamification to improve employee performance.

Gamification, Knowledge Management, Metropolitan municipality, Municipal sports organization, Performance Improvement