Planning a Comprehensive Model for the E (1)

Applied mathematics in Engineering, Management and Technology 2 (3) 2014:73-83
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Planning a Comprehensive Model for the Evaluation of the
Performance Quality of Iran's Soccer Premier League Referees
Using Entropy Fuzzy Approach
Zeynab Mojahedi1, Dr. Ali. Mohammad Safania2, Dr. Seyyed. Jafar. Moosavi3
1,2

3

Department of Sports Management, Ayatullah Amoli Branch, Islamic Azad University, Amul, Iran
Department of Physical Education, Qaem Shahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaem Shahr, Iran

Abstract
The aim of the present research was to study planning a comprehensive model for
evaluating the performance quality of Iran's Soccer Premier League referees, using
entropy fuzzy approach. Regarding the data collection method, the research method
was descriptive survey, and practical purpose. The statistical society consisted of
the Premier League referees, supervisors, and Soccer Federation representatives.
The research was mixed and consisted of two stages: the first stage was qualitative,

in which a questionnaire was regulated, using the opinions of ten supervisors and
federation representatives as the experts; in the second stage, the required data was
collected through the questionnaire made by the researcher. The questionnaire's
justifiability was confirmed in terms of content, by the experts, and its stability was
calculated and confirmed as 0.84, using Cronbach Alpha Factor. The sampling
method was random, and the sample size was total-count, and consisted of 107
Soccer Premier League referees. SPSS and LISREL software were used for data
analysis, theory examination, and also structural calculations. The research findings showed task fulfillment, true
interpretation and application of rules, physical gameness, individual traits, and game control, have positive significant
relationship with referees' performance.
Key Words: Performance Evaluation, Quality, Soccer Referee, Entropy Fuzzy

1.Introduction
Performance evaluation is one of the most important rings of the chain of management in organizations, and its
importance is such that the experts of the science of management believe we cannot manage what we cannot
evaluate. Today, performance evaluation views the topic of organization performance with a more
comprehensive perspective, as it has given place to the concept of performance management. Performance
management is an efficient and integral process which guarantees the steady success of organizations by
improving the performance of the people who work in organizations, and by paying more attention to
developing individual and group capabilities. One of the most fundamental success factors in realizing

prospects, goals, and techniques is taking performance evaluation, and in its more comprehensive concept,
performance management, into consideration (Armstrong, 2006). Soccer is undoubtedly the world's most
popular sport of its type; the most comprehensive collection of rules and regulations belongs to soccer, and this
sport has been the subject of discussion, study, evaluation, and scientific analysis, more than other sports
(Reylie and Teammates, 2005). Soccer referee is one of the most controversial and tumult controversies of the
world's and Iran's sport circles, facing several obstacles and problems. Some soccer referees have been
scandalized with bribery and favoritism towards a specific team, and referees in a country like Germany, are
busted on the accusation of betting and changing the results of Bondesliga Championship. All the mentioned
points indicate the attention of people and media to soccer referee (Abdi, 2010). Today, soccer is not only a
sport, but a social, cultural, economical, and political phenomenon, which is linked with scientific principles
and researches (Elahi, 2005). Evaluation of studies shows that referees play a determinant role in the economy
of cocker; in professional levels especially, the consequences of referees' judgment have deep effects on the
game's result; therefore, studying the performance of referees is of high importance, considering the fact that

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Applied mathematics in Engineering, Management and Technology 2 (3) 2014
Z. Mojahedi
soccer referees are an essential part of a soccer game (Johnston, 1994). Zakrajsck-Dorothy & Mack lean-Joanne
believe performance evaluation is bound with organizational behaviors, and is therefore an essential process for

all jobs, regardless of their level and complexities. Performance evaluation deals with the evaluation of the
human factor in organizational influences, and is defined as a process for formal evaluation of performance, and
includes a feedback, based on which performance adjustments could be done. To this aim, the present research
deals with planning a comprehensive model for evaluating the performance of the referees in Iran Soccer
Premier League, with entropy fuzzy approach. Unfortunately, there is little scientific support for helping the
performance and progress of referees. Although tentative research in sports referee is on progress (Meskranhas
and Mortimer, 2005), there is still data shortage about different demands of soccer referee. According to FIFA
statistics, the little presence of Iranian referees in international competitions has grown more obvious in recent
years. There are also problems and complaints to the referees in Iran's soccer arena. It seems the lack of
comprehensive evaluation systems and patterns in the soccer referee arena is an issue less considered. Referee
selection based on an evaluation model able to take professional, educational, physical, and individual features
into consideration might identify better referees for the referee arena of Iran's soccer; nevertheless, having
studied the different aspects, the researcher came to the conclusion that there is no such multi-purpose
evaluation model for soccer referees. The results of applied and tentative researches show the evaluation of the
country's soccer referees lacks any comprehensive independent systematic model for performance evaluation,
and problems like lack of comprehensive and up-to-date criteria and indices, which would consider all aspects
of referee are seen. Considering the above points, the present research deals with the issue of what is the
suitable pattern for evaluating soccer referees in Iran? What are the up-to-date aspects, factors, and indices of
performance evaluation of referees? Today, the role of efficient evaluation and supervision systems in the
improvement and progress of organizations is fully recognized. One of the obvious features of pioneer

organizations, including both governmental and non-governmental, is the successful usage of performance
evaluation in order to achieve true viewpoint and judgment of the efficiency and efficacy of the programs,
processes, and people. In order to obtain a desirable pattern for evaluating the performance of referees, studying
the common evaluation methods as well as the adopted approaches seems necessary. Since referees have
important and critical duties, planning an evaluation model, and defining up-to-date evaluation criteria and
indices seems essential; the quality and efficacy of referees' performance is a determinant factor in games'
results. The exigency of carrying out the research could be examined in two aspects: first, in terms of sport
clubs', committees', and federations' expenditure, and second, its exigency from national viewpoint.
Evaluation models and methods: studying the common evaluation methods as well as the adopted approaches
and the assumed goals seems essential to achieve a desirable pattern for evaluating the performance of sport
federations. Some of the most common and important patterns and models of implementing the performance
evaluation process are presented below:

Consequences and
Effects
What are the shortterm, significantterm, and long-term
results?

Exterior Factors

Input

Output
‫ﺷﺮﮐﺖ‬
What
are
we
aimin
g at?

‫ﻓﻌﺎﻟﯿﺖ ﻫﺎ‬
What
do we
do?

What
is our
capita
l?

Field

Status
Priority

Hypotheses

Fig 1: Logical model for evaluating the organization's performance and program
The model's inputs include the materials the organization or the program uses in its processes to create desirable
results for the organization. We can refer to manpower, money, equipments, facilities and installations, people's
ideas, and manpower time as the inputs. The processes are used by the organization or its programs, for the
alteration, conversion, or adjustment of items, parallel with the production of desirable results. The outputs are

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Applied mathematics in Engineering, Management and Technology 2 (3) 2014
Z. Mojahedi
the evident results of basic processes in the organization or its programs. The consequences and the effects
belong to the people whom the organization is seeking their profit by implementing programs. The hypotheses
and the assumptions include our beliefs about the program, the people, and the atmosphere, which contain our

method of thought and attitudes towards the program. The exterior factors are the area wherein the mentioned
programs include a collection of exterior factors related with the program's activities.

Physical Gameness

Evaluation
Indices

Individual Traits

Game Control

Task Fulfillment

True Interpretation and
Application of Rules

Fig. 2: Research's conceptual model
Considering the above issues, the present research aims at studying the aspects, factors, and indices of the
performance evaluation of soccer referees, and whether or not individual traits, physical gameness, true

interpretation and application of rules, fulfilling the duties, and match control are significant in evaluating the
performance of soccer referees.

2.Research Approach
The present research was of mixed or complex type, and a questionnaire was designed in the first stage, using
the ideas of referee experts, and the required data were collected in the second stage, using the questionnaire
made by the researcher and distributed among soccer premier league referees.
The research was practical in terms of target, and surveying in terms of approach. The statistical society in this
approach contained the experts of the studied area, including ten of supervisors and representatives of the
federation as the experts. The sampling method was random, and the statistical sampling size of the research
was 114 people and full scale; since the deficient questionnaires were omitted, 107 questionnaires were finally
analyzed.
The questionnaire was presented to, studied, and confirmed by some experts and university lecturers for content
justifiability. To define the stability, the Cronbach Alpha Factor test was used, the results of which are shown in
table 1. The two methods of descriptive statistics and deduction statistics were used in data analysis. The
statistical software used for data analysis was LISREL, SPSS.

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Applied mathematics in Engineering, Management and Technology 2 (3) 2014

Z. Mojahedi
Table 1: Calculation results of Cronbach Alpha Factor
NUMBER

CRONBACH ALPHA

33

0.836

The Cronbach Alpha Factor was calculated as 0.836 in this research; the stability is therefore estimated as very
desirable.
3.Research Findings
In table 1, the sampling statistics status is presented in terms of demography variables such as marital status,
age, education, and work experience.
Table 2: Status of statistical sampling in terms of demographic variables
Demographic Variables Variable Levels Population Percentage
Single
14
13.1

Marital Status
Married
93
86.9
20-30
6
5.6
31-40
54
50.5
Age
41-50
35
32.7
51-60
9
8.4
61-70
3
2.8

Diploma and
11
10.3
below
Post Diploma
9
8.4
Education
Bachelor's
80
74.8
Master's
7
6.5
1-5
7
6.5
6-10
6
5.6
11-15
2
1.9
Supervision Experience
Without
92
86.0
Experience
Table 2 shows that most of the samples are married (86.9 %), are in the age rang 31-40 (50.5), have educations
equal to bachelor's degree (74.8), and most of them do not have supervision experience.
The results of normal data test are shown in table 3. In all cases, a significantly bigger value than 0.05 was
resulted, so there is no reason to reject the zero assumption based on normal data.

Structure Test

Individual Traits
Physical Gameness
True Interpretation and
Application of Rules
Task Fulfillment
Game Control

Table 3: Normal data test
ColmogroughSmeernough
Significant
Degree of
Freedom
0.100
107
0.113
107
0.132
107
0.103
0.097

107
107

4.Deduction analysis resulted from the research theses:

76

Shapiru-wilk
Significan
t
0.951
0.956
0.914

Degree of
Freedom
107
107
107

0.961
0.945

107
107

Applied mathematics in Engineering, Management and Technology 2 (3) 2014
Z. Mojahedi
Table 4: Results of t single sample test
T
Value

Average

Significance
Value

34.222
11.788

4.040
3.493

0.001
0.021

21.053

3.657

0

Task Fulfillment

22.782

3.904

0.001

Game Control

17.868

3.602

0.003

Research Theses
Individual Traits
Physical Gameness
True Interpretation and
Application of Rules

5.Individual traits are significant in evaluating the performance of soccer referees.
According to the results listed in table 4, a significant 0.001 value is resulted, which is calculated smaller than
the error level (0.05), so the zero assumption cases are rejected; therefore, we could say with 95% certainty that
individual traits are significant in the performance evaluation of soccer referees.

6.Physical gameness is significant in evaluating the performance of soccer referees.
According to the results listed in table 4, a significant 0.021 value is resulted, which is smaller than the error
level (0.05), so the zero assumption cases are rejected; therefore, we could say with 95% certainty that physical
gameness is significant in the performance evaluation of soccer referees.
7.True interpretation and application of rules is significant in evaluating the performance of soccer
referees.
The results of table 4 show that a significant value P