The effect of the Coronavirus process on the professional motivation levels of the faculty members of the Department of Sports Management

Aim: The aim is to identify the knowledge of the academic staff working in the Sports Management department regarding the coronavirus pandemic, determine the challenges they experienced in their professional motivation during the pandemic period, and evaluate the effects of the pandemic on the academic staff in the Sports Management department. Material and Method: This study utilizes a sequential explanatory design employing mixed methods, with a quantitative aspect employing a survey design and a qualitative aspect involving interviews conducted with academics at the end of the implementation. The population of the study consists of faculty members of Sports Management departments at 14 universities located in the Eastern Anatolia region. The sample group comprises 61 faculty members serving in Sports Management departments in the Eastern Anatolia region, representing the entire population of the study. Normality tests of the data were evaluated using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test based on kurtosis and skewness values. For non-normally distributed data, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparing two categories, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was applied for comparing three or more categories. IBM SPSS 23.0 package program was used for data analysis, with a significance level set at p < 0.05. Results: There is a positive relationship between the sub-dimension of management policies and practices and emotions and behaviors related to Coronavirus. There is a positive relationship between the sub-dimension of management policies and practices and thoughts regarding Coronavirus. There is a positive relationship between the sub-dimension of management policies and practices and the Multidimensional Coronavirus Scale. Conclusion: There is a moderate and statistically significant relationship between management policies and practices and Coronavirus. This indicates that corporate management policies and practices may influence employees' feelings and behaviors regarding Coronavirus. Key Words: Coronavirus, sports management, professional motivation.