Designing a Dynamic Job Enrichment Model for Redefining Human Resource Roles at Islamic Azad University, East Azerbaijan Province

Abstract

Job enrichment, as one of the modern approaches in human resource management, plays an important role in enhancing the effectiveness and dynamism of educational organizations. This study was conducted with the aim of designing a dynamic job enrichment model to redefine the roles of human resources at Islamic Azad University, East Azerbaijan. The research was carried out using an exploratory mixed-method approach (qualitative–quantitative). In the qualitative phase, the statistical population included management professors, academic experts, and managers, and sampling was conducted using criterion-based purposive sampling followed by theoretical sampling; in this way, the analysis of each interview guided the next interview, and the process continued until theoretical sufficiency was achieved. A total of 16 specialized interviews were conducted. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population included all university staff, and based on Cochran’s formula, the sample size was determined to be 384 individuals, who were selected through simple random sampling. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 26 and AMOS software. In the qualitative phase, the findings led to the extraction of 89 basic themes, 21 sub-themes, and 7 main themes, including self-directed job crafting, institutional meaning-making, multidimensional skill enhancement, intelligent feedback generation, professional growth path design, structural-cultural empowerment, and motivational synergy. The results of the structural equation model showed that professional growth path design (0.713), intelligent feedback generation (0.692), and structural-cultural empowerment (0.684) had the greatest impact on job enrichment, and the model’s explained variance (R2=0.76)(R^2 = 0.76)(R2=0.76) indicates its high explanatory power. The results show that job enrichment in the university context is a dynamic and multidimensional process shaped by the combination of professional, structural, and motivational factors, and the final model can provide a valid framework for redesigning human resource roles and enhancing their effectiveness in Iranian universities.