Impact of Change Management on Leadership, Culture, and Performance－Insights from Village Football Teams

Introduction: The research emphasizes the growing importance of physical exercise and team sports, particularly in rural communities of southern China. It highlights how village football teams contribute to community cohesion and cultural heritage while facing unique challenges in organizational performance. The research aims to construct a model examining the influence of transformational leadership, organizational culture, change management, and performance, reflecting on the indicators of success for rural football teams. Objectives: The primary objective of this research is to analyze the mediating role of change management in the relationships among transformational leadership, organizational culture, and organizational performance in the context of village football teams in southern China. The research seeks to understand how these variables interact and ultimately impact team success. Methods: Data was collected through questionnaires distributed via online platforms and WeChat, targeting captains and coaches of football teams. A sample of 401 valid responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling to assess relationships among the variables. The study utilized a five-point Likert scale to measure responses across four main sections addressing transformational leadership, organizational culture, change management, and performance. Results: The results indicate that transformational leadership significantly impacts both change management and organizational culture. However, transformational leadership did not show a direct significant impact on organizational performance. Organizational culture positively influences performance, suggesting that while direct leadership may not improve performance, fostering strong organizational culture does. Change management was found to mediate the relationships, particularly indicating partial mediation between organizational culture and performance. Conclusions: The research concludes that transformational leadership influences change management, which in turn affects organizational culture, contributing to enhanced performance in rural football teams. The findings underscore the importance of nurturing organizational culture and effective change management strategies in grassroots organizations. The paper suggests that leadership training and organizational culture development can significantly improve performance outcomes, offering practical implications for community-based sports organizations.