Introduction
Social capital is a set of information, trust, norms and mutual relationships within a social network that can create favorable business opportunities by facilitating the exchange of semi-confidential information and bilateral agreements (Ferris et al., 2017). As a key component of societal growth and development and particularly of social development, social capital plays a significantly more important role than other forms of capital (such as economic capital). It serves as the foundation and coherence of other capitals and ensures their sustainability. Social capital embedded within an organization reduces transaction costs and effectively helps members achieve organizational goals (Gilderman et al., 2016). It increases, expands, and enables the sharing of resources within social relationships to facilitate collective action and to strengthen trust and reciprocity in society. Thus, social relationships are regarded as the central context of social capital. A lack of relational social capital can lead to instability and reluctance to share specific information in the relationship between job applicants and employers (Vilina et al., 2011).
Social capital consists of shared values, informal norms, and implicit expectations among group members that support the formation of relationships through which the organization functions effectively (Adler & Vaughn, 2002). The essence of social capital theory is that relationships among employees are the primary drivers of meaningful performance and that fostering stronger connections within social networks produces positive outcomes by cultivating an environment characterized by trust, compatibility, and goodwill (Maurer & Ebrez, 2006). Researchers have examined the cognitive, structural, and relational dimensions of social capital at national, strategic, and organizational levels (Ellinger et al., 2013). As the need to understand developmental approaches for enhancing employee commitment and performance has become increasingly evident, researchers have more frequently measured various dimensions of social capital (Argel et al., 2007).
 
Research Method
The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of managers’ coaching in relation to organizational investment in social capital, job performance, and citizenship behavior of employees of the General Directorate of Sports and Youth in North Khorasan Province, which was examined in the form of a causal model. The statistical population of all employees of the General Directorate of Sports and Youth in North Khorasan Province was 160 people, of which 113 people were selected as the sample size using non-probability random sampling based on the Cochran’s Sample Size Formula, and the aforementioned questionnaire was distributed among them. To measure the research variables, the standard questionnaire developed by Ellinger et al. (2011) was used, consisting of 31 items. To determine the validity of the questionnaire, the content validity method was used, which was approved after the comments of a number of professors in this field. To assess the reliability of the questionnaire, 31 questionnaires were administered, and the calculated Cronbach’s alpha was 0.861, indicating a satisfactory level of reliability. The questionnaires were distributed to the full sample, and the reliability of the instrument was reassessed. Using Cronbach’s alpha, a value of 0.89 was obtained, confirming the reliability of the measurement tool. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS (version 19), and structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test and evaluate the research hypotheses using LISREL 8.8.
 
Findings
The findings related to the first sub-hypothesis indicate that the path coefficient between managerial coaching and job performance is 0.58, with a p-value of 2.72. Given that this value exceeds the critical threshold at the 95% confidence level, the coefficient is statistically significant. Accordingly, a significant relationship exists between managerial coaching and job performance. For the second sub-hypothesis, the path coefficient between managerial coaching and organizational citizenship behavior was 0.44, with a p-value of 21.3. This value is well above the critical threshold, indicating a statistically significant relationship between managerial coaching and organizational citizenship behavior. For the third sub-hypothesis, the path coefficient between managerial coaching and investment in social capital was 0.22, with a p-value of 1.98. As this value meets the minimum threshold for significance at the 95% confidence level, the relationship between managerial coaching and investment in social capital is also statistically supported.
In the fourth sub-hypothesis, the path coefficients and corresponding p-values were as follows: for investment in social capital and job performance, 0.72 and 7.16, respectively; for investment in social capital and managerial coaching, 0.32 and 1.98; and for managerial coaching and job performance, 0.58 and 2.72. Since all values meet or exceed the critical value of 1.96, these coefficients are significant at the 95% confidence level. Therefore, a significant relationship exists between investment in social capital and job performance, with managerial coaching acting as a mediating variable. In the fifth sub-hypothesis, the path coefficients and corresponding p-values were as follows: for investment in social capital and organizational citizenship behavior, 0.65 and 5.61, respectively; for investment in social capital and managerial coaching, 0.32 and 1.98; and for managerial coaching and organizational citizenship behavior, 0.44 and 3.21. Since all t-values meet or exceed the critical value of 1.96, these coefficients are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Therefore, a significant relationship exists between investment in social capital and organizational citizenship behavior, with managerial coaching serving as a mediating variable.
Conclusion
Considering the importance of investing in social capital, particularly in the context of youth sports organizations that provide a substantial portion of youth-related services, this study concludes that organizational investment in social capital—through encouraging managers to foster a supportive and trusting internal culture—strengthens employees’ sense of commitment to the organization. Consequently, as investment in social capital increases, organizational commitment also rises. Given that the Youth Sports Association is a service-oriented organization, higher organizational commitment among personnel enhances the overall satisfaction of youth with the services provided. Considering the extensive scope of service activities in the city, investing in social capital, particularly in human resources, the organization’s most valuable asset, further reinforces employees’ dedication to the organization’s goals and mission