Introduction
Throughout history, people have sought ways to enhance their lives and find joy through various mechanisms. This pursuit has increasingly highlighted the importance of work participation, drawing the attention of numerous scientists. Consequently, the concept of work engagement has gained prominence in organizational behavior research (Shoul & Sedaghat, 2016). Work engagement is defined as the extent to which individuals are psychologically connected to their current job (Mudrack, 2004). Those who are highly involved in their jobs seldom contemplate leaving and are likely to remain with their organization for the long term (Brown, 1996). Studies indicate a global decline in employee engagement, with less than 30% of employees being actively engaged, which is considered low. This disengagement results in substantial financial losses for countries’ economies each year. Therefore, it is crucial to focus on comprehensive and diverse developments and their impact on organizational competitiveness, as well as the role of employees in job involvement and the promotion of organizational virtues to achieve objectives. This is particularly significant given the emergence of new management styles, such as quantum management. In today’s world, the need for employee occupational involvement in organizations has never been greater, and management practices within organizations have garnered increased attention from management scholars and practitioners (Hashmi & Pouraminzad, 2019).
Management scholars assert that 21st-century managers must adopt innovative management strategies to foster employee engagement, thereby reducing thoughts of resignation and potentially boosting productivity and efficiency (Mezginezhad, Ayati & Pourshafei, 2017). Quantum management is one such strategy (Mirsafian, 2015). In modern organizations, ethical considerations, particularly organizational virtue, have gained prominence due to various advancements. While organizations rapidly evolve in competitive terms, virtues and virtue-centric topics have received scant attention. Bird and Water (1989) observed that organizational discourse often lacks a moral dimension (Moshabakiesfahani & Rezaie, 2013). Hence, employing organizational virtue can elucidate ethics within organizations. Virtues-encompassing habits, desires, and actions—are conducive to individual and societal well-being. They are endorsed and cultivated at both personal and communal levels, ensuring their propagation and sustainability (Zemaheni et al., 2013). The findings of this research could serve as a roadmap for educational organization managers to enhance employee job involvement through contemporary management practices. This paper answers this question:

What impact does organizational virtue have on quantum management and occupational conflict in South Khorasan province?

Methods
This study employs a descriptive, correlational design and is both applied and quantitative in nature. The research population comprises all education and training employees in South Khorasan province, totaling 750 individuals in 2019, as per the official education report. Stratified random sampling was utilized for data collection. South Khorasan Province was segmented into several strata, including the General Administration of South Khorasan Province, Birjand, Boshruyeh, Zirkouh, Darmian, Khoosf, Mehdim, Sarayan, Sarbisheh, Tabas, Ferdows, Qaen and Nehbandan. From each department, a proportional number of employees were selected: 50, 33, 33, 11, 14, 12, 13, 12, 15, 15, 24, and 18, totaling 250 participants. This sample size was determined based on Krejcie and Morgan’s sample size, given the target population of 750. The distribution of administrative employees across the departments in South Khorasan province is detailed in Table 1.
Table 1. The number of education administrative staff per city






Sample


Number of Employees


City




50


157


General Administration




33


100


Boshruyeh




33


100


Birjand




11


31


Khoosf




14


42


Darmian




12


37


Zirkouh




13


39


Sarayan




12


36


Sarbisheh




15


45


Tabas




15


45


Ferdows




24


70


Qaen




18


54


Nehbandan




250


750


Total







The instruments used for data collection were standardized questionnaires on quantum management, job involvement, and organizational virtue. The validity and reliability of these questionnaires were confirmed through the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and AMOS statistical software. The analytical methods employed included single-sample t-tests, Pearson correlation, simultaneous multiple regression, and structural equation modeling.
 
Findings and Conclusion
The study’s findings reveal that the overall average scores for quantum management and organizational virtue, along with their respective components among educational staff, are significantly above the theoretical mean score of 3. However, the average score for job involvement among educational workers is notably below the theoretical mean (p < 0.001). Additionally, the elements of quantum thinking and trust negatively impact job involvement, whereas quantum feeling positively influences it. While quantum management does not exert a direct significant effect on job involvement, it does have a substantial indirect impact through the intermediary of organizational virtue, contributing to job involvement. Furthermore, the model demonstrated adequate fit.