American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking ISSN (E): 2832-8078 Volume 23, | April - 2024 P a g e | 233 www.americanjournal.org THE INFLUENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 10015:2019 DIMENSIONS ON ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS THROUGH THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ADMINISTRATIVE EMPOWERMENT: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY IN THE MAYORALTY OF BAGHDAD Mohammed Thaer Ali Ph.D. Candidate Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Management of Sfax (FSEGS), MODILS Research Unit, University of Sfax, Tunisia mohammed.albayati89271@gmail.com Dr. Raoudha Kammoun Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Management of Sfax (FSEGS), MODILS Research Unit, University of Sfax, Tunisia raouda.kammoun@fsegs.usf.tn A B S T R A C T K E Y W O R D S The current study aims to determine the influence of the dimensions of the international standard ISO 10015:2019, represented by its provisions (competence management, competence management, and individual development) on organizational effectiveness through the mediating role of administrative empowerment in the Mayoralty of Baghdad, where the study is applied. The study seeks to diagnose the extent of the Mayoralty of Baghdad's awareness of the standard's requirements: International and the extent of its interest in levels of administrative empowerment and interest in organizational effectiveness. The researcher used the descriptive and analytical approach, using the questionnaire to collect data and information. A sample that included 380 was selected and distributed among department directors, assistant department directors, and division and unit officials at the upper and middle administrative levels. The Executive Office at the headquarters of the Baghdad Mayoralty, where it is applied, and SEM (structural equation modeling) statistical methods were adopted to achieve the study's objectives. To diagnose and measure the study variables and test the study hypotheses, reliance was placed on statistical applications (SPSS 27), in addition to the statistical package (STATA 17) and the statistical package (R), and the study reached a set of conclusions, the most important of which is the existence of a relationship and impact to the dimensions of the international standard ISO 10015:2019 in International standard ISO 10015:2019 dimensions, administrative empowerment, organizational effectiveness. American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 234 www.americanjournal.org organizational effectiveness, and that administrative empowerment achieves mediation between the variables of the study. The study also reached a set of recommendations, the most important of which is the necessity of establishing the Baghdad Mayoralty, Conducting an evaluation survey and measuring the effectiveness of applying the competency management and personnel development system by the international standard ISO 10015:2019 so that empirical evidence of the results of applying this standard is obtained, and working to restructure personnel development programs in a way that helps to use competence within the organization in a more effective and focused manner. In addition to working on monitoring and evaluating the personnel development program and its implementation by competent observers. Introduction Globalization and rapid technological development have created a challenge for organizations and a source of great pressure on them to continue, succeed, and develop their performance. Therefore, organizations have sought to adopt modern administrative trends to develop the performance of the human element as the fulcrum of organizations' growth, which confirms the human element's importance in the human element's life and continuity. Organizations, so the study of human competencies and how to develop them for any organization is the basis for improving the quality of performance by preparing human resources capable of performing the duties and tasks assigned to them, and this is done through training, which is one of the most important means of advancing organizations, as the topic of competency management has become the concern of many people. Specialists consider it a strategic factor among the key success factors through identifying and evaluating competencies to determine their true level. The International Organization for Standardization has issued a specification for competency management and personnel development (ISO 10015:2019), considered one of the modern administrative methods in the management world, to improve performance. Organizations and developing organizational effectiveness in them, enhancing their capabilities, as well as applying other administrative methods, such as applying the strategy of administrative empowerment by delegating authority and giving workers the authority to confront problems and solve them, as well as sharing information between administrative levels promptly, and motivating them by providing material and moral rewards, Which achieves organizational effectiveness in the researched organization, and based on the above, a hypothetical chart was built that determines the relationship between the independent variable (ISO 10015:2019) and its requirements (Clause 4. Competency Management, Clause 5. Competency Management and Individual Development) and its influence on the dependent variable (Organizational Effectiveness). ) in its dimensions (job performance, organizational development, and job satisfaction) through the mediating role played by (administrative empowerment) in its dimensions (Delegation of authority, work teams, effective communication, and motivation), researched in the Baghdad Mayoralty, which is considered one of the most important service institutions in Baghdad, It is responsible for building infrastructure, including (implementing drinking water projects, implementing sanitation, implementing parks and landscaping projects, solid waste and environment management, and other vital projects). American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 235 www.americanjournal.org 1. Literature Review Today, the world is witnessing amazing technological, economic, and social developments resulting from the impact of globalization and the great changes it has brought about in the work of organizations and competition in the global business market. In light of this reality, it has become completely clear to the world that there is a fundamental difference between successful and unsuccessful organizations, and that is represented by the quality of The human resources that these organizations possess, so human resources are considered the main driver of any organization, whether small or large. The organization cannot achieve its goals and success without efficient, highly skilled, qualified, and trained human resources according to international training standards. This is what we have concluded. A study (Volkova, 2001) identified a weakness in following identical controls that support the training policy for workers in most Russian companies. The study concluded that it is necessary to apply the ISO 10015 standard to improve workers' performance in Russian companies by laying the foundation for an appropriate basis of training standards. We note that interest The study focused on evaluating the reality of training in the organization under study according to the ISO 10015 standard, and the ambiguity is still clear in how to develop the capabilities of employees, develop their skills, and empower them to improve the effectiveness of the organization. In the same context, the study (Al-Kaabi, 2003) showed the distance of the researched organization from implementing the international standard ISO 10015 in all respects. Its paragraphs amounted to a large percentage of approximately two-thirds level, and the study recommended adopting the international standard ISO 10015 in the organization under study as an approved approach based on which the training activity is practiced and evaluated. We note that this study also dealt with evaluating the actual reality of the organization under study with the international standard for training quality and recommended the application of The international standard, but did not specify methods for managing competencies and developing individuals and how to maintain the competencies available in the organization under investigation, as well as the study of (Al-Enezi & Al-Zubaidi, 2008), the study of (Shalbaf et al., 2020), the study of (Shaker, 2021), and the study of (Natek Sh. , Lafta, 2022) All of these studies are based on evaluating the reality of training in the investigated organizations according to the international standard ISO 10015, and the question remains: Is evaluating organizations according to the standard sufficient to qualify and develop the Efficiency of working individuals and develop their skills? Therefore, human resources must be invested appropriately commensurate with the size of technological developments in the business environment. Therefore, these studies dealt with the international standard alone; there are no other variables with it. Checklists are usually used in analyzing the results to determine the size of the gap between the actual reality of the organization under study and the requirements of the international standard. The current study dealt with the international standard as an independent variable, organizational effectiveness as a dependent variable, and administrative empowerment as a mediator. Here, the first research gap appears, noting that most of the studies dealt with the international standard, ISO 10015, version 1999, regarding training quality, while the current study dealt with the latest version, 2019, which is considered a guide. A guide to help organizations manage their competencies and develop their individuals. This publication provides guidance for the organization to create, implement, maintain and improve systems for managing competency and developing individuals to positively influence the results related to enhancing the effectiveness of the organization, as indicated in clause (7.2 Efficiency) of the standard (ISO 9001: 2015), which American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 236 www.americanjournal.org stipulates: The organization must: (identify the necessary competencies for individuals who carry out work under its control and affect the performance and effectiveness of the quality management system, and ensure that these people are competent on the basis of appropriate education, training or experience, and take measures, as applicable, to acquire the necessary competencies and evaluate The effectiveness of these procedures, and documented information (records) are kept as evidence of Efficiency), and although some studies dealt with the international standard ISO 10015 with another variable, such as the study (Government, 2009), which dealt with the international standard and its impact on the performance of employee managers in the organization under investigation, as This study is similar to the current study in terms of the study sample, which is managers at the three upper, middle, and executive levels of management in the organization under study. The study reached a set of results, the most notable of which is the inability of the organization under study to identify and analyze weak points in performance. This is considered another research gap. The study also uses version 1999, and the study (Huang et al., 2017) dealt with the international standard and its impact on the quality of service. The study concluded that adopting the international standard ISO 10015 is the ideal solution to problems organizations face and improve their performance. The study (Jaafar, 2020), which was The international standard, is the dependent variable, as it dealt with the impact of knowledge makers on the quality of training according to ISO 10015, as the study sample was the individuals working in the researched organization. The study (Ali et al., 2021) dealt with the standard and its impact on institutional excellence, and the study sample was the managers of the researched organization; all of these studies use the old version of the standard, which is the 1999 version, in addition to the study sample, most of which are individuals working in the organization under study. In addition, no study has ever dealt with the ISO 10015:2019 standard in its theoretical aspect or its practical aspect by adopting the provisions of the standard, which are (Item 4 Competency Management and Item 5 Competency management and individual development) with the variable of organizational effectiveness as an independent variable, except for the study (OKEOMA, 2019) which dealt with the relationship between total quality management and organizational effectiveness. The study reached a set of results, the most prominent of which is that total quality management has a high-level effect on organizational effectiveness, and we note the ambiguity of the study's variables. We did not know what the principles of total quality management are, its applications, or the specifications used, and it was not clear to us what the dimensions of organizational effectiveness are used, And here the second research gap appears, and the ambiguity is still clear between the variables of the study, between the specification and the variables mentioned in previous studies, and even the variable of the current study, which is organizational effectiveness, and when we talk about the literature of modern management, and modern administrative methods that are no longer like their predecessors, as organizations today have become It is aware of the importance and role of human resources and considers it a competitive weapon, despite all the technological developments taking place in the environment, but the human resource remains the one who manages and innovates these developments and innovations in the business market, so organizations began to apply modern strategies in management, due to the administrative and structural complexity in organizations, There was a need to adopt the concept of administrative empowerment and its role in improving the organization's performance, and helping it preserve its human resource by giving it the powers to make decisions and solve problems. Perhaps the most prominent dimensions of administrative empowerment are (Delegation of authority, work teams, availability of information, and motivating American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 237 www.americanjournal.org workers). The researcher believes Administrative empowerment is important in strengthening the relationship between human resources and maintaining it by giving part of the powers. It is very helpful to the international standard by placing it as an intermediary variable between the international standard ISO 10015:2019 and the dependent variable organizational effectiveness, as the researcher did not find a study that places empowerment. Administrative management is a mediator, especially between international standards and organizational effectiveness. The researcher found studies dealing with total quality management and administrative empowerment, such as a study (Sweis, 2013) that studies the impact of total quality management practices in empowering employees. The study reached a set of results, the most prominent of which is that total quality management practices, when implemented, positively impact employee empowerment, but ambiguity remains in the variables. The study did not specify what applications of total quality management positively impact employee empowerment. In the same direction, a study (Al-Rasheed, 2020) studies the relationship between administrative empowerment and the principles of total quality management. The study found A set of results, most notably a positive, direct correlation between administrative empowerment and comprehensive quality management at a significance level of 0.01. There is still ambiguity in the relationship, which generates intellectual controversy and incentivizes us to research bridging this gap by using administrative empowerment as a mediating variable by its dimensions. The fourth is the relationship between the international standard ISO 10015:2019 and organizational effectiveness, and here, the third research gap appears. In addition, the researcher reviewed studies that dealt with the relationship between administrative empowerment and organizational effectiveness, such as the study (Dizgah et al., 2011) and the study ( Sadq et al., 2019), which highlights the importance of administrative empowerment and its positive role in improving organizational effectiveness through delegating powers, sharing information, relying on work teams, motivating employees, and other dimensions mentioned in studies. Still, the ambiguity of this relationship between the variables remains. The question arises whether it is possible for organizations, in light of this competitive struggle in global markets and developments in the external environment, to give or delegate some of their powers to any member of the organization, whether a worker or a manager. And build work teams? Unless there is comprehensive training at the level of the organization as a whole and by approved international standards, and programs to develop employees and develop their skills, as well as attracting talents and competencies from outside the organization and maintaining the competencies available in the organization, here also a fourth research gap appears. All of these considerations were present for the researcher to be keen to identify these gaps and fill them. This is at the level of the intellectual and theoretical framework. As for the applied aspect, the problem seems larger, especially when we talk about the largest service organization in Iraq, the Baghdad Mayoralty, which is considered the largest Iraqi governmental organization in employing workers. Accordingly, it is considered the institution most in need of identifying and analyzing training needs, as Swiss scientist (Raymond Sanner), a member of the ISO TC176 committee who participated in the Working Group that worked on preparing the international standard ISO10015 since 1993, says that achieving the highest return on investment In training, it is done by confirming or ensuring the quality of that activity in all its activities and programs (Saner, 2002: 53). Therefore, the problem of the study can be embodied in the main question: What is the extent of the impact of the requirements of the international standard ISO 10015:2019 in enhancing organizational effectiveness through the mediating role of administrative empowerment. American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 238 www.americanjournal.org 2. Relationships between study variables and hypothesis building 2.1. The relationship of ISO 10015:2019 (Competence Management and Individual Development) to organizational effectiveness: Competence management and individual development in organizations occupy great importance due to the close connection between the quality of performance and the Efficiency of employees. It also requires focusing on the personnel development system through effective training programs. From this standpoint, the administration exerts many efforts aimed at enhancing the status of employees, in an effort to achieve Organizational effectiveness and achieving its goals (Mansouri, 2021: 105), and according to (Lawler and Ledford, 1997) an organization is considered effective when there is a good fit between its strategy and its competencies (Potnuru et al., 2021: 405), and according to the resource- based view, The performance of the organization varies according to human resources and their capabilities (Bendickson & Chandler, 2019:163), and (Aburumman et al., 2020:643) believes that managing the competencies present in the organization must have an incentive, as compensation systems and performance evaluation are used on the basis Fair reward, which leads to increasing productivity and employee loyalty, reducing bias at work and increasing the level of job satisfaction for employees, and thus employees in the organization have become seen as its most important resource, so that the Efficiency and effectiveness of this organization depends on the Efficiency of the human element, as the organization must make a choice The best human resources that have different skills and knowledge, as they provide the organization with added value. ISO 10015:2019 also indicated that it is necessary to determine the needs of (individual) competencies, as it was pointed out by (Singh et al., 2019, p. 1692) that they contribute positively to achieving well-being for the human resources working within the organization through their role in helping them to Carry out difficult activities and tasks within it, and then enhancing their position in the organization and their role in achieving job performance. In the same direction, (Khelassi, 2010, p. 15) believes that competency management is not limited to evaluating the performance of the individual or group within the organization but rather extends it to the angle of vision towards...Reaching the organization's reputation and position among other organizations. When the organization possesses distinguished human minds and competencies, this is reflected in achieving organizational development. 2.2. The relationship of ISO 10015:2019 (Competence Management and Individual Development) to administrative empowerment: The study of the relationship between (competence management and individual development) and administrative empowerment is one of the important and relatively recent studies in the world of management, as empowering employees can only be achieved through training them on modern and effective means of performing tasks, which is one of the seven factors identified by Cantrell (2011) for organizations that It seeks to achieve high performance ((Sweis, 2013: 276), and the study (Tarigan & Setiawan, 2020: 865) came to prove that employee competence has a direct and indirect impact on employee motivation (which is one of the dimensions of administrative empowerment), and this was confirmed by the study (Taher, (2021: 61) Competency management cannot be abstracted from the motivational process of the organization’s human resource, as it is affected by it by developing the capabilities and skills and developing the effectiveness of employees in performing their administrative or functional tasks, and a study (Al-Moussawi, 2022: 239) concluded that self- American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 239 www.americanjournal.org efficacy represented by ( (Individual, collective, organizational, and strategic competence) defined by ISO 10015:2019 that there is a positive correlation between the above-mentioned competencies and administrative empowerment, and that these competencies contribute to the cohesion of work teams and effective communication at the same time, and a study has proven (Al-Jarjari and Al- Obaidi, 2020 ,258) that human competencies have a strong correlation with employee empowerment, and even have a direct impact on the dimensions of administrative empowerment, and (Agboli et al, 2020: 52) explained that competencies lead to selection and empowerment to achieve valuable ways of being and working, the basic characteristics of this The approach is its focus on what employees can do and that the concept of competence depicts freedom, inequality and justice, as managing competencies is the process of expanding the true freedom that individuals enjoy, and the focus of this perspective is on building capabilities and creating societies in which the potential of employees can be realized and that greater freedom enhances their capabilities in Developing themselves (Dasuki et al, 2014: 322), and (Houtzagers, 1999) indicates that the management of competencies and skills is closely related to organizations’ efforts to empower employees in order to increase the organization’s competitive advantage and effectiveness (Chan et al., 2013: 387). 2.3. The relationship of administrative empowerment to organizational effectiveness: Empowerment helps to achieve a specific culture and environment in the organization and thus increase organizational effectiveness, through the participation of employees in organizational processes and decision-making, and that all visions and strategies in the organization need the ability and empowered individuals (Mohapatra & Sundaray, 2018: 101), as the results of a study showed (Dwived, 1998: 164) that there is an interrelation between administrative empowerment and organizational effectiveness, which facilitates the application of advanced technology, and (Al-Saadi, 2006) believes that organizations reap many benefits through the application of administrative empowerment such as enhancing organizational effectiveness (Al-Saadi, 2006: 63), The organization's effectiveness standard is one of the important indicators in measuring the extent to which the organization achieves its objectives in harmony or adaptation with the environment in which it operates in terms of exploiting available resources. Therefore, management has a major role in achieving the organization's objectives by creating the appropriate organizational climate that would enable the participation of employees, developing their sense of responsibility and belonging, instilling a spirit of cooperation and loyalty in the job, and learning about production and productivity indicators and the quantity, quality, and size of the goods or service outputs they provide (Al-Mhairat, 2009, p. 53). From another point of view, (ALjuraid & ALsmairal, 2020 p. 676) believes that the view towards Administrative empowerment is reflected in the employee's behavior in addition to the organization's commitment, which plays an important role in enhancing the overall organizational performance and this contributes to improving the organizational effectiveness of the organization. (Ziyakashany, 2009) also promises that administrative empowerment is one of the useful tools for raising the quality of human resources and increasing organizational effectiveness in Organization (Ziyakashany, 2009, p. 95). Delegation of authority is one of the most important dimensions of administrative empowerment, which provides a climate of trust with their leaders. They become more creative and innovative, enhancing the organization's effectiveness and obtaining outstanding performance (Choi et al., 2016, p. 5). The important dimension of administrative empowerment is motivating employees, whether material or moral. Their effect depends on their ability to stimulate American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 240 www.americanjournal.org the motivation of individuals and enhance their enthusiasm, confidence in the organization, and loyalty, which contributes to enhancing organizational effectiveness (Diab, 2017, p. 824). Among the important dimensions of administrative empowerment is Sharing information. as (Karakoc & Kucukyilmaz, 2009, p. 6) believes that sharing information and knowledge with employees is necessary to contribute to organizational performance, and (Al-Khalifa 2020, p. 219) believes that work teams are elements of strength in administrative empowerment because of the important role the team provides in Confronting problems and rationalizing the consumption of resources efficiently and effectively, as the shared sense of responsibility brings real power in increasing the degree of organizational loyalty and commitment, which enhances organizational effectiveness as a whole. Through the above theoretically and intellectually, the Hypothesis can be formulated as follows: H (1/1): Competence management positively affects organizational effectiveness. H (1/2): Competence management and individual development positively impact organizational effectiveness. H (2/1): Competence management positively affects administrative empowerment. H (2/2): Competence management and individual development positively affect administrative empowerment. H (3): Administrative empowerment has a positive effect on organizational effectiveness. H (4/1): Administrative empowerment mediates the relationship between competence management and organizational effectiveness. H (4/2): Administrative empowerment mediates the relationship between competence management, individual development, and organizational effectiveness. 3. Study methodology: The analytical method was adopted for the current study. The study sample consisted of (380) managers from senior, middle, and executive leadership from the Baghdad Mayoralty, the study's subject; therefore, the basic measurement tool was the questionnaire. The STATA statistical program based on the ESM structural equation model was used to test the relationship between the research variables. 4. Study Model (SEM): This model aims to study the effect of the two dimensions of the International Standard (ISO 10015:2019) as external variables on the overall variable of organizational effectiveness as an internal variable, whether directly or indirectly through the overall variable of administrative empowerment as an intermediary variable in the relationship between them. Therefore, this model attempts to examine the sub-hypotheses H(1/1), H(1/2), H(2/1), H(2/2), H(3), H(4/1), H(4/2) . Administrative empowerment will be expressed as a latent variable of four measurements: Delegation of authority, work teams, effective communication, and motivation. On the other hand, organizational effectiveness is expressed as a latent variable comprising three measurements: job performance, organizational development, and job satisfaction. The path analysis here includes the following elements: 4.1. Estimating the structural model: Below is the final model after being modified to have an excellent fit, as in Figure (1). American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 241 www.americanjournal.org Figure (1) Structural model results It is clear from the goodness-of-fit statistics shown at the bottom of the figure that the structural model has a perfect fit or matching, meaning that the structural model is a perfect match with the actual study data. The minimum variance value (χ2/df) was (1.429), which is less than the standard value of 3, reflecting an excellent suitability level. This is confirmed by the statistical value (χ^2) of the original model versus the saturated model, which was not statistically significant, indicating that the model is a perfect fit. The root mean square error index (RMSEA) reached a value of (0.034), indicating the model fit perfectly. As for the Pclose statistic, it was not statistically significant, and therefore, we can accept at the 1% level that the model has a perfect fit. The Comparative Fit Index (CFI) and the Tucker- Lewis Index (TLI) were approximately equal to one, confirming that the model is fully fit. Finally, the standard root mean square residual (SRMR) index was less than 0.09, indicating an excellent model fit. The statistical value (χ^2) for the baseline versus the saturated model was statistically significant at the 1% level, indicating that the model is poor (the only indicator indicating that the model is poor). Therefore, the model can generally be accepted as very accurate and appropriate to the data collected to examine the study hypotheses. Therefore, after being satisfied with the structural model's quality (Path analysis for Hypothesis ( (Standardized Estimates ( Chi-square (model vs. saturated)= 30.005, df= 21, Prob.= 0.092, 𝜒2/𝑑𝑓= 1.429 Chi-square (baseline vs. saturated)= 3015.84, df= 35, Prob.= 0.000 CFI= 0.997, TLI= 0.995, SRMR= 0.012, CD= 0.804, RMSEA= 0.034, PCLOSE= 0.840 AIC= 2763.406, BIC= 2893.432 American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 242 www.americanjournal.org and suitability to the data collected, we can continue the analysis to obtain the path coefficients. Table (1) summarizes the results of the path analysis of the study model. Table (1): Results of the impact of the dimensions of the International Standard (ISO 10015) on organizational effectiveness in light of the mediation of administrative empowerment Internal variable: administrative empowerment, organizational effectiveness. External variable: competence management, individual development. Measurements: Delegation of authority, work teams, effective communication, motivation, job performance, organizational development, and job satisfaction. Estimation method: Maximum likelihood method with Satorra-Bentler paths Expected signal Unstandardized transactions Standard coefficients standard deviation Statistic z Probability Administrative empowerment equation: Competence management → Administrative empowerment + 0.6359 0.6311 0.048 13.17 0.000** Individual development → Administrative empowerment + 0.3147 0.3065 0.045 6.99 0.000** Organizational effectiveness equation: Administrative empowerment → organizational effectiveness + 0.9768 0.9137 0.082 11.88 0.000** Competence management → organizational effectiveness. + 0.1583 0.1469 0.059 2.65 0.008** Individual development organizational effectiveness + -0.1132 -0.1031 0.046 -2.44 0.015* " Administrative empowerment " Measurements create a variable Administrative empowerment→ Delegation of authority 1 0.8087 (constrained) Administrative empowerment→ work teams 1.0524 0.8729 0.195 20.54 0.000** Administrative empowerment → Effective communication 1.1149 0.8942 0.051 21.34 0.000** Administrative empowerment→ motivation 1.0511 0.8754 0.052 20.63 0.000** " Organizational effectiveness " Measurements create a variable Organizational effectiveness → job performance 1 0.8614 (constrained) Organizational effectiveness → organizational development 0.9750 0.8093 0.049 19.93 0.000** Organizational effectiveness → job satisfaction 1.0122 0.9029 0.042 24.31 0.000** Note: ** indicates statistical significance at the 1% level. From the previous table, it is clear that: First: Regarding the results of the administrative empowerment equation, It is clear from the paths of the equation that there is a direct positive effect of competence management and individual development (the latent sub-dimensions that make up the international standard) on administrative empowerment in the Baghdad Mayoralty, at the 1% significance level. Therefore, these results support the fulfillment of the sub-hypotheses H (2/1) and H (2/2), which state that “there is a positive American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 243 www.americanjournal.org impact of the dimensions of competency management and individual development on the level of administrative empowerment.” Using standard path coefficients (whose coefficients reflect the relative importance of the variables), an increase of one standard deviation in competency management and individual development will increase administrative empowerment by 0.632 and 0.307 standard deviations, respectively. This means that the effect of competency management on administrative empowerment is twice the size of the effect of individual development, which indicates that competence management is more important for administrative empowerment than individual development. Second: Regarding the results of the organizational effectiveness equation, the path (administrative empowerment→ organizational effectiveness) shows a direct positive effect on organizational effectiveness at the 1% level of administrative empowerment in the Baghdad Mayoralty. This supports verifying the third main Hypothesis in H(3). Also, the path (competence management→ organizational effectiveness) shows a direct positive effect at the 1% level of competency management on the level of organizational effectiveness in the Baghdad Mayoralty. According to the standard regression coefficient, increasing competency management by one standard deviation increases organizational effectiveness in Baghdad Mayoralty by 0.147 standard deviations on average, i.e., an increase equivalent to 14.7% of the increase in competence management. This supports the verification of sub-hypothesis H (1/1), which states: “There is a positive impact of competency management on the level of organizational effectiveness as a whole. On the other hand, the path (individual development→ organizational effectiveness) shows a direct negative effect at the 5% level of individual development on the level of organizational effectiveness in the Baghdad Mayoralty. According to the standard regression coefficient, an increase of one standard deviation in the level of individuals’ development will lead to a decrease in the level of organizational effectiveness in Baghdad Municipality by 0.103 standard deviations on average, that is, a decrease rate equivalent to 10.3% of the increase in the level of individuals’ development. This is supported by the non-fulfillment of sub-hypothesis H (1/2), which states: “There is a positive impact of individual development on the level of organizational effectiveness as a whole. 4.2. Disintegration of the impact Pathways : The following table (2) shows the disintegration of the paths of the structural model so that it shows the direct and indirect effect of the two dimensions of the International Standard (ISO 10015:2019) on the level of organizational effectiveness in the Baghdad Mayoralty through administrative empowerment, as well as the Total effect. Thus, this table lets us know whether the administrative empowerment variable is a mediator. of the into direct, indirect and totaleffects of the disintegrationTable (2): The path Direct impact Indirect effect Total effect Competence management→ organizational effectiveness 0.1583 ( 2.65)** 0.6212 ( 9.78)** 0.7796 ( 14.39)** Individual Development →Organizational Effectiveness -0.1132 (-2.44)* 0.3074 ( 6.33)** 0.1942 ( 3.76)** Note: **and * indicate statistical significance at the 1% and 5%, respectively. American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 244 www.americanjournal.org Several interesting results emerge from the Table: There is a direct and indirect positive effect of competence management on organizational effectiveness in Baghdad Mayoralty. Increasing the level of competence management by one degree will lead to a direct increase in organizational effectiveness by 0.158 degrees and an indirect increase of 0.621 degrees through the administrative empowerment variable. Thus, competency management has a total impact of 0.780 degrees on organizational effectiveness, which comes from direct and indirect impacts. On the other hand, we find that individual development has a direct negative impact on the level of organizational effectiveness at the 5% level, as opposed to a positive indirect impact through administrative empowerment. An increase of one degree in the level of individual development will lead to a direct decrease in the level of organizational effectiveness by 0.113 degrees and an indirect increase of 0.307 degrees through the variable of administrative empowerment. This means that the indirect increase is much greater than the direct decrease. Therefore, competency management has a positive overall effect of 0.194 degrees on organizational effectiveness from direct and indirect effects. 5.3. Mediation test: Table (3) shows the results of Baron & Kenny's three-step test, which aims to examine the mediating role informally. As follows: Table (3): Baron & Kenny's approach to mediation research for the structural model paths The first step The second step The third step X → M M → Y X → Y Competence management, →Administrative empowerment, →Organizational effectiveness [β = 0.636]** [β = 0.977]** [β = 0.158]** Individual development, →administrative empowerment→organizational effectiveness [β = 0.315]** [β = 0.977]** [β = 0.113]* Note: **and * indicate statistical significance at the 1% and 5%, respectively. It is clear from the table that there is an effect in the first and second paths (X →M) and (M →Y) for the two dimensions of the international standard (ISO 10015:2019). We also find an effect in the third path (X →Y). This implies that the two dimensions of the international standard (ISO 10015:2019) affect administrative empowerment in the first track. Administrative empowerment also affects organizational effectiveness in the second track, and the two dimensions of the international standard (ISO 10015:2019) directly affect Organizational effectiveness in the third path. Thus, the Baron & Kenny test suggests that administrative empowerment may mediate (partial mediation) between "the two dimensions of competence management and individual development and organizational effectiveness. This supports H(4). This implies that the dimensions of competence management and individual development, directly and indirectly, affect organizational effectiveness through administrative empowerment, which means that administrative empowerment transmits part of the effect. Here, to formally evaluate the mediating variable, and this supports the Hypothesis of H(4/1) and H(4/2), the Sobel test will be estimated here, in addition to the two statistics (RIT) and (RID), as shown in the following table (4). American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 245 www.americanjournal.org Table 4: Mediation test for the structural model paths Sobel test RIT RID Type of mediation Competence management, →Administrative empowerment, →Organizational effectiveness 0.621 (8.822)** 0.797 3.924 Partial mediation Individual development,→administrative empowerment, and organizational effectiveness 0.307 (6.026)** 1.583 2.716 Partial mediation Note: ** indicates statistical significance at the 1% level. Here, it is clear from the table that the results of the Sobel test confirmed what was concluded using the three-step Baron & Kenny test, as the test statistic was statistically significant for the two dimensions of the international standard (ISO 10015). We also note from the statistics (RIT) and (RID) the following: • From the RIT statistics, it is clear that the percentage of the impact of individual development on organizational effectiveness through administrative empowerment (the mediating variable) is equivalent to (1.583), which is much higher than the percentage of the impact of competence management on organizational effectiveness through administrative empowerment, which is equivalent to (0.797). • Therefore, from the RID statistic, it is clear that the mediating effect of administrative empowerment is approximately 3.924 times greater than the direct effect of the competence management dimension on organizational effectiveness. It is approximately 2.716 times greater than the direct effect of the people development dimension on organizational effectiveness. 5.4.General statistics of the structural model: Table (5) displays the general statistics of the structural model, represented by the coefficient of determination (R2) statistic, the Wald test statistic, and the model stability test. Table (5): Goodness-of-fit statistics for the structural model equations R- Squared Wald test for equations Eigenvalue steady state chi2 df Prob. Eigenvalues Modulus Observed Administrative empowerment equation 78.5% 441.56 2 0.000** 0 0 The organizational effectiveness equation 92.8% 391.92 3 0.000** 0 0 Total 80.4% Stability index = 0 Note: ** indicates statistical significance at the 1% level. It is clear from the previous table that the two dimensions of the international standard (ISO 10015:2019) together explain 78.5% of the changes in the administrative empowerment level. While the remaining percentage, amounting to 21.5%, is due to random error. We also find that American Journal of Business Management, Economics and Banking Volume 23 April - 2024 P a g e | 246 www.americanjournal.org administrative empowerment and the two dimensions of the international standard (ISO 10015:2019) explain 92.8% of the changes that occur in organizational effectiveness. Therefore, based on the coefficient of determination of the previous two equations, it is clear that the coefficient of determination for the structural model as a whole is equivalent to 80.4%, This indicates a high degree of fit and high explanatory power and has a high rate of determination. It is also evident that for the two equations included in the study model, the (chi2) test value was statistically significant. This suggests that the study model has statistical significance at the 1% level. Lastly, as the stability index value was equal to zero, the stability test in the table shows that the model satisfies the requirement of stability overall. 6. Conclusions International Standard (ISO 10015:2019) has a direct positive impact on organizational effectiveness at the Baghdad Mayoralty, in addition to its positive indirect effect on organizational effectiveness through the variable of administrative empowerment. On the other hand, we find that individual development has a direct negative effect on organizational effectiveness, as opposed to a positive indirect effect, through administrative empowerment. Since the indirect increase is much greater than the direct decrease, personnel development positively impacts organizational effectiveness. Thus, based on the Baron & Kenny test and the Sobel test, administrative empowerment plays a mediating role (partial mediation) in the relationship (the two dimensions of competence management and individual development with organizational effectiveness). Administrative empowerment has a positive effect on the level of organizational effectiveness as a whole . 7. Recommendations Based on the previous conclusions, it is necessary for the Baghdad Mayoralty to conduct an evaluation survey and measure the effectiveness of applying the competence management and personnel development system by the international standard ISO 10015:2019 so that experimental evidence of the results of applying this standard is obtained, and to work to restructure individual development programs in a way that helps to use Efficiency within the organization in a more effective and focused manner, and working to monitor and evaluate the personnel development program and its implementation by competent observers . 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