Purpose This study advances understanding of managerial competencies by examining how they are structurally configured and interpreted in highly institutionalized organizational contexts. Building on an inductively developed competency model for Cuban base sports management, the study pursues two objectives: (1) to provide confirmatory evidence of the model's validity and reliability, and (2) to explain observed competency relationships through an integrative framework grounded in contingency and dialectical processes. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative confirmatory research design was employed. Data were collected from managers in Cuban base sports organizations and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis within a structural equation modeling framework. Model respecification followed a theory-driven approach. Reliability was assessed through internal consistency and test–retest procedures. Findings The results support an eleven-dimensional competency structure with strong reliability and validity. Rather than a densely interconnected system, competencies exhibit selective interdependencies. A key finding is the significant contribution of digital problem-solving to teamwork, indicating that digital competencies operate as contextually embedded capabilities rather than as a unified latent construct. Research limitations/implications Positioned as a mid-range contribution, the study examines a highly institutionalized sports context, limiting generalizability. Findings emphasize context-dependent, dynamically interrelated competencies, informing future comparative research and adaptive competency-based development systems. Originality/value Rather than proposing a universal theory of managerial competence, this study articulates the Dialectical Contingency of Competency as an integrative explanatory principle that clarifies how managerial competencies are shaped by institutional pressures and organizational tensions. The study contributes to competency-based management and decision-making research, particularly within public, non-profit, and highly regulated organizational settings.
Pérez et al. (Sat,) studied this question.