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ABSTRACTThis study explores the enablers and barriers present when attempting to adopt a collaborative governance system in a non-profit sport. An empirical qualitative study was employed to shed light on these enablers and barriers with a particular focus on the behaviours and actions of those charged to govern. Three sports from Australia took part in the study and 36 in-depth interviews were conducted with participants from national and state organizations operating within those networks. Data were analysed using a pattern matching process and a thematic structure was subsequently developed. The current state of collaborative behaviours and its impact for future collaboration, the institutional design of the federal model including board composition and leadership, and the ability of the strategic planning process to act as a catalyst to facilitate collaboration emerged as the key themes in the study. The results of this work advance our understanding of the enablers and barriers facing systemic governing structures and increase our ability to theorize in relation to collaborative sport governance. A number of implications for sport governance practice and possible extensions for sport governance research based on these findings conclude the paper.

AbstractThe transition of many sport organisations from being predominantly volunteer-administered and anchored in an amateur ethos to professionally managed entities has created unique challenges for the governance of sport. This paper provides a contribution to the governance literature through the presentation of a situational case where a four-stage model, drawn from an action research approach, has been used for developing a board's strategic capability and subsequent improvement in organisational performance. Action research is founded on the premise that change and research are not mutually exclusive and that dual foci on improving practice and developing theory are possible (Coghlan & Brannick, 2001). Utilising a national sport organisation (NSO) in New Zealand the study developed and tested a structured model for improving board functioning and, specifically, strategic contribution. While the case to which the model has been applied is an NSO, the model and the subsequent reflections have value for non-profit as well as commercial entities particularly with regard to a greater understanding of the mechanisms associated with balancing the performance and conformance roles of the board.

This paper argues for Grounded Theory (GT) to be more widely used to allow emergence of socially constructed sport related processes. The aim of GT is to explain social phenomena and the resources that are required to support social processes. GT is attractive to researchers as it uses the natural setting where the phenomena studied takes place to examine and understand social constructions. This paper demonstrates the importance of using GT by using a sport management study to exemplify GT processes and assess its efficacy in the discipline. Integration of GT method will strengthen sport management research and enable researchers understand social constructions associated with sport.

Technical developments in television have resulted in major changes to the delivery of sport. One significant change is the development of relationships between clubs and sport broadcasters. This research identified the technology that is emerging in sport broadcasting, and the impact that this technology has on the potential for Inter-Organisational Relationship (IOR) formation between sport broadcasters and Australian-based professional football clubs, taken from the perspective of the sport broadcaster. Six preconditions for IOR formation were considered, including uncertainty, knowledge/expertise, resource acquisition, adaptive efficiency, regulation and strategic enhancement. In-depth interviews with senior managers of eight sport broadcasting organisations were undertaken with the resulting data analysed, and the emergent themes identified. Results indicate that sport broadcasters were not willing to enter into IORs with professional football clubs.

AbstractSport business is different; one of these differences is the significant and important cultural role that sport plays in society. This paper investigates the social expectations of sport, and how these expectations impact on the management and governance of sport organisations. Interviews were undertaken with the directors and CEOs of the Australian Football League and its clubs, to examine the concept of social expectations and ethical governance. Five key themes of the social expectations of sport were found: scrutiny, sport business, sport context, social investment, and the historical development of the club. Each of these themes was identified through the data analysis as having a potential impact on the management and ethical governance of sport organisations. A clearer understanding of the social and cultural context within which sport organisations operate, enables sport organisations to implement sound policy and practices for ethical governance.

Focuses on the governance of sporting organizations by Commonwealth, states and territory sport and recreation ministers in Australia. Role of the professionalization of sport in the role, structure, and purpose of boards in charting the direction for sporting organizations; Importance of performance, conformance, policy, and operations as the aspects of good governance; Significance of the principles of strategic function, board roles, CEO/board relationships, motivation, board dynamics and diversity in understanding good governance; Details of the changes in sports governance structures.