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Increasingly, globalization and the adoption of a market economy have made innovation fundamental for the success of professional sport organizations. Yet oligarchical league structures, isomorphic and hyper-traditional cultures, and hierarchical organizational structures can enhance or hinder organizational creativity, the beginning stage of the innovation process. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine the antecedents of organizational creativity in professional sport organizations. Perception of organizational creativity is theorized to be influenced by employee creativity, work environment, and the social interactions of employees. The results, based on a survey of three professional sport organizations’ front offices, indicated perceptions of a work environment with a clear vision and better work processes were associated with greater perceptions of organizational creativity. The lack of relationships between many of the factors theorized to influence organizational creativity, such as an employee’s advice network, could indicate the sport industry is unique in creativity management. This study is the beginning in understanding the first step of innovation, and the processes that influence employees’ perceptions regarding the ways in which their work environment relate to organizational creativity.

This case study analyzed the innovation processes that led to the adoption of a work-integrated learning program among several sport organizations. A comparative case study analysis was used to deduce the commonly shared determinants between each of the sport organizations. Notably, having an innovation champion was a key determination. As well, lack of resources regarding staffing, the involvement of the managers with the participating higher education institution, the ease of contract design, and access to good candidates for the program were also influential in the innovation process. This study revealed, for sport organizations facing similar issues, that the graduate apprenticeship program could provide benefits. As well for sport management program, it could provide a stronger relationship with regional sport organizations. This research also extends the body of research regarding the underlying mechanisms by which sport organizations innovate generally.

Organizational behavior is heavily influenced by internal factors such as organizational culture, size, and access to resources. External factors, including societal influences, politics, and employee identification, further alter how organizations interact with stakeholders, including employees and volunteers. This chapter defines and categorizes sport organizations as unique organizations and deserving of study within the broader management disciplines. As students read through this chapter, they will be introduced to important concepts which will be discussed throughout the remainder of this book.

As has been widely discussed throughout this book, communication between sport organizations and their employees is a critical but challenging process. We’ve also discussed the importance of organizational culture in defining the organization’s identity, as well as the role person-organization fit plays in helping employees determine if their values are in line with those of their employer. This chapter explores how each of those topics relates to how sport organizations socialize new employees into the organization. Specifically, we’ll examine how organizations communicate with new employees and how new employees search for and perceive information about their workplace. The chapter ends with a brief discussion on psychological contracts between sport employees and sport organizations.

This chapter covers all aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion as it relates to sport organizations. There are four major aspects of diversity to consider: ethical, legal, economic, and consumer/participant. First, understanding what diversity and inclusion are provides the foundation for building a better sport organization. The research in sport management indicates diversity and inclusion can be beneficial to the organization. Practical steps and considerations for improving diversity and inclusion in sport organizations are discussed in this chapter. This includes diversity statements, recruitment strategies, hiring process issues, programming, and organizational structure.

Conflict is often seen to be a negative word within organizations. Unchecked, conflict can cause many issues that will tear teams and organizations apart. However, a lack of conflict can be just as detrimental. This chapter differentiates between functional conflict that can benefit an organization and dysfunctional forms of conflict, which can be extremely harmful to an organization’s health. We will then discuss structural and contextual factors that influence conflict within sport organizations. The chapter ends with a discussion about negotiation.

© 2016 Taylor & Francis. Volunteer tourism is the fastest growing segment of the alternative tourism market and often a key feature of sport-for-development organizational models. The growing commercialization of this alternative tourism threatens efforts to build a sustainable model of long-term positive outcomes for both the host community and guest volunteers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the motivations and impacts that a long-term international experience with a sport-for-development initiative had on volunteers from the United States. The authors spent five weeks in Granada and conducted semi-structured interviews with key personnel including out-going yearlong volunteer interns, incoming yearlong volunteer interns, and local Nicaraguan full-time staff. Guided by the volunteer motivational literature, data analysis illustrated three key findings. The most prominent theme involved the motivation of going abroad to gain a cultural experience, in particular to increase global understanding and provide social gains. In addition, our results illustrate the motivations of one's career and professional goals, and the ability to give back to a foreign culture through the use of sport. This demonstrates the potential for sport-for-development organizations to successfully incorporate volunteer tourism into a sustainable model based on specific volunteer recruitment and structure of their experiences.