Sport versus climate: Introducing the climate vulnerability of sport organizations framework

Climate change presents a significant and growing challenge to the sport industry, especially outdoor and winter sports. The authors present a conceptual framework that elucidates the varying states of climate vulnerability a sport organization may face, so practitioners may better understand the risks of climate change. The authors developed the Climate Vulnerability of Sport Organizations (CVSO) framework by building on—and linking—concepts of climate vulnerability, exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity in the context of sport organizations. By placing potential impact on one axis and organizational climate capacity on the other, the authors present four quadrants representing four types of climate vulnerability: the Problem State, the Redundant State, the Responsive State, and the Fortified State. Positioning organizations within the CVSO framework facilitates a better understanding of the effort and resources needed to address climate-related risks. Though not all sport organizations will be equally impacted by climate change, all must be prepared to identify the risks to their organizations.     

Examining the factors influencing organizational creativity in professional sport organizations

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.     

Antecedents and outcomes of social innovation: A global study of sport for development and peace organizations

The purpose of this study was to examine antecedents and outcomes of social innovation in a global sample of sport for development and peace (SDP) organizations. Specifically, the authors used multiple regression analysis and parallel mediation analysis to test the relationships between innovation capacity, three types of social innovation, and organizational performance. An electronic survey was distributed to 817 SDP organizations. Results indicated five dimensions of innovation capacity explain a significant amount of variance in all three types of social innovation practices by SDP organizations when controlling for geographical location of agencies, where an organization’s founders were from, program location, organizational age, and organizational size. An additional regression analysis indicated two of three types of social innovation were also significant predictors of organizational performance. A parallel mediation analysis revealed the relationship between capacity and organizational performance was partially mediated by social innovation, specifically by program-focused social innovations. The findings from this study provide a foundation for funders and practitioners to identify organizational practices needed for facilitating different types of social innovations in SDP.     

Managing organizational reputation in response to a public shaming campaign

Sport has embraced social media, intensifying the (online) coverage of sport organizations and athletes. Until now, the role that social media has played in the renaissance of public shaming in sport has received little attention. To address this gap, the authors present a novel case study of a public, online shaming campaign against an English Premier League football club by one of their own supporters. Data were collected from multiple sources, including online sources and organizational documents that informed both the creation of semi-structured interviews and the development of a process model of public, online shaming. Findings reveal how a supporter query was mishandled by the club. In response, the supporter turned-activist launched a low-scale online shaming campaign about disability discrimination. The campaign escalated in profile to gain national media attention. Within the framework of Online Reputation Management, the authors present the organizational response that sought to bolster the club’s reputation by deploying a series of internal and external responses. The authors conclude that to minimize the potentially negative effects of public shaming in sport, sports organizations should implement specific reputation management practices but ones that monitor online sources for potential issues and crises.     

Examining institutional work that perpetuates abuse in sport organizations

In this research, the author sought to understand how organizational practices that harbor and, ultimately, perpetuate abuse become legitimized. The authors drew from the tenets of institutional work to understand how institutional structures were created and legitimized to allow abuse to perpetuate within sport organizations. In examining the sexual abuse scandals of Penn State University, Baylor University, and Michigan State University, the authors found that university administrators and stakeholders obscured reporting and investigative processes, enacted internal discipline structures that were uncompliant from formal regulations, valorized the perpetrators and university leadership, silenced victims, and engaged in collusion. The authors theorized these actions as legitimacy work designed to legitimize the universities’ management of abuse. In effect, these actions contributed to the harboring and perpetuation of abuse. The implications for the study and management of abuse in sport are discussed.     

Exploring how external stakeholders shape social innovation in sport for development and peace

The purpose of this study was to examine how innovative SDP organizations’ interactions with external stakeholders influence the social innovation process. Innovation represents the implementation of new or improved ways to promote social change. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 48 SDP leaders representing organizations located across six continents. Innovative SDP agencies engaged in numerous non-financial relationships with a strong emphasis on collective learning, a shared willingness to spread the risk of innovation across organizational boundaries, and a reciprocal process for co-creating new and improved solutions for how sport can be used better to promote positive social change. Social innovation in the context of SDP emerged across different levels (intra-, inter-, and extra-group) from a collective and interactive process between SDP organizations and external stakeholders. Their innovation activities included identifying opportunities and generating ideas for implementing new practices and scaling creative solutions. This study extends the existing SDP literature and underscores the need to adopt a more specific external perspective when examining the process of innovation in sport organizations.     

Design archetype utility for understanding and analyzing the governance of contemporary national sport organizations

More than 30 years has passed since the foundational works of the late Trevor Slack and his colleagues first appeared using design archetypes to explore change dynamics amongst National Sport Organizations. The scale and nature of change that has continued to occur in the operating environment for these organizations over the last three decades has resulted in NSOs increasingly being required to be more professional, to manage more complex sport delivery systems, and strategically adapt and change to be effective. In that context, the authors explore the contemporary nature of NSO design archetypes in order to better understand the current and emerging dynamics of change for these organizations. This conceptual paper reviews the theory and utility of design archetypes in helping to understand organizational change dynamics in relation to NSOs, revisits the work of Slack and others in order to identify ways to improve the representation of design archetypes for contemporary NSOs, and presents an argument for a renewed emphasis on design archetypes as a fundamental driver for future research efforts to help understand change within NSOs, and indeed, other sport organizations.     

“Pick and choose our battles” – Understanding organizational capacity in a sport for development and peace organization

A growing number of sport for development and peace (SDP) organizations seek to address social issues through sport. Hall et al. (2003) created a multidimensional framework that suggests SDP and other nonprofit organizations need human resources, financial, and structural capacities to accomplish their organizational goals and objectives, but may face challenges with developing these capacities. The current study used this framework and examined the capacities of Gainline Africa – a small SDP nonprofit organization based in North America and operating programming in an East African post-conflict community – to identify critical elements that influenced the organization's ability to fulfill its mission. Semi-structured interviews (n = 10) were conducted with its North American staff members. The study's findings build upon the theoretical understanding of organizational capacity within nonprofit sport organizations, and several new elements such as community funding and managing nontraditional Global North-Global South dynamics, were revealed that could be unique to the SDP context. Practically speaking, smaller SDP organizations can use the findings to help increase their organizational capacity through leveraging local partnerships and understanding the role and usage of paid versus volunteer staff members.     

Managing a confederation of rivals

This case highlights sport development issues within a free market environment where natural rivals compete for scarce resources (i.e., athletes). Set in a fictional environment of sport clubs grappling with the development of a network of clubs and coaches to support the growth of youth sport in the area, the case explores the challenges of two independent levels of policy-making – national and grassroots levels – for increased participation and elite development. At the national level, policy strategies and participation proliferation are best served when organizations work together; however, this becomes a challenge when organizations that implement these policies at the grassroots level compete for scarce resources. The resulting natural rivalries must be properly managed to meet larger objectives for growth. The case encourages students to consider the theoretical and practical issues for sport development at the grassroots and national level.     

Corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability: Why professional sport is greening the playing field

In this study, we explore institutional forces affecting environmental sustainability in professional sport teams and leagues in North America. Interviews with sport executives and executives from partner groups, 122 websites and organizational documents, and 56 media reports were examined. Data revealed how environmental management practices are being diffused in professional sport organizations. Evidence indicated associative behavior among sport organizations with respect to environmental management. Data also illustrated that media played a role in driving and defining the type and extent of involvement in professional sport teams’ environmental sustainability efforts. We discuss environmental sustainability as it affects a team's or league's CSR related initiatives (i.e., averting legal recourse, saving money, as well as building stronger relationships with stakeholders (e.g., customers, fans, local communities, federal governments and corporate partners)), and speculate how these efforts might evolve and inform the development of environmental sustainability in organizations in the sport, service and entertainment sectors.     

Examining the educative aims and practices of decision-makers in sport for development and peace organizations

Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) policy-makers and practitioners continue to offer ambitious claims regarding the potential role of sport-based programs for promoting social change. Yet, it is important to put sport under a critical lens in order to develop a more balanced and realistic understanding of the role of sport in society. Whether SDP programs result in positive or negative outcomes depends on the structures and processes of the implementing organizations. Hence, SDP researchers are paying more attention to the organizational approaches of these agencies. Scholars also argue the outcomes of SDP programs depend on the relationship of these organizations with broader community education and health promotion efforts. Despite the claims of many SDP programs, little remains known about the educational goals of these programs and their relationship with broader educational efforts. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to critically examine the role of education among a randomly selected sample of nonprofit SDP organizations in urban settings across the USA. Findings from in-depth interviews with 17 executive directors indicate a broad range of educative aims, but also innovative organizational practices, highlighting a salient relationship between education and SDP in the USA. Prominent themes emerged related to program models and organizational approaches, academic enrichment programming, partnerships with educational institutions and education-focused nonprofits, and educational outcomes. These findings are examined and implications for future SDP research are also discussed. Although important work is emerging in SDP literature on how educational values are delivered in these programs [Spaaij, R., & Jeanes, R. [2013]. Education for social change? A Freirean critique of sport for development and peace. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 18, 442–457], findings from this study also help stimulate a critical dialogue on the educative aims and practices of decision-makers in SDP organizations.     

The green waves of environmental sustainability in sport

The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual framework surrounding the typology of environmental sustainability efforts made within the sport industry. We draw from multiple theoretical frameworks (i.e. institutional theory and diffusion of innovation) to understand the increased similarities of environmental sustainability efforts through organizational learning as environmental sustainability efforts become more purposeful and sophisticated across the sport industry. The paper uses examples from various sport organizations and leagues to classify the efforts of sport organizations into waves of sport environmental sustainability efforts and important implications arising from them.     

The role of organizational membership in overcoming dissonant sport activity identities

Forming a strong identity with a sport or activity is a key variable that informs sustained behaviour of that activity. As identities are informed by social forces, marginalized and underrepresented groups face social barriers to embodying a non-traditional sport or activity. Given the power of organizational identities, it may be possible for sport organizations to facilitate salient identities for groups for whom the sport/activity was previously considered dissonant. In this study, the authors used interviews to explore the identity formation processes for members of a national running group for Black women in the United States. Results indicate that members overcame their dissonance to running through their identification with the organization who they felt facilitated education, support, and the connection to existing members who served as identity models. Through their own negotiation strategies, they were able to form a salient identity around the activity, and contribute to a growing collective running identity for this group as a whole.     

Investigating the role of corporate credibility in corporate social marketing: A case study of environmental initiatives by professional sport organizations

The purpose of this study is to understand how professional sport organizations might influence consumer voluntary behavior through their corporate social marketing (CSM) initiatives by focusing on the role of corporate credibility. The study examined consumer responses to environmental initiatives by two professional sport teams, and showed that organizational and program characteristics were associated with the corporate credibility of the teams in supporting environmental protection (i.e., environmental credibility). Environmental credibility, in turn, was found to have a positive association with consumer pro-environmental behavior measured by daily recycling involvement and recycling intentions during the teams’ home games. The results further revealed that environmental credibility was more strongly associated with recycling intentions during games for respondents who were less involved in environmental issues. Together, these findings suggest that professional sport organizations can be an effective vehicle for socially beneficial behavior by increasing their credibility in CSM involvement.     

Managing abuse in sport: An introduction to the special issue

This special issue was designed to advance a research agenda focussed on the management of abuse in sport. Despite progress in the field, greater attention to the structures, policies, processes, practices, and sites in which abuse occurs is required. As such, there is a need for evidence-based solutions to improve the management of abuse and integrity in sport. The authors identified five overarching themes across the 12 papers included within the special issue: the harms and legacies of abuse; abuse in mediated environments; abuse of referees; frameworks that sustain abuse; and safeguarding. The articles included in this issue highlight the complexity of abuse in sporting spaces, the impact it can have on victims and the challenges faced in appropriately managing sporting spaces toward the reduction of harm. This special issue is driven by the authors’ desire to promote integrity and enrich the sporting experience for all, with the hope of driving further research into the management of abuse and integrity in sport.     

运动员组织性应激研究的源起与现状

组织性应激是指与个体工作所在的组织直接并且主要相关的环境需要同个体之间的一个持续相互作用的过程。由于运动员工作环境的特殊性,因此提出组织性应激的概念可以更加有效地理解运动员应激。运动员组织应激源主要包括5个类别:体育本身固有因素,运动员在体育组织机构中的角色,体育运动项目中人与人之间关系和交流的需要,运动员竞技生涯和成绩发展问题,体育运动项目的组织结构和氛围。未来的研究应该注意进入组织内部测量,完善相关的研究方法,以及建立一体化的理论模型等方面。     

Organizational justice and conflict: Do perceptions of fairness influence disagreement?

Organizational justice may be a vital factor in the development of conflict between personnel within sport organizations. Specifically, perceptions of injustice may increase the potential for disagreement regarding codes of conduct and organizational procedures. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of multiple dimensions of organizational justice (i.e., distributive, procedural, interactional, and informational) on the perception of intragroup conflict. Paid staff from 262 regional sport commissions and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) across the United States responded to an online study to measure perceptions of justice and conflict. Results indicating procedural, interactional, and informational justice predicted the perception of intragroup conflict in this setting. The unique impact of each type of justice may be explained by instrumental and relational models, which has implications for sport management theory and practice.     

eSport management: Embracing eSport education and research opportunities

Consumer demand for eSport and the growth of organized video game competitions has generated considerable attention from the sport, event, and entertainment industries. eSport therefore represents a novel and popular area for sport management academics to conduct research, educate students, and service industry. However, despite growth and acceptance by consumers and practitioners, academics debate eSport’s position within the domain of sport management, their debates largely concentrated around the question of whether eSport can be classified as sport. In this article, the authors argue for the inclusion of organized eSport events and competitions within sport management vis-à-vis eSport’s meeting certain defining criteria of sport in general. eSport’s connection to traditional sport and defining characteristics are addressed to support eSport’s role as a sport entertainment product recognized by industry as representing a substantial growth opportunity for sport and related organizations. As eSport continues to evolve, practitioners face managerial challenges that are similar to those in traditional sport, particularly in areas of governance and diversity. Sport management academics should embrace the potential of eSport in order to examine this evolution and provide guidance to industry through education and research.