Organization and Policies of National Olympic Committee — Problems of methodology, access and the results of a pilot - study

Abstract

Problems of methodology and access are discussed for a pilot project dealing with the organizational structure and policies of 21 National Olympic Committees. In using the expert opinion of leading executives (presidents or general secre taries) by mailed questionnaire in each of these NOCs the study finds them mainly independent organizations as prescribed by IOC rules. But there are also some controlled by other bodies or government agencies. The major influencing body is the IOC for these committees with considerable influence also noted for their own executives and national sport organizations. The sports represented by these NOCs reflect some difference to the general interest in sport in these countries. Some descriptive data are presented for principles guiding the organiza tion of Olmpic teams. In evaluating NOC policies in terms of expectations and realization it appears that NOCs do well in controlling the amateur rule and promoting international understanding. Executives give less favorable reports for the promotion of national sport programs financing of their team and the promotion of time arts, a prescribed rule of the IOC that gets little support in attitudes and evenness in realization. A policy with high latent importance seems to be the promotion of careers and education of Olympic athletes. With regard to four relational constructs introduced for policy analysis (of. Combs and Lüschen) it is found that NOCs face the highest discrepancies for fidelity, i.e. the pursuit of NOC policies in lime with societal values and developments, while NOCs do well in terms of efficiency, i.e. pursuit of policy goals in line with evailable resourccs.