Community Sport Organizations Research Articles

Examining alcohol management practices in community sports clubs: a systems approach

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of macro-level regulatory systems on alcohol management for community sport organisations (CSOs). It examines how alcohol regulations translate into meso-level management actions and interactions that impact alcohol consumption in community sport clubs.Design/methodology/approachManagement of alcohol was explored through the holistic lens of macro, meso, and micro-levels of influence. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with Australian club administrators from community sports clubs.FindingsThematic analysis revealed macro-level influences on alcohol management in CSOs, with government regulations and the state sport associations being the most influential. Challenges arise in alcohol policy implementation when sport administrators do not prioritise alcohol consumption as a problem to be addressed, or where a conflict of interest arises between alcohol revenue generation and clubs positioning as health promoting environments.Practical implicationsTargeting club administrators’ attitudes towards alcohol as a benign influence and revising alcohol management practices are recommended as priority strategies to enhance the implementation and promotion of responsible alcohol management in sport clubs. Affiliate state sport associations were also identified as influential settings to provide administrative or strategic direction to CSOs, which would reduce the resources required by volunteers and standardise alcohol management practices across sports clubs.Originality/valueThe prevailing alcohol research focuses on the consumption behaviour of individual members and sports players. The study findings are novel and important as they explore the macro-level influences that administrators experience when enacting and policing alcohol management strategies in sports clubs. To-date, administrators of CSOs have not been included in many studies about alcohol consumption regulation; therefore, the findings provide an original perspective on alcohol regulation and demonstrate how CSOs operationalise alcohol management in club settings. The original insights from this study informed the conceptualisation of a multilevel sport system framework, which can be applied to guide future governance of alcohol consumption in sport settings.

Using a dual-sited organizational ethnography to examine change within and between community sport organizations

ABSTRACTAn increasingly diverse range of theories have been used to examine organizational change in sport. The methodological techniques used have revealed much, but are increasingly routine. Here, a novel use of organizational ethnography is used to examine change, both within and between two partners within an inter-organizational partnership. A longitudinal, dual-sited, organizational ethnography was performed between 2008 and 2012. This internal perspective gathered data on the structures, practices and relationships impacted by a common external stimulus (national sport initiative). One organization's values moderated their responses to the implantation of quality control systems and their attitudes to program expansion. This resistance created tensions between the partners, resulting in the deterioration of organizational relationships. This paper provides both a case of organizational change in sport management, while demonstrating some opportunities and challenges for using this dual approach. Both theoretical and methodological implications for practice are discussed and further research opportunities presented.

Understanding and Planning for Organized Community Sport in Public Parks: A Case Study of Policy and Practice in Perth

Emerging shortages of community sporting facilities in Australian cities have led to calls for increased provision of playing fields through public park and open space planning processes. Drawing on a broad literature review and a specific case study of metropolitan Perth, this paper evaluates the value of organised sport as a function of contemporary public parks before proposing policy and practice to ensure that such an increase complements broader urban planning agendas. An analysis of the evolution of public park planning shows that, while the provision of organised sport was the primary function of public parks in the middle of the twentieth century, contemporary park planning is characterised by the embrace of broader ecological planning concepts such as green infrastructure and ecosystem services. These broader concepts are then applied to understand the value of organised sport held within public parks, including its unique benefits and notable limitations when considered alongside other forms of outdoor recreation. With these limitations in mind, this paper concludes by identifying existing and future policy and practice that can help to ensure that demand for community sporting facilities in new residential areas can be met in a manner that complements this ecological role for local parks.

Motivation, Satisfaction, and Retention of Sport Management Student Volunteers

Sport management programs often partner with intercollegiate athletic departments or community sport organizations to provide student volunteers. Motivating, satisfying, and retaining the student population may constitute a challenge for academic program stakeholders. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between motivation, satisfaction, and retention of volunteers at undergraduate sport management programs. Three hundred and twenty-two undergraduate students from five Midwestern institutions completed a 46-item questionnaire assessing their volunteer motivation, satisfaction, and retention. Results indicated students were predominantly motivated to volunteer by Love of Sport and Career motivation factors. Career, Social, Understanding, and Enhancement motivations significantly aided in predicting satisfaction, while Career, Social, and satisfaction significantly predicted retention. Implications for sport management academic programs and directions for future research are discussed.

A Model for Evaluating Mobile Device Adoption in Community Sports Organizations

Few studies have been conducted into the use of mobile technologies at community-based organizations. Community sport organizations (CSOs) typically operate within a defined geographic area and rely on the primary support of volunteers. Based on the characteristics of mobile-based information services, this article proposes a model that provides a guide for CSOs to classify mobile applications through four mobile utility factors and three innovation adoption determinants (cost, skill requirements, and compatibility). The model is supported visually by the use of Microsoft Excel generated “radar graphs” to illustrate desired practical and actual performance. The contribution of the theoretical model is one of providing a vehicle for evaluating mobile technology applications by CSOs to identify the potential effectiveness of mobile devices, particularly in a preadoption scenario.

Delivering Sports Participation Legacies at the Grassroots Level: The Voluntary Sports Clubs of Glasgow 2014

Voluntary sports clubs (VSCs) provide the primary opportunities for organized community sport in the UK and thus hold the responsibility for delivering on mega-event sports participation legacies. This study presents findings from open-ended questionnaires and interviews conducted in two phases (Phase 1—Spring, 2013; Phase 2—Summer, 2015) with representatives from a sample (n = 39) of VSCs to understand their ability to deliver on the participation legacy goals of London 2012 and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Thematic analysis of the data outlined three themes where support for VSCs should be placed when planning future mega-events: building VSC capacity, retaining members in the long-term, and promoting general visibility of the VSC throughout the event. Bid teams who hope to use mega-events as catalysts for sports participation increases should direct funding and guidance toward VSCs to ensure they have the tools, knowledge, and capacity to deliver on national sports participation ambitions.

Diversity work in community sport organizations: Commitment, resistance and institutional change

Diversity is a key term used in a range of public and private organizations to describe institutional goals, values and practices. Sport is a prominent social institution where the language of diversity is frequently and positively used; yet, this rhetoric does not necessarily translate into actual practice within sport organizations. This paper critically examines diversity work in community sports clubs. Drawing upon qualitative research at 31 amateur sports clubs in Australia, the findings show that diversity work in community sport organizations is often haphazard and accidental, rather than a strategic response or adaptation to policy. This paper concludes that while individual champions are critical to the promotion of diversity, persistent tensions and resistance arise when they seek to translate the language of diversity into institutional practice and culture change.

Community sport and the newcomer experience in small cities

Purpose – This research reports on work related to integrating new immigrants into their local communities. The purpose of this paper is to explore community sport and the newcomer experience in communities through an acculturation framework. Design/methodology/approach – The role of community sport organizations in the acculturation process is explored empirically via a three-stage research study of a small Canadian city that includes interviews with local newcomers, interviews with managers of local community sport organizations, and a website content analysis of community sport organizations in the region. Findings – Results outline a number of important constraints, practices and realities facing newcomers and community sport organizations in improving participation rates and integration. In addition, the use of the acculturation frame provides insight on the perceived value of community sport yet low participation rates among newcomers. Practical implications – There is a need for community sport providers to adopt an acculturation perspective to newcomers rather than the current assimilationist perspective. This change will lead to improvements in sport offerings and newcomer supports. Originality/value – There is an increasing desire to have migrants locate in smaller urban centers rather than the large metropolises of their new home country. However, smaller communities may be perceived by newcomers as less desirable places to live and the communities can face significant integration challenges. Further, there is a dearth of research on newcomers and smaller communities particularly in the area of community sport. This study explores the role of sport as a means to overcome these challenges by assessing the capacity of a smaller city and the needs of immigrants and their families using a lens of acculturation.

The (un)importance of existing: community sport organizations’ environmental negotiation

Through a dual-case study approach, the paper delves into the environmental negotiation of two American Community Sport Organizations (CSOs) who offer youth programmes to examine the ability of the CSOs under study to secure resources from their environment and the tactics used to do so. Through review of key organizational documents and in depth semi-structured interviews, the study presents evidence that the CSOs under study did not value their own organizational existence, but instead strongly favoured their organizational outcomes. The unimportance of existence is demonstrated to have allowed for greater access to key organizational resources for the CSOs under study. Implications for the further development of resource dependence theory and for the management of CSOs, especially those offering youth programmes are explored further.

The nature of innovation in community sport organizations

ABSTRACTResearch question: The purpose of this investigation is threefold. First, as indications of the acquisition and creative use of knowledge, this study explores the extent to which community sport organizations (CSOs) are pursuing innovations. Second, these innovations are categorized based on their form, type, and magnitude. Third, the role that the sport context plays in the innovations that CSOs are pursuing is examined.Research methods: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 42 volunteer presidents (or designates) of CSOs, in curling, soccer, swimming, and Ultimate across Canada. Innovation was operationalized as anything new to the unit of adoption. Participants were asked to identify and discuss ideas and initiatives that were new to their sport club.Results and Findings: CSO presidents identified 188 innovations in their clubs; 55 innovations in 12 curling clubs, 44 innovations in 11 soccer clubs, 49 innovations in 11 swim clubs, and 40 innovations in 8 Ultimate clubs. CSOs are actively involved in the pursuit of innovations, with a general focus on process related, administrative, and incremental innovations. Preliminary patterns were identified based on a comparison of innovation attributes across the four sports.Implications: The findings provide a starting point for acknowledging the variety of innovations being pursued by CSOs and their different forms, types, and magnitude. CSOs need access to existing knowledge, from internal and external sources, or the ability to create new knowledge in order to adopt and implement the innovations.

Factors and Challenges Associated with Participation in Community Sport in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, South Africa

Research concerning leisure activity, recreation and sport for the youth has attracted increasing attention. This is especially true for community sport. Community sport is pivotal because community sport organisations can provide opportunities for members to participate actively, thereby enhancing social engagement and community cohesion. The purpose of the study was to identify possible factors and challenges that may influence participation in community sport in Eldorado Park. A qualitative research approach utilising semi-structured interviews was adopted for the study. The sample of the study comprised key community members of Eldorado Park, a suburb south of Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa. Key members in the context of this study are those individuals who played a significant role in uplifting the community through organising and supporting community sport. Snowball sampling was used to recruit participants who were resident in the community for at least ten years. An interview schedule, which focused on opportunities and constraints of participating in community sport, was developed for the study. Two researchers who were experienced in qualitative research were requested to pre-test the interview schedule. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. The transcripts were subjected to content analysis with the aim of developing themes emanating from the analysis. The findings from the in depth interviews revealed several factors and challenges associated with participation in community sport in Eldorado Park. Five broad themes, namely facilities, undesirable behaviour, stakeholder involvement, social factors and resources were identified through the analysis of the transcripts. A multilateral intervention involving community members, the municipality and businesses is therefore necessary to attract community members and especially the youth, to participate in community sport. This will be helpful in curbing undesirable risk behaviours in the community such as alcohol, illicit drug abuse and gangsterism. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p30

Social participation and the prevention of functional disability in older Japanese: the JAGES cohort study.

BackgroundWe examined the relationship between incident functional disability and social participation from the perspective of number of types of organizations participated in and type of social participation in a prospective cohort study.MethodThe study was based on the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study (AGES) Cohort Study data. We followed 13,310 individuals aged 65 years or older for 4 years. Analysis was carried out on 12,951 subjects, excluding 359 people whose information on age or sex was missing. Social participation was categorized into 8 types.ResultsCompared to those that did not participate in any organizations, the hazard ratio (HR) was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.73–0.95) for participation in one, 0.72 (0.61–0.85) for participation in two, and 0.57 (0.46–0.70) for participation in three or more different types of organizations. In multivariable adjusted models, participation in the following types of organization was protective for incident disability: local community organizations (HR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.76–0.96), hobby organizations (HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.64–0.87), and sports organizations (HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.54–0.81).ConclusionSocial participation may decrease the risk of incident functional disability in older people in Japan. This effect may be strengthened by participation in a variety of different types of organizations. Participating in a local community, hobby, or sports group or organization may be especially effective for decreasing the risk of disability.

In support of sport: Examining the relationship between community sport organizations and sponsors

Sponsorships are a critical resource for nonprofit community sport organizations (CSOs) that are increasingly experiencing pressure to generate funding beyond their traditional source of membership revenues. In order to optimize this alternative source, it is important to understand the nature of the relationship between CSOs and sponsors and its impact on those clubs. Scales were developed, and presidents of CSOs (N=189) completed a corresponding survey that measures the extent to which clubs’ relationship with their key sponsor was characterized by various elements of the relationship process and relationship outcomes. Operational competence was a consistent predictor of the impact of the sponsor relationship on club program/operations and community presence, and further enhanced the impact of long-standing sponsorships. Notably, operational competence was perceived to be required to a lesser extent in CSO–sponsor relationships than in the other process elements. Implications for effective CSO–sponsor relationships and directions for future research are presented.

Exploring Organizational Culture Through Artifacts in a Community Figure Skating Club

Although some elements of community sport organizations (CSOs) are welcoming and shared across all members, others may be contested. Organizational culture provides a conceptual lens through which to understand the meaning and experiences associated with CSOs. As the outer layer of organizational culture (Schein, 1985), artifacts can give further insight into participant experiences. The purpose of this study is to examine members’ perceptions of artifacts in a local figure skating club. We used Martin’s (1992, 2002) three perspectives to illuminate integrated, differentiated, and fragmented perspectives of The Club’s organizational culture. Eight skaters and seven adults from a midsize figure skating club in Canada participated in photo-elicited interviews. We found integration in participants’ discussion of the unique figure skating facility, differentiated perspectives of achievement-oriented artifacts, and fragmented perspectives of the skaters’ dressing rooms. Our research demonstrates the importance of examining the meanings associated with artifacts in sport organizations.

Expanding Social Inclusion in Community Sports Organizations: Evidence from Rural Australian Football Clubs

Australian Football clubs have traditionally been seen as contributing social benefits to the rural communities in which they are embedded. Declining numbers of participants, both players and volunteers, suggest that this role may not be as strong today. Critical explorations of the extent to which football has driven social inclusion and exclusion in such environments emphasizes a historic masculine culture of drinking and violence that segregates and marginalizes women and children. Less is known about the contemporary strategic efforts of clubs to use social capital to support their activities, and whether the resources they generate have positive impacts on social inclusion in the wider community. We use evidence from the Parliament of Victoria’s Inquiry into Country Football (2004) to explore the current focus of rural Australian Football clubs regarding social inclusion, in light of changes occurring in society and rural towns in the 21st century.

Social Inclusion in Community Sport: A Case Study of Muslim Women in Australia

This paper considers how organizational practices facilitate and inhibit the social inclusion of Muslim women in a community sport setting. A case study of social inclusion practices in an Australian community sport organization (CSO) was built through interviews, focus groups, secondary data, and documentary evidence. Drawing on the work of Bailey (2005, 2008) the analysis employed a social inclusion framework comprised of spatial, functional, relational, and power dimensions. Findings indicated that there are a range of practices which facilitate social inclusion. Paradoxically, some of the practices that contributed to social inclusion at the club for Muslim women resulted in social exclusion for non-Muslim women. Examining each practice from multiple perspectives provided by the social inclusion framework allowed a thorough analysis to be made of the significance of each practice to the social inclusion of Muslim women at the club. Implications for social inclusion research and sport management practice are discussed.

Lessons Learned from Community Organizations: Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Others

Workforce diversity requires broader vision and scope in managing diversity so that there is greater inclusion inside and outside organizations. This paper provides this vision by extending the stream of workforce diversity research to community‐oriented inclusion and its processes. The authors interviewed 34 people with disabilities and 40 people without disabilities who were stakeholders of community arts and sports organizations. The participants with disabilities were mainly arts audiences, artists and sports athletes, and the participants without disabilities were mainly managers and government officials. The key findings report the importance of inclusion through common interest groups being facilitated by (1) non‐minority specific communal activities, (2) listening to minority voices, (3) multidimensional accessibility, (4) availability of organizational and natural champions and (5) cross‐boundary networks and collaborations. In order to create more inclusive organizations, the authors suggest that private organizations need more community‐oriented values, goals and strategies that foster boundaryless inclusion of people with disabilities and other minority groups in organizations and society.

Changing roles: applying continuity theory to understanding the transition from playing to volunteering in community sport

In many Western nations government policies are directed at increasing levels of participation in community sport. Recent research suggests that the sustainability of community sports system is under pressure due to declining volunteer numbers. Volunteers are often players transitioning from playing roles into non-playing roles such as administration and coaching. While a human resource management approach has been adopted to manage volunteers, little is understood in relation to the factors that contribute to players making the transition from playing to volunteering. Using Atchley's continuity theory, we propose a transition-extension framework that examines the psychological and social factors that provide the impetus for the transition to volunteering The framework also examines those factors that contribute to volunteers extending their involvement and may help community sport organisations provide an environment that will nurture volunteers in the transition phase to retain and extend their involvement to become long-term volunteers.

The Introduction of Drive-in Sport in Community Sport Organizations as an Example of Organizational Non-Change

The purpose of this article is to understand change in community sport organizations (CSOs) by examining the introduction of spontaneous sport activities labeled “drive-in sport” in six Swedish CSOs. Drawing on the theoretical concepts of translation and organizational identity, data from 10 interviews were analyzed to answer how, why, and with what consequences, in terms of organizational change, the focal CSOs interpreted and acted upon the idea of drive-in sport. The findings show that while drive-in sport initially may seem to have changed the CSOs, a closer examination reveals a reproduction of their organizational identities. The findings are discussed in relation to the alignment of the drive-in sport idea with the CSOs’ core purpose and practices and with wider processes of change in the CSOs’ institutional context.

Generating trust? Sport and community participation

This article explores the claim that generalized trust and community participation are positively associated and reports results from a survey that collected data on individuals’ involvement in sport and non-sport community organizations. Data were collected on levels of involvement in community sport and other non-profit community organizations, selected demographic variables and the standard measure of generalized trust. The analysis included an estimation of the direction of causality between involvement and trust and indicated that sport membership led to trust elevation. The findings support the arguments of Stolle and others: that joining community organizations creates heightened trust. Further, sport membership was a strong and significant predictor of trust. The findings have implications both for policy-related social capital interventions and the theory of social capital and trust generation.