Developing a Method for Comparing the Elite Sport Systems and Policies of Nations: A Mixed Research Methods Approach

Abstract

This article aims to make a contribution to comparative sport research and details a method for comparing nations' elite sport systems less descriptively by measuring and comparing determinants of national competitiveness quantitatively. A mixed methods exploratory sequential design is used, consisting of two distinct phases. After qualitative exploration, a conceptual model was developed, revealing that there are nine sport policy dimensions or 'pillars' that are important for international sporting success. This article focuses on a second quantitative phase, where the model was tested in a pilot study with six sample nations to develop a scoring system. Data from each nation were collected through an overall sport policy questionnaire completed in each country, and through a survey with the main stakeholders in elite sport, namely athletes (n = 1090), coaches (n = 253), and performance directors (n = 71). Reflecting recognized principles of economic competitiveness measurement, this article demonstrates how 103 critical success factors containing quantitative and qualitative data can be aggregated into a final percentage score for the sample nations on each pillar. The findings suggest that the method is a useful way for objective comparison of nations, but it should not be isolated from qualitative descriptions and from a broader understanding of elite sport systems.

Effectiveness of National Elite Sport Policies: A Multidimensional Approach Applied to the Case of Flanders

“…The basis of the method in this respect is: (1) data have been collected through a survey, which delivers quantitative data about qualitative items, and (2) the involvement of the consortium group as a team of experts in assessing each critical success factor. We refer to earlier research for more details on the data analysis (De Bosscher, De Knop, & van Bottenburg, 2007;De Bosscher et al, 2010).…”

Análise da estrutura e organização esportiva da natação no Estado de São Paulo

“…Os estudos sobre a estrutura organizacional esportiva demonstram a importância de um país possuir um sistema nacional de esporte, já que a sistematização da estrutura organizacional de diferentes países refl ete-se em bons resultados esportivos internacionais 2,[4][5][6][7][21][22][23] . A descrição do sistema esportivo da natação no Estado de São Paulo é apresentada por meio dos resultados apresentados nas TABELAS 1 e 2, além dos DSCs de técnicos e funcionários, referentes ao papel e a interação entre as entidades envolvidas.…”

“…3 . Dada a relevância do tema, na última década foram publicados trabalhos de pesquisa que analisaram a estrutura organizacional de programas nacionais de esporte, por meio de diferentes formas de investigação, mas focados em compreender o funcionamento de programas esportivos em diferentes países e principalmente naqueles com destaque em competições internacionais 2,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10] .…”

Evaluating the Improvement of Sustainability of Sports Industry Policy Based on MADM

“…Bid for acting as the head of an international sports organization; invite the head of an international sports organization. [7,28,29] Sustainability 2016, 8, 606…”

“…The era of mass sports has arrived, as sports has become a modern national requirement in daily life, for the reason that sport development-related activities have strikingly increased [7]. Local physical activity programs with national support in Finland have been successful in promoting health and in increasing the sporting population [8].…”