Sport Executives and Voluntary Associations: A Review of the Literature and Introduction to Some Theoretical Issues

Abstract

Since the overwhelming majority of sport opportunity in Canada is enjoyed, organized, and administered by voluntary associations, it is surprising that so little research has been done in this area. This paper reviews the voluntary association literature in general and the sport voluntary association literature in particular. Broadly stated, the general literature shows that voluntary association membership reflects the normative order and no matter what indicator of socioeconomic status is used, there is a direct relationship between SES and participation in voluntary associations. The same, in an accentuated form, is found in sport associations. Furthermore, instrumental associations, both as a whole and in sport, are more dominated by upper SES personnel than are expressive associations. Concerning gender relations, the review shows that the exclusion of women from so many spheres of social life is found with equal severity in the voluntary association literature as a whole and in the sport literature in particular. The final section of the paper examines how power and the control over rules and resources can be used to explain the existing patterns of voluntary association in Canadian sport.

Sports Clubs and Political Integration in the Yemen Arab Republic

“…Because the majority of club members are young -ages run from 13 to 30 with the majority bclow 20 years old -they are an excellent audience for such programs. Without usurping local control over internal matters, the Supreme Council has established for all clubs a uniform organizational structure -far from the bureaucratization described by Slack (1985) or Beamish (1985) -that reflects the SCYS policy and philosophy that a well developed person is both physically and mentally fit. This dual focus is evident both in club names, such as 'Revolution Club for Sport and Culture', and in club offices, each having cultural and social affairs officers responsible for programs in art, geography, and history and organizing participation in national holidays and rcligious festivals.…”

The determinants of effectiveness of sporting associations in Singapore

“…Most previous research on the non profit sport sector in various parts of the world has been quantitative and concentrated on volunteerism; association memberships (demographic characteristics); motivations for participation; types of voluntary associations (typologies); the alignment of goals, functions, and its contribution to the social structure and changes in centralisation; specialisation and formalisation in organisational structures and design upon the introduction of professionals (Komarovsky 1946;Gordon and Babchuck 1950;Dotson 1953;Gallagher 1957;Scott Jr. 1957;Wright and Hyman 1958;Warriner and Prather 1965;Booth, Babchuk and Knox 1968;Bratton 1971;Ross 1972;Tomeh 1973;Dauriac 1980;Williams and Jackson 1981;Slack 1981;Beamish 1985;Malenfant 1987;Slack and Hinings 1987;Whitson and Macintosh 1988;Roberts-Du Bord 1989;Wood 1989;Auld 1994;Cuskelly 1995;Green and Chalip 1998;Watt 2003). If organisational effectiveness as a construct has been the centre of their research, it has been from the perspective of goal and systems models (Frisby 1986;Cameron 1978;Chelladurai and Haggerty 1991).…”

“…Any profit made by the organisation goes back into the operation of the organisation to carry out its purposes. (Komarovsky 1946;Gordon and Babchuck 1950;Dotson 1953;Gallagher 1957;Scott Jr. 1957;Wright and Hyman 1958;Warriner and Prather 1965;Booth, Babchuk and Knox 1968;Bratton 1971;Ross 1972;Tomeh 1973;Dauriac 1980;Williams and Jackson 1981;Slack 1981;Beamish 1985;Malenfant 1987;Slack and Hinings 1987;Whitson and Macintosh 1988;Roberts-Du Bord 1989;Wood 1989;Auld 1994;Cuskelly 1995;Green and Chalip 1998;Watt 2003). help Singapore national sports associations be more aware of the different expectations of their stakeholders and improve their service delivery to satisfy stakeholders" needs and wants.…”

Modernisation and governance in UK national governing bodies of sport: how modernisation influences the way board members perceive and enact their roles

“…Yet studies of professionalisation within nonprofit sport from the early 1980s onwards (e.g. Schrodt 1983, Beamish 1985 have emphasised this absorption of commercial values within NGBs and have not attributed it solely to the influence of government funding and associated accountability technologies.…”