Scarcity of resources in German non-profit sport clubs

Abstract

Non-profit sport clubs face several challenges including those relating to human resources, financial capabilities, networks and infrastructural elements. In order for clubs to realise their capacity to respond to encountered challenges, it is imperative for club executives and sport federations to have an improved understanding of the clubs’ resource structure and ability to deploy resources. Drawing on the concept of organisational capacity as well as Resource Dependency Theory, the objectives of this study are to provide empirical evidence of the resources of non-profit sport clubs and to show that these clubs are characterised by scarce resources. A large sport club survey in Germany (n = 13,068) was used as the data set for this study. The results indicate that sport clubs seem to have organisational capacity, as they have many different types of resources at their disposal that which can be ascribed to four capacity dimensions. The analysis of longitudinal data reveals changes in resources that indicate particularly human resources (volunteers) and infrastructure resources become more scarce over the course of time.

Keywords:

• Organisational capacity
• Resource Dependency Theory
• Volunteers
• Finances
• Infrastructure
• Relationships

Acknowledgements

We want to thank the anonymous reviewers for their precious comments on the paper and for being so generous with their time.

Notes

1 It has to be noted that non-members can also be volunteers of the sport club (Nichols & Shepherd, 2006), for example the parents of children who practise in the club (Donnelly & Kidd, 2003). These volunteers would present external resources. However, the contribution of non-members is not taken into account in this study.

2 In Germany, all young men who do not want to join the army have to do social services for one year. During this year, they work in several social institutions like day care facilities, kindergartens, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, churches, and sport clubs as well.

3 In Germany, some young women take a so-called social year after finishing high school. During this year, they do the same social services compared to young men (see footnote #2).

4 In Germany, the Society for musical performing and mechanical reproduction rights (GEMA) collects the so-called Gema fee so that artists and musicians are adequately reimbursed for their protected works and performances.