ABSTRACT
Rationale/purpose: This case study examined how board members’ actions, experiences, and priorities influenced the strategic management process related to the pursuit of community sport development in a local sports council.
Design/methodology/approach: The study incorporates interviews, document analysis, and active-member researcher observations with stakeholder theory to provide insight from multiple stakeholders into the role of the board of directors in the strategic management process.
Findings: Despite good intentions, the Council was not able to effectively utilize a strategic management process to foster community sport development due to unrealized stakeholder buy-in to the Council's philosophy, reduced board collaboration, and strong self-interest driving an agenda towards particular strategic issues.
Practical implications: Recommendations are provided for navigating the challenges of strategizing for community sport development.
Research contribution: The findings offer a critical perspective on the role of board of directors in the strategic management process and the challenges associated with using strategic management for the pursuit of community sport development.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).