Variety in hybridity in sport organizations and their coping strategies

Abstract

The governance of national governing bodies of sports such as sport federations is becoming increasingly complex. An important driver of this is the widening of the scope of activities of these federations, from servicing local sports clubs or providing sport activities, to involvement in professional sports and media businesses and aspiring to a wider social role in accordance with governmental objectives. This development is analysed from the viewpoint of hybridization of organizations. Hybridity appears when organizations cannot (or can no longer) be described as completely belonging to the civil communities, private sector, or state sector and become an organization containing a mix of sectorial, structural, and/or mission related elements. Quantitative and qualitative data is used to analyse how many of the national sport federations become more hybrid in their goals, use of resources, governance model and even in their identity. Since hybridity can create problematic tensions and governance dilemmas, the way in which the federations react to this development has also been studied. Hybridity has consequences for the role of different stakeholders in the governance process. Not all federations are involved in hybridization, but if they are, they are capable of coping with this by adapting their strategy. Some of them, however, are opting to develop into branch organizations and become fully hybrid organizations.

Keywords:

• Accountability
• civil society
• governance
• management
• sport
• voluntary associations

Note

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes on contributors

Jo M. H. Lucassen (PhD), is a Senior Researcher at the Mulier Institute (Netherlands) and research consultant at Netherlands Association for Physical Education. His main research and publications subjects are professionalization, education, institutional development and quality management in sport.

Sarah de Bakker (MSc), participated in this research as part of her Master International Economics and Business, University of Utrecht, and is actually a Lecturer in Business for Emerging Markets and for Research Skills, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences.

Notes

1 Dutch broadcasting organization