A unified model of non-profit sport organizations performance: perspectives from the literature

Abstract

Little consensus has emerged about how organizational performance should be defined and measured. Most studies have used traditional approaches to give their own perspective about organizational performance and effectiveness, but none have recently tried to encompass these different views into one unified model. In the present paper, Chelladurai's systems view of organizations is used to integrate the dimensions of organizational performance highlighted by previous studies on non-profit sport organizations (NPSOs). These organizational performance dimensions are highlighted and categorized into macro-dimensions (e.g. financial resources acquisition, size, internal atmosphere, organizational operating, financial independence, achieving elite sport success and mass sport participation). Relationships between these macro-dimensions are analyzed. A multidimensional framework is developed which gives an overview of which dimensions constitute organizational performance in NPSOs and of how to measure them. Further research directions and management implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• literature review
• non-profit sport organizations
• organizational performance
• systems view model
• unified model
• sport management
• performance measurement

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank Professor Leigh Robinson and Astrid Thibaut for their assistance in writing this article.