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A model for improving board performance: The case of a national sport organisation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2015

Lesley Ferkins ,
Gael Mcdonald  and
David Shilbury
Lesley Ferkins
Affiliation:
Sport Management, School of Management and Marketing, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
Gael Mcdonald
Affiliation:
Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
David Shilbury
Affiliation:
Sport Management, School of Management and Marketing, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
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Abstract

The transition of many sport organisations from being predominantly volunteer-administered and anchored in an amateur ethos to professionally managed entities has created unique challenges for the governance of sport. This paper provides a contribution to the governance literature through the presentation of a situational case where a four-stage model, drawn from an action research approach, has been used for developing a board's strategic capability and subsequent improvement in organisational performance. Action research is founded on the premise that change and research are not mutually exclusive and that dual foci on improving practice and developing theory are possible (Coghlan & Brannick, 2001). Utilising a national sport organisation (NSO) in New Zealand the study developed and tested a structured model for improving board functioning and, specifically, strategic contribution. While the case to which the model has been applied is an NSO, the model and the subsequent reflections have value for non-profit as well as commercial entities particularly with regard to a greater understanding of the mechanisms associated with balancing the performance and conformance roles of the board.

Keywords

sport governancenon-profitsnational sport organisationsboard strategic capabilitygovernanceaction research
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 16 , Issue 4 , September 2010 , pp. 601 - 621
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2010

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