Conformity to institutional logics and organizational strength of voluntary sport clubs

The aim of this study was to examine if and under what conditions voluntary sport clubs (VSCs) conformed to the institutional logics of professionalism, consumerism and instrumentalism and whether conformity to these logics increases the organizational strength and resources of VSCs. Cross-sectional...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European sport management quarterly 2024-07, Vol.24 (4), p.934-956
Main Authors: Hoeijmakers, Resie, van der Roest, Jan-Willem
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
consumerism
institutional logics
instrumentalism
professionalism
Sport clubs
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Summary:The aim of this study was to examine if and under what conditions voluntary sport clubs (VSCs) conformed to the institutional logics of professionalism, consumerism and instrumentalism and whether conformity to these logics increases the organizational strength and resources of VSCs. Cross-sectional (n = 549) and longitudinal (n = 158) panel data of Dutch VSCs between 2007 and 2021 were used. Paired samples t-tests show the extent of conformity. Logistic regressions indicate the relationship between three conformity measures (level of professionalism, consumerism and instrumentalism), institutional conditions and self-perceived organizational strength and resources. Results suggest that VSCs did not strongly conform to the three institutional logics between 2007 and 2021. Results do provide evidence for the relationship between institutional conditions (cooperation with other VSCs, size, experienced competition, degree of competitiveness, own facilities) and the likelihood of conformity. No relationship was found between conformity and self-perceived organizational strength and resources. Results of this study indicate that conforming to collective beliefs about what constitutes desirable, proper, or appropriate behavior alone -as the neo-institutional view implies- is a limited view for explaining VSCs' survivability. Furthermore results imply that change into the directions pursued by policy makers does not seem to improve the organizational strength of VSCs. More research is needed to investigate survival mechanisms based on other theoretical concepts in order to understand, monitor and improve the survivability of VSCs.
ISSN:1618-4742
1746-031X
DOI:10.1080/16184742.2023.2227638