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Understanding the Importance of Organizational Resources to Explain Organizational Problems: Evidence from Nonprofit Sport Clubs in Germany

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Abstract

Nonprofit sport clubs experience organizational problems regarding the recruitment and retention of members, volunteers, and coaches, and the financial situation of the club. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of different types of organizational resources on the severity of organizational problems. A theoretical framework based on the concept of organizational capacity is presented, which explains the influence of human, financial, infrastructure, and cultural resources on organizational problems. The empirical evaluation is undertaken using data from a nationwide online survey of nonprofit sport clubs in Germany (n = 19,345). The regression results show that human resources (women on the board, secondary volunteers, etc.), financial resources (Herfindahl index), infrastructure resources (own facilities, and public facilities), and cultural resources (e.g., strategic policy, formation policy, value of conviviality, and variety of sports) are significant determinants of organizational problems. The findings of this study have implications for the management of voluntary sport organizations.

Résumé

Les clubs sportifs sans but lucratif sont confrontés à des problèmes organisationnels relatifs au recrutement et à la rétention des membres, des volontaires et des coachs ainsi qu’à la situation financière du club. L’objet de cette étude est d’explorer l’impact des différents types de ressources organisationnelles sur la gravité des problèmes d’organisation. Un cadre théorique basé sur le concept de la capacité organisationnelle est présenté, expliquant l’influence des ressources humaines, financières, culturelles et d’infrastructure sur les problèmes organisationnels. L’évaluation empirique est effectuée en utilisant des données issues d’une enquête en ligne nationale sur les clubs sportifs sans but lucratif en Allemagne (n = 19,345). Les résultats de régression indiquent que les ressources humaines (femmes au conseil d’administration, volontaires secondaires), ressources financières (indice de Herfindahl), les ressources d’infrastructure (installations propres, installations publiques) et les ressources culturelles (par ex. politique stratégique, politique de formation, valeur de la convivialité, variété des sports) sont des déterminants significatifs des problèmes organisationnels. Les conclusions de cette étude ont des implications pour la gestion des organisations sportives bénévoles.

Zusammenfassung

Gemeinnützige Sportvereine haben organisatorische Probleme bei der Gewinnung und Bindung von Mitgliedern, ehrenamtlichen Mitarbeitern und Trainern sowie im Hinblick auf ihre finanzielle Lage. Zweck der vorliegenden Studie ist es zu untersuchen, wie schwerwiegend die Auswirkungen verschiedener Arten organisatorischer Ressourcen auf organisatorische Probleme sind. Es wird ein theoretisches Rahmenwerk basierend auf dem Konzept organisatorischer Kapazität vorgestellt, das den Einfluss menschlicher, finanzieller, infrastruktureller und kultureller Ressourcen auf organisatorische Probleme erläutert. Die empirische Bewertung erfolgt unter der Betrachtung von Daten aus einer landesweiten Online-Befragung von gemeinnützigen Sportvereinen in Deutschland (n = 19.345). Die Regressionsergebnisse zeigen, dass menschliche Ressourcen (Frauen im Vorstand, sekundäre ehrenamtliche Mitarbeiter), finanzielle Ressourcen (Herfindahl-Index), infrastrukturelle Ressourcen (eigene Anlagen, öffentliche Anlagen) und kulturelle Ressourcen (z. B. strategische Richtlinien, Gründungsrichtlinien, Vergnügungswert, Auswahl an verschiedenen Sportarten) wichtige Determinanten für organisatorische Probleme sind. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie haben Auswirkungen auf die Verwaltung ehrenamtlicher Sportorganisationen.

Resumen

Los clubes deportivos sin ánimo de lucro experimentan problemas organizativos en relación con el reclutamiento y la retención de miembros, voluntarios y entrenadores, y la situación financiera del club. El propósito de este estudio es investigar el impacto de diferentes tipos de recursos organizativos sobre la gravedad de los problemas organizativos. Se presenta un marco teórico basado en el concepto de la capacidad organizativa que explica la influencia de los recursos humanos, financieros, de infraestructura y culturales en los problemas organizativos. Se emprende una evaluación empírica utilizando datos de una encuesta online a nivel nacional de clubes deportivos sin ánimo de lucro en Alemania (n = 19,345). Los resultados de la regresión muestran que los recursos humanos (mujeres en el consejo, voluntarios secundarios), los recursos financieros (índice Herfindahl), los recursos de infraestructura (instalaciones propias, instalaciones públicas), y los recursos culturales (p.ej.: política estratégica, política de formación, valor del compañerismo, variedad de deportes) son determinantes significativos de los problemas organizativos. Los hallazgos de este estudio tienen implicaciones para la gestión de las organizaciones deportivas voluntarias.

摘要

在会员、志愿人员和教练的招募与队伍稳定方面,以及在财务状况方面,非盈利性运动俱乐部通常都面临着各种机构性问题。本项研究的目的在于调查各种不同类型的机构资源对机构问题严重程度的影响情况。我们基于机构能力概念提出了一个理论框架,解释了人员、财务、基础设施和文化资源对机构问题的影响。通过对德国全国的非盈利性运动俱乐部(n = 19,345)进行的一项在线调查,我们进行了经验性的评估。回归分析结果显示,人力资源(理事会内的女性、二级志愿人员)、财务资源(Herfindahl 指数)、基础设施资源(自由设施、公共设施)和文化资源(比如战略政策、机构政策、欢乐价值观、运动多样性)是机构问题的重要决定因素。对于志愿型运动机构的管理,本研究的结论能够起到一些指导意义。

ملخص

النوادي الرياضية الغير ربحية تواجه مشاكل تنظيمية بشأن توظيف وإبقاء الأعضاء والمتطوعين والمدربين والوضع المالي للنادي. الغرض من هذه الدراسة هو بحث تأثير أنواع مختلفة من الموارد التنظيمية على شدة المشاكل التنظيمية. تم تقديم الإطار النظري إستنادا˝ إلى مفهوم القدرة التنظيمية الذي يشرح تأثير الموارد المالية والبشرية والبنية التحتية، والثقافية على المشاكل التنظيمية. يجري تقييم تجريبي بإستخدام بيانات من إستطلاع الرأي على شبكة إنترنت وطنية غير ربحية من النوادي الرياضية في ألمانيا (ن = 19345). نتائج الإنحدار تبين أن الموارد البشرية (النساء في المجلس ، متطوعين ثانويين) ، الموارد المالية (مؤشر(Herfindahl))، موارد البنية التحتية (المرافق الخاصة والمرافق العامة) ، والموارد الثقافية (على سبيل المثال، السياسات الاستراتيجية، سياسة تشكيل ، قيمة العيش المشترك، مجموعة متنوعة من الألعاب الرياضية) هي المحددات الهامة للمشاكل التنظيمية. نتائج هذه الدراسة سيكون لها إنعكاسات على إدارة المنظمات التطوعية الرياضية.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Tourism, Leisure, Hotel and Sport Management, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD, 4215, Australia

    Pamela Wicker

  2. Institute of Sport Economics and Sport Management, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Muengersdorf 6, 50933, Cologne, Germany

    Christoph Breuer

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Correspondence to Pamela Wicker.

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Wicker, P., Breuer, C. Understanding the Importance of Organizational Resources to Explain Organizational Problems: Evidence from Nonprofit Sport Clubs in Germany. Voluntas 24, 461–484 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-012-9272-2

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