Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Social Innovation in Sport: An Introduction to the Theory

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Social Innovation in Sport

  • 1155 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter provides a brief theoretical basis for students and scholars looking to engage in studies of social innovation in sport. Focusing on different conceptualizations, the chapter outlines differences and similarities between the theoretical concepts innovation and social innovation. Tjønndal explores different types of social innovation in sport and provides several empirical examples. “Social innovation in sport: an introduction to the theory” concludes with two examples of disruptive social innovation in elite sport: the introduction of the Youth Olympic Games and the inclusion of women’s boxing in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Altschuler, A., & Zegans, M. (1997). Innovation and public management: Notes from the state house and city hall. In A. Altschuler & R. Behn (Eds.), Innovation in American Government. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, J., & Hanel, P. (2003). Innovation and knowledge creation in an open economy: Canadian industry and international implications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Balmer, N., Pleasence, P., & Nevill, A. (2012). Evolution and revolution: Gauging the impact of technological and technical innovation on Olympic performance. Journal of Sports Sciences, 30, 1075–1083. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2011.587018.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baregheh, A., Rowley, J., & Sambrook, S. (2009). Towards a multidisciplinary definition of innovation. Management Decision, 47, 1323–1339. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740910984578.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barrow, J. D. (2012). Mathletics. New York: W. W. Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bason, C. (2007). Velfaerdsinnovation. Ledelse av nytaenkning i den offentlige sector [Innovation. Leadership and new ideas in public sector]. København: Børsen Forlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berge, D. M. (2015). Innovasjon – et begrep i drift [Innovation – a fluent term]. In E. Willumsen & A. Ødegård (Eds.), Sosial innovasjon – fra politikk til tjenesteutvikling [Social innovation – from politics to services] (pp. 117–135). Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bommert, B. (2010). Collaborative innovation in the public sector. International Public Management Review, 11(1), 15–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caza, A. (2000). Context receptivity: Innovation in an amateur sport organization. Journal of Sport Management, 14, 227–242. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.14.3.227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chesbrough, H. W. (2003). Open innovation: The new imperative for creating and profiting from technology. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chi, E. H., & Res, P. A. (2005). Introducing wearable force sensors in martial arts. IEEE Pervasive Computing, 4, 47–53. https://doi.org/10.1109/MPRV.2005.67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darsø, L. (2012). Innovation competency – An essential organizational asset. In S. Høyrup, M. Bonnafous-Boucher, C. Hasse, M. Lotz, & K. Møller (Eds.), Employee driven innovation. A new approach (pp. 108–126). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Darsø, L. (2013). Innovationspædagogik. Kunsten at fremelske innovationskompetence. Fredriksberg: Samfundslitteratur.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, J., Davies, B., & Penney, D. (1997). Making progress? Sport policy, women and innovation in physical education. European Journal of Physical Education, 2, 39–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fagerberg, J. (2005). Innovation: A guide to the literature. In J. Fagerberg, D. C. Mowery, & R. R. Nelson (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of innovation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gjelsvik, M. (2007). Innovasjonsledelse. Ledelse av innovasjon og internt entreprenørskap [Innovation leadership. Leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship]. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldsmith, S. (2010). The power of social innovation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartley, J. (2005). Innovation in governance and public services. Past and present. Public Money and Management, 25(1), 27–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartley, J., Sørensen, E., & Torfing, J. (2013). Collaborative innovation: Viable alternative to market competition and organizational entrepreneurship. Public Administration Review, 73, 821–830.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayhurst, L. M. C. (2014). The ‘Girl Effect’ and martial arts: Social entrepreneurship and sport, gender and development in Uganda. Gender, Place & Culture, 21, 297–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hean, S. (2015). Samarbeid, samproduksjon og sosial innovasjon. In E. Willumsen & A. Ødegård (Eds.), Sosial Innovasjon – fra politikk til tjenesteutvikling (pp. 153–161). Fagbokforlaget: Bergen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hipp, C., & Grupp, H. (2005). Innovation in the service sector. Research Policy, 34, 517–535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2005.03.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hull, C. E., & Lio, B. H. (2006). Innovation in the service sector: The demand for service-specific innovation measurement concepts and typologies. Research Policy, 34, 517–535.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, R. J. (2010). New innovations in sports medicine: Good for the patient or good for the pocketbook? Current Sports Medicine Reports, 9, 191–193. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0b013e3181e7cb75.

  • Johnstad, T. (2011). Innovasjonsforskning – ulike perspektiver og mulig integrasjon. In H. C. Garman Johnsen & Ø. Pålshaugen (Eds.), Hva er innovasjon? Perspektiver i norsk innovasjonsforskning – Bind I: System og institusjon (pp. 179–196). Kristiansand: Høyskoleforlaget.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalsaas, B. T., & Bunk, B. (2013). Service-based innovation. In H. C. Garman Johnsen & Ø. Pålshaugen (Eds.), Hva er Innovasjon? Perspektiver i norsk innovasjonsforskning [What is innovation? Perspectives on Norwegian innvoation research]. Oslo: Cappelen Damm Akademisk.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCraw, T. K. (2007). Prophet of innovation. Cambridge: Belknap Harvard.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKeown, M. (2008). The truth about innovation. London, UK: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miragaia, D., & Ferreira, J. J. (2016). Consumer behavior analysis: An innovation approach in non-profit sports organizations. In V. Ratten & J. J. Ferreira (Eds.), Sport entrepreneurship and innovation. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, M., & Hartley, J. (2008). Innovations in governance. Public Management Review, 10(1), 3–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mulgan, G. (2012). The theoretical foundation of Social Innovation. In A. Nicholls & A. Murdock (Eds.), Social innovation: Blurring boundaries to reconfigure markets. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulgan, G. (2015). Foreword: The study of social innovation – Theory, practice and progress. In A. Nicholls, J. Simon, & M. Gabriel (Eds.), New frontiers in social innovation research. Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulgan, G., & Albury, D. (2003). Innovation in the public sector. London: Cabinet Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulgan, G., Tucker, S., Ali, R., & Sanders, B. (2007). Social innovation: What is it, why it matters and how it can be accelerated. Oxford: Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, R., Calulier-Grice, J., & Mulgan, G. (2010). Open book of social innovation. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/innovation/policy/social-innovation/.

  • Nicholls, A. (2010). The legitimacy of social entrepreneurship: reflexive isomorphism in a pre-paradigmatic field. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 34(4), 611–633.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls, A., & Murdock, A. (2012). Social innovation: Blurring boundaries to reconfigure markets. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls, A., Simon, J., & Gabriel, M. (2015). Introduction: Dimensions of social innovation. In A. Nicholls, J. Simon, & M. Gabriel (Eds.), New frontiers in social innovation research (pp. 1–26). Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Nordhagen, S. E., & Krieger, J. (2019). Coping with dual logics at one event: The participating athletes’ perceptions from the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games. The International Journal of Sport and Society, 11(1), 59–76. https://doi.org/10.18848/2152-7857/CGP/v11i01/59-76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nordhagen, S. E., & Lesjø, J. H. (2018). Rogge’s Games: Establishing the Youth Olympic Games as a new event in the Olympic Movement. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 35(11), 1091–1110. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2018.1532958.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RaceRunning. (2015, September 22). What is RaceRunning 2015 [Videofile]. Retrieved 24 July 2019 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwW_RymN_VA.

  • Ratten, V. (2011a). Sport-based entrepreneurship: Towards a new theory of entrepreneurship and sport management. International Entrepreneurship Management Journal, 7, 57–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratten, V. (2011b). A social perspective of sports-based entrepreneurship. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 12, 314–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratten, V. (2011c). Social entrepreneurship and innovation in sports. International Journal of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 1, 42–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratten, V. (2015). Athletes as entrepreneurs: The role of social capital and leadership ability. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 25, 442–455. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJESB.2015.070217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratten, V., & Ferreira, J. J. (2016). Sport entrepreneurship and innovation – concepts and theory. In V. Ratten & J. J. Ferreira (Eds.), Sport entrepreneurship and innovation. London: Routledge.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ringuet-Riot, C. J., Hahn, A., & James, D. A. (2013). A structured approach for technology innovation in sport. Sports Technology, 6, 137–149. https://doi.org/10.1080/19346182.2013.868468.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schumpeter, J. A. (1934/1980). The theory of economic development: An inquiry into profits, capital, credit, interest, and the business cycle. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sørensen, E., & Torfing, J. (2011). Enhancing collaborative innovation in the public sector. Administration & Society, 43, 842–868.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sørensen, E., & Torfing, J. (2012). Introduction: Collaborative innovation in the public sector. The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, 17, 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tjønndal, A. (2016). Innovation for social inclusion in sport. In V. Ratten & J. Ferreira (Eds.), Sport entrepreneurship and innovation. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tjønndal, A. (2018a). Sport innovation: Developing a typology. European Journal for Sport and Society, 15(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2017.1421504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tjønndal, A. (2018b). Idrett, innovasjon og sosial inkludering: Fremveksten av Mixed Martial Arts i Norge. Scandinavian Sport Studies Forum, 9, 1–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tjønndal, A. (2018c). Vilje til inkludering – studier av innovasjon for sosial inkludering i idrett [Intention to include: Studies of innovation for social inclusion in sport] (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Nord University, Bodø, Norway.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tjønndal, A. (2019). ‘I don’t think they realise how good we are’: Innovation, inclusion and exclusion in women’s Olympic boxing. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 54(2), 131–150. https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690217715642.

  • Torfing, J., Sørensen, E., & Aagaard, P. (2014). Samarbejdsdrevet innovation i praksis: en Introduktion. In P. Aagaard, E. Sørensen, & J. Torfing (Eds.), Samarbejdsdrevet innovation i praksis. Jurist- og Økonomiforbundets Forlag: København.

    Google Scholar 

  • Undlien, R. (2017). The Youth Olympic Games as an opportunity for sports entrepreneurship. International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 17(4/5/6), 283–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Undlien, R. (2019a). Being a part of it: People with intellectual disabilities as volunteers in the Youth Olympic Games. Journal of Sport for Development, 7(12), 33–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Undlien, R. (2019b). Lasting social value or a one-off? People with intellectual disabilities’ experiences with volunteering for the Youth Olympic Games. Journal of Sport for Development, 7(13), 33–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Viljamaa, K. (2007). Technological and cultural challenges in local innovation support activities – Emerging knowledge interactions in Charlotte’s motor sport cluster. European Planning Studies, 15, 1215–1232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Willumsen, E., Sirnes, T., & Ødegård, A. (2015). Innovasjon innen helse og velferd – sosial innovasjon [Innovation in health – social innovation]. In E. Willumsen & A. Ødegård (Eds.), Sosial innovasjon – fra politikk til tjenesteutvikling [Social innovation – from politics to services] (pp. 25–45). Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nord University, Bodø, Norway

    Anne Tjønndal

Authors
  1. Anne Tjønndal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anne Tjønndal .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Social Sciences, Nord University, Bodø, Norway

    Anne Tjønndal

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Tjønndal, A. (2021). Social Innovation in Sport: An Introduction to the Theory. In: Tjønndal, A. (eds) Social Innovation in Sport . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63765-1_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63765-1_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-63764-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-63765-1

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation