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Being innovative is important for non-profit sport organizations in order to meet the ever-changing and increasing societal needs. Understanding why and to what extent organizational innovativeness differs between non-profit sport organizations is, therefore, important to assess and increase their chances of survival. The purpose of this study is to compare the structural characteristics and attitudes of innovation attributes between three groups of sport federations (SFs).

An online self-assessment survey was sent to all recognized regional Belgian SFs (N = 156). Simultaneously, an observational desk research (i.e. media analysis) was carried out. Results from both data collection methods were combined to develop a composite organizational innovativeness-index, based on which the federations were then clustered in three distinct adopter groups.

Comparative statistics show that structural background characteristics generally are poor indicators for adopter categorization. In contrast, the attitudes about compatibility (i.e. the consistency of innovations with existing values) and complexity (i.e. the extent to which innovations are difficult to apprehend) seem the most important distinctive determinants for the different groups of SFs.

The study's contribution is twofold. First, it offers a methodological contribution with the development of an index, which enables the categorization of non-profit sport organizations according to their organizational innovativeness; thus, it provides a critical counter-argument to the importance of organizational structural background characteristics from previous studies. Second, the study's results may support non-profit sport organizations in improving their innovativeness, for instance by improving the perception of compatibility with innovation or by guiding policymakers in creating a more supportive environment for these organizations to do so.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between partner selection factors and effectiveness of collaboration between sport clubs, as well as the mediating role of collaboration process dimensions on this relationship.

Data were collected via an online survey targeting representatives of sport clubs in Belgium (n = 631). Hierarchical multiple linear regression and mediation analyses were conducted using SPSS macro PROCESS.

The results indicate that two partner selection factors – shared vision and pre-existing relationships – are related to collaboration effectiveness. Moreover, this association is mediated by the collaboration process and, more particularly, by two informal (social) dimensions of this process: mutuality and trust.

Practically, this study suggests sport clubs representatives to chiefly pay attention to partner selection characteristics when deciding to collaborate with other sport clubs. They should assess their potential partners and eventually choose sport clubs that share a similar vision and/or with whom they already have pre-existing relationships.

This paper extends knowledge on non-profit sport collaboration effectiveness by empirically examining its relationship to the partner selection factors and collaboration process. It helps establish the distinctiveness of this collaboration form. The paper also brings new knowledge on the interconnections between antecedents, process and effectiveness of sport collaboration.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the multi-level mechanisms of institutional formation and change and, in particular, how this occurs through the interplay of multi-level mechanisms? This is answered with a processual analysis of the International Paralympic Committee which is the international governing body of sports for people with an impairment.

This study uses a case-study approach based upon archival records, collected in relevant national and international sport organizations. More than 2,700 pages of archives were gathered, some of them being accessible to researchers for the first time. Embargo was also successfully lifted on recent and sensitive documents.

This study highlights multi-level mechanisms involved in institutional change processes triggered by a shifting institutional logic at the organizational field level. This paper also shows how field logic shifted at the moment of alignment between the societal, field and organizational levels. Moreover, it underlines how societal discourses influenced processes of institutional change by shaping the range of organizational actions available at the organizational and field levels.

This paper proposes a rare account of institutional change processes in which interplay between the societal, field, and organizational levels is analyzed. Furthermore, this paper provides a longitudinal investigation of an under-researched empirical setting, the Paralympic movement. Finally, this study integrates insights from the disability studies’ research field, which significantly deepens this analysis.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on possible combinations of the key determinants of high performance in sport governing bodies (SGBs) which go well beyond the net effects of independent variables.

The research focused on 18 sport governing bodies from the French‐speaking community of Belgium (CSGBs). Their strategic goals are emphasized and their potential determinants of performance are measured and assessed. Due to the small n‐sample and the causal complexity inherent in this research, a crisp‐set qualitative comparative analysis (csQCA) was performed.

Three generic combinations of the key determinants linked with high performance were highlighted. The first was high‐performing CSGBs that provide innovative activities for their membership and are proactive in elite sport services. The second was other high‐performing CSGBs of large size that involve paid staff in decision‐making processes and also develop innovative activities. The third was small‐sized governing bodies which, although they do not have extensive resources, could perform highly when they relied on volunteer leaders and delegates activities they were not able to deliver.

Due to country and sport specificities, these results may not be generalized to all SGBs. Nevertheless, it is possible to argue that when trying to understand the performance of such complex nonprofit sport organizations, researchers and practitioners need to take into account combinations of factors, rather than independent performance variables.

Using an innovative mixed method design dealing with causal complexity – qualitative comparative analysis – the paper highlights combinations of factors observed in high performing SGBs.

The purpose of this study is to develop a tool to manage financial performance of sport federations. It stimulates thinking about the necessity for non‐profit sport organisations to develop financial performance measures and management to survive and/or to grow.

Adapting the Ritchie and Kolodinsky model of factor analysis through financial ratios in the sport federation context, the paper develops a framework for financial performance measurement of sport federations in Belgium for the years 2001 through 2006.

Based on a principal component analysis, six financial performance‐related categories were constructed, i.e.: public funds dependence; financial balance; attraction of resources; financial budget; member services investment and elite services investment. They form the basis of a dynamic strategic management tool where financial categories are related to each other.

The financial management tool can be a starting point for further organisational (performance) research. Differences and similarities between countries (e.g., sport policy priorities) and sport organisations (e.g., sport profiles) could be better investigated through this financial performance framework.

The tool developed should help strategic volunteers and managers of sport federations to take strategic decision relying on financial information in order to pilot their organisation and to communicate with their stakeholders.

Developing financial performance measurement of non‐profit sport organisations is challenging and considerably different from for‐profit and non‐profit organisations. It provides researchers and practitioners with a viable model for analysing financial strategy and performance of sport federations over time.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) through the theoretical framework of meta-organizations that focusses on organizations that are themselves made up of organizations.

The data are drawn from a unique case study based on interviews with WADA experts and documentary analysis.

The authors analyzed WADA through the organizational and strategic dimensions of meta-organizations, which are themselves each defined by two criteria: the mission and scope of the organization vs the hierarchical stratification and decision-making process. The findings suggest that the WADA can be examined through the lens of meta-organizational theory. The criterion of consensus in the decision-making process has already been put forward by scholars, but it needs to be nuanced in the study since it is not the only process used by WADA in its decision-making.

The paper enhances the understanding of a specific international sports organization at the heart of current major sports issues and enriches the literature on meta-organizational theory, which is a relatively recent development. A next step is a longitudinal study, focussing on the decision-making process and the evolution of a meta-organization over time.

While the meta-organization has been considered recently in the management literature, this paper seeks to advance the discussion by linking it to the international sports field to gain more insight into its complexity.