Els De Waegeneer

Ethical Codes in Sports Organizations: An Empirical Study on Determinants of Effectiveness

Confronted with numerous scandals, sports organizations are turning to the adoption of ethical codes to attain more ethical behavior. However, the effectiveness of an ethical code as a means to increase ethical behavior remains debated; furthermore, the particular characteristics of a sports context have not yet been taken into account, nor have the different stages of code establishment been considered in evaluation. This article studies the effectiveness, as measured by the Ethical Climate Index, of ethical codes in sports organizations. Moreover, it investigates the effects of the presence, creation, content, implementation, and enforcement of ethical codes on ethical behavior in sports organizations. Our results shed a light on the conditions that need to be in place to install an effective ethical code in sports organizations: a genuine motivation to improve ethical behavior, the involvement of coaches, and the explicit targeting of the management.

Why network structure and coordination matter: A social network analysis of sport for disadvantaged people

Although local governments attempt to promote sports among all layers of society, people with a lower socio-economic status are still under-represented in grassroots sports. Previous studies indicate that inter-sectoral networks and joint efforts can contribute to an increase in sport participation among these groups, but a systematic analysis of the structure, coordination and interactions in the networks is still missing. Insight into networks to promote sport for disadvantaged people may help in designing effective networks. Therefore, we conducted a social network analysis to explore the network structure and characteristics of networks that promote sport participation among disadvantaged people in three Flemish cities. Our results show that the networks needed to be coordinated by a sport administrator, in the initial stage. Once the network is up and running, coordination can be shared so that the sport administration can rely on the experiences of other sectors. More sport initiatives and a better network structure were found in the cities with a community sport development program, through which the sport-for-all policy is implemented and coordinated, compared to a city without such a program.

Fans as stakeowners? : an analysis of their perceptions on organizational ethical leadership in professional football

As professional sports organizations are increasingly engaging in Cause-Related Marketing (CRM), there is a growing interest in understanding to what extent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can deliver win-win outcomes for both the organization and society at large (Irwin, Lachowetz, & Clark, 2010). Research on CSR and CRM has primarily focused on conceptualization, and less on implementation (Maignan & Ferrell, 2004). This study clarifies what specific marketing decisions a professional sport organization attempts to make, and to what extent these are in line with the defined CRM strategy. Understanding this alignment and the potential lack thereof, is important since ineffectiveness in implementation will result in an inability to satisfy stakeholder needs and an under-deployed win-win outcome.Background/problem/issueSwedish ice hockey is by tradition built on the principles of the European Model of Sport (pyramid structure, non-profit, utility maximization, youth fostering, and promotio ...

Conceptualizations of Fair Play: A Factorial Survey Study of Moral Judgments by Badminton Players

There is much discussion in sports on whether certain behavior should be considered Fair Play. This moral judgment on Fair Play is influenced by the conceptualization of the term Fair Play as either “respect for the rules” or “respect for the spirit of the game,” as well as by other determinants. To uncover the moral judgment of athletes and which conceptualization of Fair Play dominates in practice, a factorial survey approach is used. The act and the level of the match played a role in the judgment, as well as the gender of the athlete. Our results showed that both conceptualizations “respect for the rules” and “respect for the spirit of the game” were important in this judgment, with the spirit conceptualization being more dominant.