Laura Cousens

Adopting A Relationship Marketing Paradigm: The Case of the National Basketball Association

This paper explores the adoption of a relationship marketing paradigm by the National Basketball Association. A contextualist framework was used to explore the context, content and processes of this change that evolved over a 17-year time period. Personal interviews were conducted with leaders of this league and over 80 documents were reviewed and content analyzed. The results of this study provide insights into relationship marketing and organizational change for sport managers.

Beyond Sponsorship: Re-Framing Corporate-Sport Relationships

The purpose of this paper is to draw from broader management and marketing literature to provide a framework for assessing interorganisational relationships between sport organisations and corporate sponsors. This proposed framework seeks to extend current perceptions of the reasons and objectives for linkages between corporate sponsors and sport properties. Relationship marketing is an integral element of this framework, given its importance to the internal readiness of firms to enter into and manage long-term relationships, and to assist potential partners as they seek to find the best fit to meet their immediate and strategic objectives through interorganisational linkages. The intended contribution of this paper lies in its identification of three broad elements for consideration by sport organisations and potential or existing corporate sponsors. These elements include: context (external, internal), mutually derived benefits, and varying strengths of relationships. The theoretical underpinnings for each of the three elements, and the justification for their inclusion in this framework are discussed.

From silos to synergies: a network perspective of the Canadian sport system

This paper examines the recent Canadian Sport Policy documents intended to improve Canadas fragmented system. Content analyses from six regional conferences in Canada were used to enhance our understanding of regional sport policy in Canada. The results of this study indicate that the administrative structure, the degree of network coupling and the strength of ties between actors are reflective of low levels of integration in the network of sport providers. The need for new resources represents a central focus of the sport policy and offers a catalyst for change. This research moves beyond broad policy statements pertaining to the need for more cooperation and collaboration in the Canadian Sport system to providing meaningful indicators of barriers of poor integration, while at the same time recognising the need for regional views.

Strategies to increase sport participation in Canada: the role of a coordinated network

In an effort to address some of the issues facing sport in Canada, the Canadian Sport Policy suggests that improving collaboration among sport organisations is one strategy for creating a more connected and coordinated sport system. This research seeks to examine collaboration in community sport in order to understand the role and impact of integrated networks of sport organisations for driving sport participation. Swimming and basketball networks in one region were studied and findings reveal many unrealised ties between providers and organisations. A formal approach did not necessarily equate to a greater level of collaboration for swimming in comparison to basketball.

Trust and collaborative ties in a community sport network

ABSTRACT Within sport, multi-sector linkages are common; however, given their potential to achieve public goals, the results generated from the activities of networks encompassing organisations from different sectors are often limited. Trust is viewed as particularly important to multi-sector networks as organisations seek to achieve social purposes, gain legitimacy, acquire resources, engage in collective organisational learning, and build social capital. Using a social network analysis approach, this study tested whether the strength of trust ties and same sector ties predicted the collaborative ties in a community sport network. The network software program UCINET 6 was chosen because of its ability to test hypotheses using permutation methods as well its capacity to visually portray the network by plotting the relationships. The results support the hypothesis suggesting that the collaborative ties are predictive of trust and sector ties. Implications for sport and recreation managers are provided.