Mathieu Winand

Organizational performance of Olympic sport governing bodies: dealing with measurement and priorities

It is widely recognized that the performance measurement of organizations should help them in their strategic decisions and in their capacity to evaluate their successes. This measurement is, however, lacking in the sport governing bodies from the French speaking Community of Belgium. This paper proposes a model to measure organizational performance by considering objectives distributed among five main dimensions: sport, customer, communication and image, finance and organization, which are measured by quantitative performance indicators. The focus of the paper is on governing bodies of Olympic sport (nu2009=u200927) and the model measures their strategic objectives and operational goals. In addition, the priority that the Chairs of 13 Olympic sport governing bodies attach to each dimension and each objective is assessed. Finally, there is a discussion of the comparison of their priorities and their organizational performance, which leads to the identification of four strategic orientations.

Combinations of key determinants of performance in sport governing bodies.

Purpose – 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.Design/methodology/approach – 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.Findings – 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‐s...

Professional football clubs retail branding strategies

Purpose n n n n nWhile some football clubs are recognised as popular brands, little is known about the way they leverage their brand in their merchandise retailing. To address this gap the purpose of this paper is to investigate retail branding strategies used by professional football clubs through brand equity and supply chain management. In particular, it analyses the type of product merchandised, the reasons for selling certain products and the ways through which football clubs merchandise, including their partners in distribution channels. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nA qualitative approach was undertaken involving content analysis of 22 Scottish professional football clubs’ websites and annual reports, and semi-structured interviews with seven football clubs retail managers and four supply chain partners. Transcribed data were coded and thematically organised through an inductive process using the qualitative data analysis software NVivo 10. n n n n nFindings n n n n nThree types of merchandise have been identified: basic, fashion and short season. Building brand equity is considered the main motive for retailing merchandise. Some football clubs use intermediaries or outsourcers to respond to sudden consumer demands and to ensure high levels of service, whereas others have an integrated supply chain which allows for greater control. n n n n nResearch limitations/implications n n n n nThis paper contributes to the discussion on the role of retailing in football club brand equity. It suggests initiating intermediaries in the distribution channels to build brand equity thus enabling clubs to become more responsive to consumer demand. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nThis is the first paper to look at retail branding strategies of professional football clubs.