The strategy of voluntary sports clubs depends on structural measures that favour essential revenues, as well as the commitment of their consumers to pay for the service provided. When analyzing the social mission of local sports clubs (non-profit organizations that develop a service for public interest), it is crucial to understand the financial balance and the factors that influence decision-making when managing expenses and revenues. This study aims to analyze the strategic management and service prices of sports clubs that offer sports services to the local community. It is based on a mixed analysis methodology that integrates quantitative and qualitative variables relating to sports practice services’ pricing, expenses and revenues and uses interviews as the main data collection tool. It involves the voluntary and anonymous participation of 12 directors belonging to the Board of 12 sports clubs, through a semi-structured interview of three themes: the club’s mission and objectives; pricing of services and the factors that influence its definition; expenses versus income. Data processing was based on analysis of the answers to each question, with the researchers’ agreed coding process. The results point to 1) an absence of sufficient structural measures that can ensure the financial sustainability of sports clubs; 2) a significant dependence of sports clubs on public subsidies; and 3) unclear governance in management of objectives and results of sport clubs. The results also point to an opportunity for improved professionalization and communication for sports clients, which will lead to a more sustainable model for these clubs.
References
[1]
Balduck, A. L., Lucidarme, S., Marlier, M., & Willem, A. (2015). Organizational Capacity and Organizational Ambition in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sports Clubs. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 26, 2023-2043. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-014-9502-x
[2]
Balduck, A.-L., Van Rossem, A., & Buelens, M. (2010). Identifying Competencies of Volunteer Board Members of Community Sports Clubs. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 39, 213-235. https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764009334306
[3]
Carlini, J., Pavlidis, A., Thomson, A., & Morrison, C. (2021). Delivering on Social Good—Corporate Social Responsibility and Professional Sport: A Systematic Quantitative Literature Review. Journal of Strategic Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2021.1881147
[4]
Carvalho, M. (2019). Associativismo Desportivo. Crise, contradições, futuro. Editora 5Livros.
[5]
Casey, M. M., Payne, W. R., & Eime, R. M. (2012). Organisational Readiness and Capacity Building Strategies of Sporting Organisations to Promote Health. Sport Management Review, 15, 109-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2011.01.001
[6]
Coalter, F. (2007). A Wider Social Role for Sport—Who’s Keeping the Score? Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203014615
[7]
Cuskelly, G., Hoye, R., & Auld, C. (2006). Sport Volunteers. In G. Cuskelly, R. Hoye, & C. Auld (Eds.), Working with Volunteers in Sport: Theory and Practice (pp. 15-27). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203966822
[8]
Doherty, A., & Cuskelly, G. (2020). Organizational Capacity and Performance of Community Sport Clubs. Journal of Sport Management, 34, 240-259. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2019-0098
[9]
Elmose-Østerlund, K., Cuskelly, G., Hoyer-Kruse, J., & Roj Voldby, C. (2021). Building and Sustaining Organizational Capacity in Voluntary Sports Clubs: Findings from a Longitudinal Study. Journal of Sport Management, 35, 440-451. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2020-0229
[10]
Eurobarometer (2022). Sport and Physical Activity-setembro 2022-Eurobarometer Survey. https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2668
[11]
Faulk, L., & Stewart, M. J. (2017). As You Sow, So Shall You Reap? Evaluating Whether Targeted Capacity Building Improves Nonprofit Financial Growth. NonprofitManagement & Leadership, 27, 317-334. https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.21247
[12]
Feiler, S., Wicker, P., & Breuer, C. (2019). Nonprofit Pricing: Determinants of Membership Fee Levels in Nonprofit Sports Clubs in Germany. International Journal of Sport Finance, 14, 262-277. https://doi.org/10.32731/IJSF/144.112019.06
[13]
Ferkins, L., Mcdonald, G., & Shilbury, D. (2010). A Model for Improving Board Performance: The Case of a National Sport Organisation. Journal of Management & Organization, 16, 601-621. https://doi.org/10.5172/jmo.2010.16.4.601
[14]
Finkler, S. A., Smith, D. L., & Calabrese, T. D. (2022). Financial Management for Public, Health, and Not-for-Profit Organizations (7th ed.). CQ Press.
[15]
Henriquez, J., Luís, F., Castro, F., Ferreira, S., Antunes, H., & Soares, J. (2019). Sus-tentabilidade dos Clubes Desportivos—Estudo da contribuição financeira dos pais dos praticantes. Revista Intercontinental de Gestão Desportiva, 9, 115-117.
[16]
Hoye, R., Cuskelly, G., Auld, C., Kappelides, P., & Misenar, K. (2019). Sport Volunteering. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429292323-1
[17]
Hoye, R., Nicholson, M., Smith, A., Stewart, B., & Westwebbek, H. (2015). Introduction to Sport Marketing. A Practical Approach (2nd ed.). Routledge.
[18]
Hums, M., & MacLean, J. (2015). Governance and Policy in Sport Organizations (3rd ed.). Holcomb Hathaway Publishers.
[19]
Millar, P., & Doherty, A. (2016). Capacity Building in Nonprofit Sport Organizations: Development of a Process Model. Sport Management Review, 19, 365-377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2016.01.002
[20]
Millar, P., & Doherty, A. (2018). “You Can’t Just Start and Expect It to Work”: An Investigation of Strategic Capacity Building in Community Sport Organizations. Journal of Sport Management, 32, 348-361. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2017-0233
[21]
Miragaia, D., Ferreira, J., & Ratten, V. (2017). O envolvimento estratégico de stakeholders na eficiência das organizações desportivas sem fins lucrativos: De uma perspectiva de sobrevivência para a sustentabilidade. Brazilian Business Review, 4, 42-58. https://doi.org/10.15728/bbr.2017.14.1.3
[22]
Misener, K., & Doherty, A. (2009). A Case Study of Organizational Capacity in Nonprofit Community Sport. Journal of Sport Management, 23, 457-482. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.23.4.457
[23]
Robinson, L., & Palmer, D. (2011). Managing Voluntary Sport Organisations. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203881354
[24]
Rossi, L., Feiler, S., Dallmeyer, S., & Breuer, C. (2023). Organizational Capacity Building in Non-Profit Sport Clubs: Exploring the Role of Competition as a Capacity Building Stimulus. European Sport Management Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2023.2203191
[25]
Soares, J., Antunes, H., Bárbara, A., Escórcio, C., & Saldanha, P. (2016). The Public Interest of Sports at Non-Profit Sports Organizations. Revista Brasileira de Educação Física e Esporte, 30, 675-688. https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-55092016000300675
[26]
Soares, J., Haaz, L., & Correia, A. (2019). Organizações sem fins lucrativos: O associativismo. In A. Correia, & R. Biscaia (Eds.), Gestão do Desporto: Compreender para Gerir (pp. 101-141). Edição Faculdade de Motricidade Humana.
[27]
Wegner, C. E., Millar, P., Bopp, T., & Kerwin, S. (2022). Understanding Experiences with Capacity Building in the Sport for Development Context. Sport Management Review, 26, 426-447. https://doi.org/10.1080/14413523.2022.2106722
[28]
Wicker, P., Soebbing, B., Feiler, S., & Breuer, C. (2015). The Effect of Porter’s Generic Strategies on Organisational Problems of Non-Profit Sports Clubs. European Journal for Sport and Society, 12, 281-307. https://doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2015.11687967
