International Journal of Sport Management

A Content Analysis of Mission Statements of Sport for Development Organizations

Incheol Jang, Wonjun Choi, Mina Woo, Jon Welty Peachey

Abstract: Over the past decades, sport-for-development (SFD) organizations have emerged as newer concepts in the nonprofit/voluntary sector to serve various social missions. An effective mission statement can play a crucial role for these newer organizations in establishing their raison d’etre, clear strategic directions, and efficient communication channels. However, there has been little research on SFD mission statements. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate if current SFD organizations’ mission statements were effectively constructed based on David et al. (2014)’s mission statement components. Data were collected from 262 SFD organizations’ websites. Findings revealed that while SFD organizations’ mission statements described essential information such as their philosophies, target populations, programs, and responsibilities, some important content, such as concern for employees and concern for survival, growth, and profitability, was not illuminated. Drawn from the findings, important theoretical and practical implications for SFD and nonprofit management are advanced.

Keywords: sport for development, sport-for-development organization, mission statement, strategic management

Citation: Jang, I., Choi, W., Woo, M., & Welty Peachey, J. (2023). A content analysis of mission statements of sport for development organizations. International Journal of Sport Management, 24(1), 24-47.

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