International Journal of Sport Management

Decision Making in Non-Profit Sport Organization Boards: Exploring the Role of Internal Board-Level Factors

Erik L. Lachance, Milena M. Parent

Abstract: This study explored the role of internal board-level factors in non-profit sport organization (NPSO) boards’ decision making. Featuring six Canadian NPSO boards as cases, data were gathered from 36 observations of board meetings, 18 semi-structured interviews (Chief Executive Officers [CEO], Chairs, and individual board members), and over 900 documents, then thematically analyzed. Results identified five internal board-level factors important for NPSO board decision making: meeting practices, board size, Chair-CEO relationship, Chair collective leadership, and board competencies. These internal factors’ role varied depending on the decision-making constructs, namely duration, flow, interaction, and scrutiny. Results suggest NPSO boards should recruit individuals with different competencies as these represented an important internal information source. NPSO boards should be cautious when implementing virtual meetings for their decision making because it can inhibit the involvement of individual members (i.e., interaction). Theoretically, results suggest sport governance researchers should consider a multi-perspective approach when examining internal board-level factors.

Keywords: decisions, decision-making process, board of directors, not-for-profit organizations, qualitative, case study

Citation: Lachance, E. L., & Parent, M. M. (2024). Decision making in non-profit sport organization boards: Exploring the role of internal board-level factors. International Journal of Sport Management, 25(1), 73-99.

Funding: This work was financially supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (#752-2021-2665) and Sport Canada (#862-2021-0016).

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