Exploring the Process of Organizational Change within the Sport Industry: A Stakeholder Perspective

Abstract

Stakeholders in sport organizations often hold unique and diverse perspectives on organizational change, yet literature has been shown to evaluate these perspectives from a static point in time. With change more recently being found to be a dynamic, unpredictable process as opposed to being predictable in nature (Dawson, 2019) this research sought to understand how stakeholders responded to a large-scale organizational change over time. Thus, this study examines the implementation of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) within a community sport organization, with a particular evaluation of how these stakeholders' responses shifted over time. To investigate this, a constructivist approach was adopted, drawing on semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders involved at various levels of the organization. A total of 12 interviews were conducted, capturing a range of perspectives across paid staff, coaches, and parents. This open-ended method enabled a deeper exploration of the underlying beliefs, emotions, and contextual factors that shaped stakeholder engagement with the change process. Findings were interpreted through a lens of stakeholder theory (Mahon & Waddock, 1992; Freeman, 1984), revealing how individuals navigated personal meaning and emotion during change, and further how their positioning in the organization influenced their responses. Stakeholder reactions were categorized through an updated spectrum of the stakeholder responses to change created by Welty Peachey & Bruening (2011, 2012) (e.g., acceptance, ambivalence, resistance), ranging from proactive engagement to active opposition. These responses were marked by positive or negative shifts in response as new information and experiences emerged, largely dependent on personal goals, values, and expectations. Overall, these reactions were not static but found to be dynamic, shaped by both personal values and organizational actions. This research contributes to sport management literature by offering a deeper understanding of stakeholder engagement in times of change, and highlights the importance of communication relating to stakeholder needs. The findings further demonstrate the value of capturing the unique dimensions of change and stakeholders commonly found within community sport organizations and youth sport.