Resources
No.44
May 2005
 
   

Book Review - Strategic and performance management of Olympic sport organizations
Darlene A. Kluka, USA


Chappelet, J-L., & Bayle, E. (2005). Strategic and performance management of Olympic sport organizations. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
ISBN 0-7360-5829-X Price: $40.00 USD
As sport increasingly becomes a vehicle for economic, political, cultural and social change throughout the world, a paradigm shift is occurring relative to the management of those organizations that are vested with the responsibility of sport management. The greatest challenge that sport organization leadership is faced with involves the development of competent managers, representative of those who participate in sport, who can not only implement policies and legislation but who can also provide vision and leadership in yet uncharted areas of sport. Those in sport leadership positions must understand international sport issues, strategic management, athlete performance enhancement, sport managerial performance, marketing, human resources, and ethical decision making.
Attempting to meet the challenge described above, the authors provide a book with two parts: Part I – Strategic management of Olympic sport organizations, including the definition of strategic management, the process of strategic management and its practical tools, the Olympic system and the new actors in world sport, and cases of strategic approaches by some Olympic sport organizations; and Part II – Performance management of Olympic sport organizations, including the definition of performance management, measuring the performance of Olympic sport organizations, and steering performance of Olympic sport organizations. Based upon the MEMOS program*, the authors appear to have written the first (involving strategy and performance) of several books as MEMOS manuals.
The Olympic system of governance seems to be well defined in the book, particularly governance structures involving governmentally funded sport, the traditional model of nonprofit sport organizations. The authors present a more contemporary model of sport, referring to new actors involved in the Olympic system. These involve government, National Olympic Committees, sponsors, and national media. Also involved are the Olympic Charter, Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games, National Sport Federations, clubs, and athletes; international sponsors, international sport federations, and leagues of athletes or teams.
The authors have presented detailed information about theoretical and empirical measurement models assessing global performance of organizations and their applicability for measuring performances of Olympic sport organizations. They have eloquently detailed research in the area that should be found meaningful. Examples of statutory performance indicators are also provided. They have also provided perspectives on the impact of governance forms on strategic and organizational functioning as well as the importance of transparency in management.
Unfortunately, the authors chose to include mission statements in Appendix B that are 3 to 6 years old (1999 – 2002) Those displayed may not present mission statements that national governing bodies of sport in the United States hold after the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. The authors included limited sample strategic plans of other sport organizations in Appendix A. Strategic plans of Canadian Sport Organizations were the only ones highlighted by using internet websites. Perhaps it would have been beneficial to provide websites by region of the world so that the reader could peruse a variety of strategic plans from different regions of the world.
This book might be useful as a supplement to university courses in the area of sport administration or sport management. Those teaching courses such as sport governance or strategic management of sport may find the information valuable to augment the existing texts. Those already in the field of sport management may also benefit from the book, particularly if it is used to guide workshops or seminars on the topics of strategy and performance. If the book is used as the foundation for workshops or seminars, it might prove helpful to provide an activity supplement that would take the participants through the identification and formulation of a mission statement, the conductance of a SWOT analysis, actual definition of organizational goals and the steps needed specifically to reach them, as well as the evaluation of possible actions that influence future planning.
* The MEMOS program was begun in 1995 by several European national Olympic committees, the European Network of Sport Sciences in Higher Education, several universities and schools of sport, with financial support of the Socrates program of the European Union and Olympic Solidarity. The goal of the program was to raise the level of competence of European sport managers.

Darlene A. Kluka
Grambling State University of Louisiana, USA




http://www.icsspe.org/portal/bulletin-may2005.htm