The stakeholder-strategy relationship in non-profit basketball clubs

Abstract

The aim of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of the stakeholder-strategy relationship in non-profit sport clubs and to answer the following questions; (1) how hierarchies of organisational aims and actual strategic decisions change due to involvement of certain interest groups in the strategic processes of the observed organisations; (2) how clubs on different quality levels differentiate regarding stakeholders’ hierarchies, hierarchies of aims, and regarding actual strategic decisions. The data were collected from 73 basketball clubs from four South-East European countries. Findings show that private sponsors are the most influential stakeholders in top quality clubs that pursue top sport and financial results more than local community inclusion and other non-profit objectives. Higher-quality level clubs pursue cost reductions, top sport results, and fast results, while clubs where volunteers, local communities, the state and municipal authorities had stronger impact give more emphasis to growth, local community aims, and lowering risk.