Governance and Its Functions
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Sport Governance
Controversy however, exists on the exact definition of sports governance as many researchers and groups have, over time, had different perspectives regarding sport governance. Hums and MacLean (2017), utilizing various frameworks, illustrate that sports governance is the exercise of power in the management of a sports organization or rather a sports industry, and it encompasses both the regulatory and service organization. Hoye and Cuskelly (2007), on the other hand, demonstrates that sports governance simply means the act of exercising power, giving a lot of consideration to authority and influence in a sport setting.
Every governing body, regardless of the type of organization, has features or attributes and of great importance to note is that these attributes are similar despite the dynamicity of the environment in which these organizations operate. However, the common organizational attributes of the governing bodies are but not limited to; leading, planning, organizing, and controlling features. The first organizational feature is the leading feature. It goes unnoticed that every governing body has a planning feature and it is through this feature that the governing body can formulate strategies, outline objectives, set the organization’s purpose and direction as well as developing the organization’s long term plans. In a sport setting, for example, the governing body often may be at the forefront in the fight against performance-enhancing drugs by athletes through tightening the rules and formation of special committees that overlook the acts of doping. Another common feature is the leading feature. Pye, (2012) points out that leading as an attribute entails the acts of representing all the members as well as advocating and maximizing self-determination. Every governing body has a leading aspect that enhances self-determination, represents all members, create a vision and, more importantly, advocate; all these portrays the acts of leadership in an organization. Besides, another attribute associated with the governing bodies is the organizing attribute. All governing bodies possess the trait of organizing whereby they develop policies, interact with the management as well as forming alliances and strong relationship with the public. The sports organizations, for example, may organize with the public in a bid to reach out to underserved youths in the community. Lastly, all governing bodies possess the control attribute. In this case, the governing bodies often ensure that the organizations are stable in all dimensions by controlling and monitoring all the available outcomes. Sports organizations, for instance, practice the aspect of controlling by creating common set rules as well as organizing international competitions.
According to Hums and MacLean (2017), good governance is the institutionalization of a “means” through which citizens or stakeholders can participate, articulate their interests as well as exercise their rights with the aim of attaining a collective good. In simple terms, good governance entails the act of measuring how public organizations or institutions conduct and mages public issues. There are, however, five main characteristics of good governance characteristics; One is participation. Good governance is one that everyone has the right to participate in the decision-making process, either directly or indirectly. In sport governance, for example, the formation of the General assembly enhanced the public and stakeholder participation. The second trait is the rule of law. The legal frameworks in any in good governance are enforced impartially. The anti-doping laws, for example, are impartially enforced in a sport setting. Besides another trait is the act of responsiveness. For good governance, responsiveness should be upheld at all times. It entails the act of all the stakeholders without biasness. The sports governance in a bid to ensure that all its stakeholders are attended to convenes on a regular basis basically once a year (Hums, and MacLean 2017). Another trait of good governance is accountability. Good governance oriented organizations are always accountable to the public and the institutional stakeholders as well. This will not only promote public confidence but also creates an ample working environment. Another characteristic is the act of transparency. Transparency involves the aspect of the free flow of information among the members of the public and the institutions itself. An institution that practices good governance, for example, avails all the information in the public domain and also allows for the free dissemination of information from the organization to the stakeholders. Finally, the last characteristic is equity. This means that everyone, regardless of their demographic aspect, has a right to resources information or opportunities brought forward by an organization. For an organization practicing good governance, everyone, for instance, males and females, has the opportunity to improve their well-being.
References
Hums, M. A., & MacLean, J. C. (2017). Governance and policy in sport organizations. Taylor & Francis.
Hoye, R., & Cuskelly, G. (2007). Sports governance. Routledge.
Pye, A. (2002). Corporate directing: Governing, strategizing, and leading in action. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 10(3), 153-162.