Identifying enablers and barriers: shaping collaborative sport governance theory

This study explores the enablers and barriers present when attempting to adopt a collaborative governance system in a non-profit sport. An empirical qualitative study was employed to shed light on these enablers and barriers with a particular focus on the behaviours and actions of those charged to govern. Three sports from Australia took part in the study and 36 in-depth interviews were conducted with participants from national and state organizations operating within those networks. Data were analysed using a pattern matching process and a thematic structure was subsequently developed. The current state of collaborative behaviours and its impact for future collaboration, the institutional design of the federal model including board composition and leadership, and the ability of the strategic planning process to act as a catalyst to facilitate collaboration emerged as the key themes in the study. The results of this work advance our understanding of the enablers and barriers facing systemic governing structures and increase our ability to theorize in relation to collaborative sport governance. A number of implications for sport governance practice and possible extensions for sport governance research based on these findings conclude the paper.