Human resource empowerment applied to greek sport organizations

Abstract

Abstract HUMAN RESOURCE EMPOWERMENT APPLIED TO GREEK SPORT ORGANIZATIONS Alkistis Papaioannou B.A., Physical Education, University of Thessaly, 1999 M.Sc., Athletic Performance and Health, Democritus University of Thrace, 2003 Ph.D., Sports Administration, University of Peloponnese, 2009 (Directed by Associate Professor, Athanasios Kriemadis) The primary purposes of this study were: (a) to determine the extent to which the empowerment is being used in Greek sport organizations, and in particular, in professional football clubs and sport federations; (b) to examine the relationship between the key factors of empowerment and performance indicators of professional football clubs (revenues, profit/loss, classification in relation of annual performance given by Super League of football clubs); (c) to investigate if differences exist among the divided subgroups (federations) as shown by five variables/performance indicators of Sport Federations: (a) funding from government, (b) distinctions in the Olympic Games, (c) distinctions in the world leagues, (d) distinctions in the European leagues, and (e) active unions and the key factors of empowerment. The survey instrument of empowerment construct, consisted of 30 questions (developed by Vogt & Murrell, 1990), and demographic characteristics. All 10 Greek professional football clubs, which had a continuous attendance in the first division (Super League) of Greek football league during the last five years (from 2003 to 2007), were surveyed. Responses were received from 9 Greek professional football clubs for a response rate of 90 percent. With regard to Greek Sport Federations the original sampling frames of 26 Greek Sport Federations. Responses were received from 20 Greek Sport Federations with a response rate of 77 percent. The findings of this study were as follows: 1. Empowerment process is applied to a mediocre extent by Greek professional football clubs, as five (fifty six percent) of Greek professional football clubs were using the “empowerment style” of management. 2. Empowerment process is applied to a mediocre extent by Greek Sport Federations, as fourteen (seventy percent) of Greek Sport Federations were using the “empowerment style” of management. 3. There was no significant relationship between empowerment and the performance indicators of wealthy football clubs. 4. There was a strong and positive relationship between empowerment and the performance indicators of less wealthy football clubs, and more specifically with average revenues. 5. There was a significant difference among the wealthiest federations, wealthy federations and less wealthy federations, as shown by government funding, in one key factor of empowerment: Decision-making and action-taking skills. 6. There was a significant difference among the most successful federations, successful federations and less successful federations, as shown by Olympic distinctions, in two key factors of empowerment: (a) Decisionmaking and action-taking skills and (b) Project-planning, organizing and system-integration skills. 6b. There was no significant difference among the most successful federations, successful federations and less successful federations, as shown by World distinctions, in key factors of empowerment. 6c. There was no significant difference among the most successful federations, successful federations and less successful federations, as shown by European distinctions, in key factors of empowerment. 7. There was a significant difference among the large federations, medium sized federations and small federations, as shown by active clubs, in two key factors of empowerment: (a) Leadership, motivation, and reward system skills, and (b) Total for all managerial functions. Keywords: Human resource empowerment, organizational performance, professional football clubs, sport organizations.