A1 Journal article (refereed)
Julkiset palvelutuotantotehtävät suomalaisten liikuntaseurojen muodonmuutosten lähteenä (2022)
Public service provision as a source of transformations in Finnish sports clubs

Huhtanen, K., & Itkonen, H. (2022). Julkiset palvelutuotantotehtävät suomalaisten liikuntaseurojen muodonmuutosten lähteenä. Liikunta ja tiede, 59(4), 91-102. https://www.lts.fi/media/lts_vertaisarvioidut_tutkimusartikkelit/2022/lt_4_2022_091-102.pdf

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Huhtanen, Kerkko; Itkonen, Hannu

Journal or series: Liikunta ja tiede

ISSN: 0358-7010

Publication year: 2022

Volume: 59

Issue number: 4

Pages range:  91-102

Publisher: Liikuntatieteellinen seura

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: Finnish

Persistent website address: https://www.lts.fi/media/lts_vertaisarvioidut_tutkimusartikkelit/2022/lt_4_2022_091-102.pdf

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/83338

Abstract

Civil society actors have always had a significant role in the Finnish society providing welfare and social security for citizens. However, in recent years public sector has strived to involve actors of other societal sectors, such as sport clubs, more widely to public service provision. We examine in this article, (1) to what kind of public service tasks have the sport clubs been willing to commit and (2) how have these tasks changed the club activities. We approach our topic with a comparative case study of eight Finnish sport clubs committed locally to public service provision. Our research data consists of club documentation and thematic interviews of the club operatives. Theory driven content analysis is used, utilizing David Billis´s theory of hybrid organizations. Our research demonstrates the ongoing diversification of sport club activities, which has gained new branches from the provision of public services. The maintenance of sports facilities and the organization of physical activities for the demographic groups emphasized on the national sport policy are both represented in the services of the case study clubs. From the sectoral characteristics point of view the main effects of these tasks for clubs were division of ownership, inner differentiation, and diversification of operational priorities. In overall, public service provision can be interpreted as one area of more comprehensive hybridization of sport clubs, manifested also in the businessification of club activities and in increased collaboration with the private sector.

Keywords: sports clubs; third sector; public services; organisational activities; civic activism; service production; development (active); organisations (systems)

Free keywords: third sector organizations; sport clubs; public services; hybridization

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2022

JUFO rating: 1