A1 Journal article (refereed)
Does local leadership promote the acquisition and utilisation of sport-related knowledge? : Attitudes of Finnish municipality politicians and administrators in sports decision-making (2024)


Lee, A., Kärkkäinen, S., Vehmas, H., & Suomi, K. (2024). Does local leadership promote the acquisition and utilisation of sport-related knowledge? : Attitudes of Finnish municipality politicians and administrators in sports decision-making. European Journal for Sport and Society, Early online. https://doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2024.2354550


JYU authors or editors


Publication details

All authors or editorsLee, Anna; Kärkkäinen, Salme; Vehmas, Hanna; Suomi, Kimmo

Journal or seriesEuropean Journal for Sport and Society

ISSN1613-8171

eISSN2380-5919

Publication year2024

Publication date02/06/2024

VolumeEarly online

PublisherTaylor & Francis

Publication countryGermany

Publication languageEnglish

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2024.2354550

Publication open accessOpenly available

Publication channel open accessPartially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX)https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/95553


Abstract

In their decision-making, municipalities increasingly face the challenge of creating value through the transfer of knowledge resources. While local decision-makers are responsible for sport-related decision-making, a much-debated question is whether sport-related knowledge is acquired and utilised throughout the decision-making hierarchy. Building on Max Weber’s bureaucratic notions of rational-legal authority and other research, it is hypothesised that group-based leadership has a crucial function in the acquisition and utilisation of sport-related knowledge among local decision-makers. Drawing on large-scale survey data from 1 037 top decision-makers in Finnish municipalities, we show that the acquisition and utilisation of sport-related knowledge in local decision-making is determined by group-based leadership skills. The leadership of middle-level (i.e. committee) political decision-makers was particularly important in the acquisition and utilisation of sport-related knowledge. These findings support the view that the current debate on knowledge-based sports policy making should pay attention to administrative structures and leaders’ abilities to foster sport-related knowledge across groups.


Keywordslocal governmentlocal politicsmunicipal boardslocal politicianspolitical decision makingleadership (activity)management cultureknowledge-based managementknowledgeknowledge managementpolicy on physical trainingsports

Free keywordssports knowledge; management; local sports policy; decision-making groups; hierarchies; Weber


Contributing organizations


Ministry reportingYes

VIRTA submission year2024

Preliminary JUFO rating1


Last updated on 2025-24-01 at 09:15