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 editors: Lee, Anna; Kärkkäinen, Salme; Vehmas, Hanna; Suomi, Kimmo
Journal or series: European Journal for Sport and Society
ISSN: 1613-8171
eISSN: 2380-5919
Publication year: 2024
Publication date: 02/06/2024
Volume: Early online
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Publication country: Germany
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2024.2354550
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Partially 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.
Keywords: local government; local politics; municipal boards; local politicians; political decision making; leadership (activity); management culture; knowledge-based management; knowledge; knowledge management; policy on physical training; sports
Free keywords: sports knowledge; management; local sports policy; decision-making groups; hierarchies; Weber
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
VIRTA submission year: 2024
Preliminary JUFO rating: 1