Governance and sustainability in sport federations: lessons and barriers from an international comparison
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v82.119293Keywords:
sustainability, sport federations, sport governance, sustainability implementation, strategic integration, comparative analysisAbstract
Introduction: Sustainability is increasingly embedded in global sport governance agendas; however, its practical implementation within national sport federations remains highly uneven. Differences persist between countries in the degree of strategic anchoring, institutionalization, and communication of sustainability across environmental, social, and economic dimensions.
Objective: The aim of this study is to compare how national sport federations in Czechia, Norway, and Australia integrate and communicate sustainability, to identify key barriers and enabling factors, and to determine areas requiring further development.
Methodology: A mixed‑methods design was employed. Quantitative content analysis was conducted on websites and strategic documents of 220 national sport federations (78 in Czechia, 55 in Norway, and 87 in Australia). This was complemented by semi‑structured interviews with representatives of six Czech federations. Sustainability initiatives were coded using a combined deductive–inductive approach across the three sustainability pillars, supported by methodological triangulation.
Results: Norwegian federations exhibit the most advanced and systemic sustainability integration, including formal strategies, strategic anchoring, and diversified communication practices. Australian federations show broad engagement, particularly in social and educational initiatives, but with moderate procedural formalization. Czech federations rely predominantly on fragmented, ad hoc activities, with limited environmental focus and weak strategic embedding. Key barriers include insufficient staff capacity, low prioritization, and limited policy formalization, while benchmarking and international standards act as major drivers.
Discussion: Cross‑national differences reflect varying levels of institutional maturity, professionalization, and governance capacity within national sport systems.
Conclusions: Strengthening institutional support, strategic frameworks, and international knowledge transfer is essential for advancing sustainability integration in national sport federations.
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