The Influence of Organisational and Management Factors on Effective Sport Service Delivery in Ethiopian Sport Governing Bodies

1. Introduction

Sport Governing Bodies (SGBs), often referred to as Sport Federations are non-profit organisations that work in the sport sector for the promotion and growth at all levels, monitoring its administration, ensuring the organising of regular contests, and adhering to the norms of fair play in a given region and sport discipline [1,2]. According to Sport England [3], SGBs are developing frameworks to make it easier for society to acquire professional services, and they frequently act as consultants in areas such as commercial, innovation, and programme development. Organisations’ senior management groups can utilise a section of indicators to track how their service delivery initiatives are progressing in terms of enhancing the organisation's overall performance [4]. Providing good service is imperative to the success and survival of service companies. However, according to different scholars [5,6,7], NSGBs are not delivering the expected services to society. There are identified factors that influence service delivery: luck in the development of long-term funding sources, bad financial management systems, and poor human resource management [7]. Studies by Shannon and Longbottom [8] show that inaccurate promotion; an untrained workforce; and an uncommitted workforce to their jobs are major factors that negatively influence effective sport service delivery. There are a large number of published studies [4,6,7,9] that describe controllable and uncontrollable factors such as communication, management practice, organisational capabilities and human relationships might be the predominant determinants in effective service delivery in sport organisations. In addition, Shariff [10] discovered a significant relationship between the job satisfaction of the federation’s administrator and the assessment of the efficiency of internal organisational processes on personnel relations and decision-making.

Other arguments made by Shilbury and Moore [11] also supported the expectation that the organisation will be productive in meeting strategic goals, serving coaches and players, and making the best use of its financial and human resources, all while preserving stability through the retention of officials, coaches, volunteers, and players, exhibiting consistency in decision-making and a high degree of flexibility through the board’s openness to change, keeping an eye on shifts in constituent group expectations, and keeping a close eye on state funding and economic conditions. Wolde and Gaudin [12] also quantified that sport federations are expected to deliver sports services to society in general and the coaches, players, journalists and regional SGBs in particular. However, most national federations are not yet capable of providing adequate services to the customers per national standards and missions. Wolde and Gaudin further portrayed that the service delivery from one sport governing body to another is different due to its structure, popularity of sports, financial support, materials and resources, employee commitment, international federations support and government favor. According to the viewpoint put forth here, the organisation in charge of carrying out the programme needs to create a distinct organisational framework, build suitable infrastructures and structures, and be able to carry out the programme by putting into practise efficient management techniques, such as fostering positive relationships and effective coordination with other relevant parties [11].

However, despite the arguments above on successful service delivery of SGBs, there is insufficient empirical research on the determinants of effective sport service delivery of SGBs, and just a few studies have looked at the factors that explain whether and to what degree sports organizations engage in successful service delivery [13]. Therefore, it has been observed that there is no or little research investigation has been conducted on these variables or insufficient at a sport governing body level in Ethiopia context and these variables were not thoroughly investigated comprehensively and were very scant compared to the multifarious problems widely observed in the context. It is; therefore this study aimed to investigate the contribution of organisational and management factors as determinants in effective service delivery in SGBs.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Research Method and Design

To address the research objectives and produce a comprehensive picture of the efficient provision of sport services by Ethiopia's SGBs, data from both qualitative and quantitative approaches were analysed and combined in this mixed methods study [14]. This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey which used to generate hypotheses and identify patterns or associations between variables. It can also provide valuable insights into potential relationships that warrant further investigation through more rigorous study designs [15].

2.2. Participants and Procedure

Most sport management studies have involved sport administrative employees, managers, coaches, players, volunteers, and other stakeholders which helps the organisation to provide effective sport service delivery for society [16]. From the total of 30 NSGBs, we purposively selected five national federations: Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF), Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF), Ethiopian Table tennis Federation (EBF), Ethiopian Handball Federation (EHF), and Ethiopian Taekwondo Federation (ETF) for their being dominant throughout the country as they have a long history (more than half a century) of establishment with an average age of 65.6 (SD = 6.12), have a number of member clubs, are with the most popular sports events, and have the highest public focus on them.

In addition, five regional sport bodies were also selected from 14 regions/provinces. A total of 350 study participants were recruited from internal stakeholders (representatives from five sport federations staff members, regional sport bodies staff members (n=154) and external stakeholders (business communities, coaches, players, club managers, referees, sport journalists and spectators (n=196). From the total selected samples, 333 (95%) were returned the questionnaire.

2.3. Instrument

For this study, semi-structured interviews and self-made survey questions were used. To check the validity of the instrument, the questionnaires were sent to the researcher's two supervisors, who are specialists in the field of sport and are two professors from the Universities. Based on Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient [17], the internal consistency of the variables was checked and the result was 0.94 which indicates the internal consistency, based on the average inter-item correlation is excellent.

2.2. Data Analysis

To calculate the demographic data, descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, frequency count, and percentages were employed while using SPSS version 28, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and multiple regression were used to analyse the data at the 0.05 significant level.

3. Results

The results showed that 89% of the participants were males and 11% were females. Out of a valid sample of 333, a significant number of participants (79.6%) have had at least a higher education degree (BSc degree and above). Additionally, regarding the work experience in the NSGBs, the average number of years was 3.21±4.88.

3.1. Relationship between Variables

The analysis of variables on the relationship between organisational factors (organisational structure, organisational capabilities and communication), management factors (stakeholders’ satisfaction, management practices and materials and resources) and effective sport service delivery in Ethiopian SGBs is described in Table 1.

Results displayed in Table 1 showed that there were small but positive significant relationships between effective sport service delivery and organisational structure (r=0.515**, p=0.00), organisational capabilities (r=0.701**, p=0.00), communication (r=0.549**, p=0.00), management practises (r=0.571**, p=0.00), materials resources (r=0.527**, p=0.00), and strong positive significant relationship between effective sport service delivery and stakeholders satisfaction (r=0.742**, p=0.00).

3.2. Regression Analysis

The contribution of each independent variable to the variance of the dependent variable was calculated and the coefficient of determination, which is the proportion of variance in the dependent variable, that is, each effective service delivery indicator that can be explained by the independent variables was calculated. Predictors included: organisational structure, organisational capabilities, communication, management practise, materials and resources, and stakeholder satisfaction.

As shown in Table 2, the first regression model reveals the joint contribution of organisational factor variables (organisational structure, organisational capabilities and communication) on effective sport service delivery. The table displays the multiple regression coefficient (R=0.759) and the multiple R square (R²=0.576). It means that three predictor factors account for 57.6% of the variance when considered together. The composite contribution was tested for significance at the p<0.05 level. The regression analysis of variance resulted in an F-Ratio of 148.743 (significant at p<0.05). This suggests that the independent factors' combined contribution to the dependent variable was significant, and the remaining variance might have been explained by variables not included in the model.

The second regression model reveals the joint contribution of management factors (management practice, materials resources and stakeholders satisfaction on effective sport service delivery. The table displays the multiple regression coefficient (R=0.782) and multiple R square (R²=0.612). It means that three predictor factors account for 61.2% of the variation when combined. The composite contribution was statistically significant at p<0.05. The regression analysis of variance resulted in an F-Ratio of 165.868 (significant at p<0.05), as shown in the table. This means that the independent factors' combined contribution to the dependent variable was considerable, and that other variables not included in this model might have accounted for the remaining variation.

The third regression model shows the joint relative contribution of independent variables of the dependent variable. It displays the multiple regression coefficient (R=0.841) and the multiple R squared (R² = 0.707). It shows that 70.7% of the variance in successful service delivery can be anticipated or explained by organisational structure, organisational capabilities, communication, management practise, materials and resources, and stakeholder satisfaction when combined. The composite contribution was assessed for significance at a level of p<0.05. The regression analysis of variance resulted in an F-Ratio of 130.810 (significant at p<0.05).

Based on the above table, the relative contribution of each independent variable to the dependent variable: organisational structure (ß=0.091, p=0.041), organisational capabilities (ß=0.396, p=0.00), communication (ß=0.134, p=0.005), management practise (ß= 0.233, p=0.00), materials and resources (ß= -0.106, p=0.03), and stakeholder satisfaction (ß= 0.478, p=0.00). This shows that organisational and management factors (organisational structure, organisational capabilities, communication, management practice, materials and resources and stakeholders satisfaction) are rated as zero, effective service delivery would change by a factor of -0.487. According to the findings, all independent factors have a relative contribution to effective service delivery. This means that all of the independent factors are good predictors of excellent sport service delivery in Ethiopian SGBs.

According to the results, it can also be interpreted that, assuming that all other independent factors remain constant, increasing an organisation's structuring by one unit will alter service delivery in SGBs by 0.091, increasing an organisation's organisational capabilities by one unit will alter service delivery in SGBs by 0.396. Service delivery in SGBs will change by 0.134 when an organisation's communication skills are increased by one unit, and management One unit increase in an organisation's communication skills will result in a 0.134 change in the service delivery provided by SGBs; one unit increase in management practises will result in a 0.233 change in service delivery; one unit increase in the availability of materials and resources will result in a 0.106 change in service delivery; and one unit increase in stakeholder satisfaction with the organisation will result in a 0. 478 change in the effective service delivery provided by Ethiopian SGBs.

4. Discussion

In this study, the sociodemographic characteristics of vast majority of the sports federations are males (89%). This finding is in line with that of Matsaridis and Gargalianos [18] where the sports industry is considered worldwide to be male dominated in terms of holders of top management positions. This study examines the influence of organisational and management factors on effective sport service delivery in the setting of Ethiopian Sports Federations. In this regard, the study's findings demonstrated that one of the most important factors for Ethiopian SGBs to successfully provide sport services is organisational capabilities. The results of the study supported the assertions made by Schreyogg and Kliesch-Eberl [19] that organisational competencies are crucial success variables that are connected with the organisation's greatness. This is because the systems, resources, organisational structures, and procedures that work together to help a corporation accomplish its strategic objectives provide organisational capabilities. The internal structures and procedures of the organisation were the subject of these actions. The present investigation is bolstered by prior research, as the results indicate that the efficacy of service delivery is considerably enhanced by organisational competency, which is believed to be associated with the internal workings and procedures of sports organisations.

Communication was found to be the most significant contributor to effective service delivery. This result is consistent with the definition of ICT usage as improving the delivery of efficient services to support public policy, as stated by the European Commission (quoted in Pourezzat [20] (pp. 303). Social media and the website may be used to encourage compliance as well as advocate for change. In addition to enabling easier public access, this information exchange will enable government workers to function as a team more successfully within established bounds. As stated by Hargie [21], effective communication is essential for delivering high-quality services, and managers and supervisors are skilled at informing staff members about changes in the workplace. This process is demonstrated by the presence of feedback and communication hurdles. The study supports Abeza and Sanderson [22] and Joseph [23] conclusions that sports can gain popularity and promotion through effective communication channels like print and broadcast media. In addition, Bayzan and Kalfa [24] noted that inadequate planning in the construction of sports facilities, a lack of communication amongst institutions, and poor upkeep and repair of already existing facilities were the key problems. This result is in line with this study's communication findings.

The findings also indicated that stakeholders satisfaction has a significant and positive direct effect on effective sport service delivery. This finding is in congruence with that of Breitbarth and Rieth's [25] 3S model, where, stakeholders along with structure and strategy, is regarded as a critical driver of successful sport services. Hence, this finding reminds us that stakeholders in sports organisations had a negative perception of the organisations' overall service performance, leading them to believe that they were not happy. This might be when the organisation amends or restructures, members and stakeholders are not part of it; instead, they hear after all acts [26] in which, organisations should diligently fine-tune the orchestration of all activities, resources, and processes systematically, involving all sports actors to achieve organizational goals.

Political power and the intervention of political leaders have altered the management team that manages sports. On the contrary, in Malaysia, the central government continuously supports them to improve the effectiveness of their services by providing various resources such as financial support, approved organisational expansion, approval to develop/build new facilities and political support [10]. In this study, it was observed that unavailability of sport infrastructures and a lack of sufficient materials and equipment. Hallmann et al. [27] emphasise the need to have sufficient sports infrastructure for sports participation to accomplish the government's policy goal of boosting sports participation, given that many sports cannot be performed without adequate sports facilities.

Moreover, materials and resources was found to have a significant and positive relationship with effective sport service delivery, where the increment in the amount of materials and resources results in an increment effective service delivery. In addition, these variables had significant contribution on effective sport service delivery. This finding is in congruence with the finding of Oluwasanmi [28] in which, the success of any sport organization is determined by materials and resources.

Furthermore, the findings of hypothesized relationships, it was found that showed that there were small but positive significant relationships between effective sport service delivery and organisational structure, organisational capabilities, communication, management practises, materials resources, and strong positive significant relationship between effective sport service delivery and stakeholders satisfaction. This finding is in congruence with the finding of previous studies [7,28] where materials and ressources, management practices and communication has a significant positive relationship with successful sport delivery.

5. Conclusions

Based on the findings from the result of the study, it was concluded that organisational and management factors jointly influenced effective sport service delivery in Ethiopian SGBs. Furthermore, it was concluded that the combination of all organisational factors such as organisational structure, organisational capabilities and communication, as well as management factors such as management practice, materials and resources and stakeholder satisfaction had a composite predictor on effective sport service delivery in Ethiopian SGBs. Based on the findings, organisation structure had a significant contribution to service delivery. This implies that changes in organisational structure would have a change in service delivery.

Furthermore, materials and resources affected effective sport service delivery in Ethiopian sports governing bodies. This is so because well-laid departments ensure proper use and allocation of finance as accountability gets presented in front of every department thus departments know clearly what they are allocated and reveal what they receive.

The findings of this study concluded that the implementation of better materials and resources directly influences effective service delivery. It was revealed that management practice directly contributes to and influences the effectiveness of service delivery in Ethiopian SGBs. However, the finding revealed that effective service delivery significantly was influenced by stakeholder satisfaction. The result also revealed that there were no service delivery differences among selected federations and regions, which is statistically significant.

5.1. Contribution to the Knowledge

This research established that organisational and management factors (organisational structure, organisational capabilities and communication, management practice, materials and resources and stakeholder satisfaction) influenced effective sport service delivery in Ethiopian SGBs. This study also contributed by showing the relationship between both organisational and management factors (organisational structure, organisational capabilities and communication, management practice, materials and resources and stakeholder satisfaction) towards effective sport service delivery in Ethiopian SGBs.

This study also revealed that organisational and management factors (organisational structure, organisational capabilities and communication, management practice, materials and resources and stakeholder satisfaction) could be predictors of effective sport service delivery in Ethiopian SGBs. Furthermore, this study provided empirical data that can be worked with by the SGBs and stakeholders in Ethiopia and other researchers for the improvement of effective sport service delivery.

5.2. Limitations and Further Direction

This study still considers several limitations despite the notable findings and contributions from the results and methodological standpoint. First, this study focused only on Ethiopian football federation, athletics federation, handball federation, table tennis federation and taekwondo federation five regional sport bodies, which sport personnel in various federations or cultural backgrounds would not be able to directly utilize. In addition, this study focuses solely on organisational and management challenges in successful service delivery. Many variables, like the popularity of sports, the structures of professional leagues, and socioeconomic situations, can differ greatly and hence change the relative importance of several factors for sport service delivery. This could therefore be a need for the holistic determinants of effective service delivery for SGBs to be developed and improved through further research.