The purpose of this study was to advance the discussion of collaboration between Canadian sport organizations beyond current levels of critical rhetoric and to (a) recommend improvements to the collaborative sport management processes specifically related to this particular case and (b) provide an analytical framework that will facilitate the application of this knowledge to others in similar interorganizational relationships. The purpose was achieved by collecting empirical evidence on the collaborative process through a theoretically guided case study of the relationship between Sport Canada and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), which were selected for the study due to their prominence in the Canadian sport system. Agency theory was chosen to provide the primary guiding framework for development of the research questions, and data collection and analysis. Data collection included three sources: my personal narrative, a selection of relevant documents, and personal interviews with thirteen key informants familiar with the two sport organizations. Data analysis was guided by the key concepts of agency theory to provide structure for the process. Consistent with the assumptions of agency theory, my findings indicated that the primary goals of Sport Canada and CIS are incongruent and that a managed contract is in place that includes financial incentives for CIS to collaborate with Sport Canada, but the incentives do not appear to work. Reporting and monitoring occur on an annual basis, but the relationship is essentially one of funding and accountability and not collaboration. The results of this research suggest that the current paradigmatic approach to understanding the Canadian sport system, based on the assumption that the federal government controls funding and national policy and thereby controls the sport system, is inappropriate and works directly against the espoused need for interorganizational collaboration. The opportunity for enhanced collaboration does exist, but intentional efforts to collaborate must be increased. The control paradigm should be rejected in favor of shared goal setting and decision-making and a negotiated contract between the organizations that identifies a measurable collaborative advantage. This research confirmed and explained the contribution that can be made by agency theory to the study and management of collaboration in sport organizations.

The purpose of this study was to investigate coaches’ perspectives on the personal development of student-athletes through interuniversity sport participation. More specifically, the ways in which coaches understand and facilitate athletes’ personal development were explored. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with male and female head coaches of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) programs. A qualitative approach, utilizing an inductive analysis of the data revealed: coaches’ difficulty in defining personal development and articulating the ways in which they facilitate opportunities for athletes’ personal development through sport; a lack of clarity of the methods used to measure athletes’ personal development; and the ensuing ramifications of university sport model reviews which are moving towards a high performance model of sport on athletes’ personal development. Findings from this study contribute knowledge and understanding of a previously little studied phenomenon – the personal development of student-athletes – and the perspectives from a relatively un-explored population, university head coaches.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate coaches’ perspectives on the personal development of student-athletes through interuniversity sport participation. More specifically, the ways in which coaches understand and facilitate athletes’ personal development were explored. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with male and female head coaches of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) programs. A qualitative approach, utilizing an inductive analysis of the data revealed: coaches’ difficulty in defining personal development and articulating the ways in which they facilitate opportunities for athletes’ personal development through sport; a lack of clarity of the methods used to measure athletes’ personal development; and the ensuing ramifications of university sport model reviews which are moving towards a high performance model of sport on athletes’ personal development. Findings from this study contribute knowledge and understanding of a previously little studied phenomenon – the personal development of student-athletes – and the perspectives from a relatively un-explored population, university head coaches.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alberta, 2010. / Title from PDF file main screen (viewed on May 27, 2010). A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta. Includes bibliographical references.