In 2002, the Canadian government released a new Sport Policy that has included
'enhanced interaction' as one of its four goals for sport organizations (Canadian Heritage,
2002). Research on interorganizational relationships (IORs) specific to the Canadian
sport context has suggested that while broad potential benefits exist for organizations
seeking to build linkages (Thibault & Harvey, 1997), organizations need to be aware of
the challenges that are involved in managing IORs (Thibault, Frisby & Kikulis, 1999;
Thibault, Kikulis, & Frisby, in press; Frisby, Thibault, & Kikulis, in press).
The purpose of the study was to examine collaborative advantage and
collaborative inertia in IORs between a sport organization and recreation organizations
using Huxham and Vangen's (2000a) conceptual framework. Studying the IORs of a
provincial sport organization (PSO) involves a stakeholder group that has not been the
object of previous IOR research in Canadian sport, despite the suggestion that a more
comprehensive understanding of different stakeholder perspectives was needed (Thibault
& Harvey, 1997). Huxham and MacDonald's research found that both collaborative
advantage (achieving a result that each individual organization could not achieve alone)
and collaborative inertia (where IORs do not move forward, leading to frustration) are
possible outcomes of relationships (1992). Huxham and Vangen's (2000a) seven factors
causing collaborative inertia were used to understand the extent to which inertia was
present in the cases studied, and how inertia in the IORs was being managed.
In this qualitative study, data gathered from document analysis, information
meetings and observations, and semi-structured interviews revealed that collaborative
advantage was achieved in the two relationships between a PSO (Tennis BC) and two
municipal recreation departments (Lake City and River City). The findings also suggest
that the factors leading to collaborative inertia existed in different amounts in these IORs.
The inertia present existed in two different forms. The first was related to Huxham and
Vangen's factors that described collaborative inertia emerging from organizational
sources, and the second was related to individual sources, such as difficulties in
communicating, negotiating power and trust, and negotiating autonomy. Another
significant finding suggested that divergent expectations that emerged at the end of the
first year of the IOR present a threat for increased collaborative inertia in the future of
these IORs if not adequately managed.
The role of IORs is increasingly important to sport organizations in Canada (cf.
Babiak, 2003; Glover, 1999a; 1999b; Thibault et al., 1999; in press; Frisby et al., in
press). Researchers have overlooked understanding the challenges of managing these
relationships until recently (Frisby, et al., in press). Findings from this study support the
notion that factors emerge during collaborative actions between organizations that pose a
threat to realizing the advantages identified during the formation of IORs. Continued
research on the process of managing IORs is needed to better understand how inertia can
be limited to ensure Canadian sport organizations maximize advantage through these
relationships. / Education, Faculty of / Kinesiology, School of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/14469 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Alexander, Edward William |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Format | 5369273 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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