Issues of governance in sport organisations: a question of board size, structure and roles

Abstract

Abstract Governance is a critical component of the effective management of a sport organisation. Due to the changing nature of sport organisations, most notably the movement to adopt business models of operation, questions of appropriate forms of governance have attracted increasing research attention in the sport sector. This paper reviews the governance literature in sport management, and discusses issues of board roles and board composition. Four governance theories are presented to help us better understand how to interpret the function of board roles in sport organisations. We conclude by suggesting future research directions.