An examination of the utility of the concept of governance in relation to the sports of swimming, football and cricket

Much has been written in recent years about governance in the areas of political science, public policy, local government, and international relations. However, social scientific usage of the governance concept has been eclectic, diverse and at times contradictory (Jessop, 1998: 29) as well as confusing and sometimes misleading. In addition, despite the burgeoning literature on governance, little research effort has to date been devoted to examining the term in relation to the organisation, administration and management of sports organisations. This thesis is concerned with reviewing the range of applications of the concept, and in particular evaluating the utility of governance in understanding aspects of the management and policy process of sport. For the purpose of this study a case study approached is adopted, focusing on three sports: cricket, association football and swimming, and within these the pattern of interrelationships between the government and related agencies, the media and broadcasters, athlete-representative groups and supporter organisations, as well as focusing on issues relating to gender. The study concludes by arguing that governance broadens our conceptual repertoire, introduces greater sensitivity and subtlety into policy analysis, and highlights problems of coordination both in government and across a range of agencies, organisations and policy actors.