The Structure and Determinants of the Managerial Behaviors of Comprehensive Community Sport Club Managers

Abstract

The aim of training Comprehensive Community Sport Club (CCSC) managers, which was specifically emphasized in the policy for fostering CCSCs, was to develop their abilities without examining their duties and behaviors. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to identify CCSC managers’ behaviors and their determinants in relation to the characteristics of community sports clubs in Japan. A questionnaire survey was completed by 328 club managers. The structure of management behaviors and relationship between them and basic attributes, sports and community life experiences, and community awareness were analyzed. Nine clusters of management behaviors emerged from the results. Furthermore, sport experience and community awareness had different effects on the nine behaviors. While sport-related experiences influenced general management behaviors, community awareness affected relationship building with the organization, which many clubs experience as challenging. These results indicate that CCSC management and club managers’ behaviors reveal the characteristics of both sport and community organizations. Furthermore, the problem-solving that many clubs encounter may be not facilitated through manager training that is separated from the regional community. Club management should not ignore awareness that is fostered in daily life.