Abstract
This study aimed to clarify partner selection in collaborative alliances between schools and local sports organizations from three perspectives: the process leading up to the decision to partner, the conditions for partner selection, and the content of coordination with potential partners. A qualitative data analysis was conducted through semi-structured interviews with teachers, staff of local sports organizations (the central actors in the collaborative alliances) and school board officials. Interview questions and analytical framework were based on the “Four Phases of Strategic Alliance Development” of Bailey and Koney (2000), which describe the phases of interorganizational relationships in nonprofit human service organizations. The following conclusions were drawn from the analysis. First, the partner selection process was diverse, regardless of the classification or purpose. Second, when the school board was the main actor, the primary condition for partner selection was that the organization could manage and administer the club activities of all schools in the city. When the schools were the main actors, partners were organizations with a track record of relationships with schools or those that could be entrusted with managing sports club activities. Third, the coordination details with potential partners differed between cases in which a potential partner was selected and cases in which no potential partner was selected, based on conclusions of our analysis. In cases where a potential partner was selected, there was a sense of urgency, shared goals, and division of roles. In contrast, in cases where no potential partner was identified, coordination became an activity to evaluate and select partners.
