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No 2008:134:
Change and Power in Complex Democratic Organizations. The Case of Norwegian Elite Sports
Kari Steen-Johnsen
()
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Kari Steen-Johnsen: Centre for Research on Civil Society & Voluntary Sector
Abstract: This article examines how models for elite sports are negotiated within sport organizations that combine mass and elite sport.
The analysis is based on a qualitative case study of a decision-making process within the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sport (NOC) in 2004-2006, where the autonomy of the elite sports unit was being debated.
A theoretical perspective on radical organizational change, which focuses on the power and interests of sub-units, is used to analyze the processes of negotiation within the NOC and the outcome of these processes.
It is concluded that the proponents of change failed in their attempt at giving the elite sport unit a more autonomous status, because this would be in opposition to deep-seated values and practices within the organization, first and foremost the principle of one single organizational model.
This is explained through the concept of systemic power, a type of power that is taken for granted and that operates through daily practices and routines in organizations.
Keywords: Elite sport; Norway; organizational change
Language: English
20 pages, 2008
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