Participation and change in grassroot sport organization: a case study

The research project “Participation and Change” has focused on "Polisportiva Giovanni Masi” (PGM), a sports club, based in Casalecchio di Reno (Bologna) that offers a large array of services and activities to more than 7.000 members. The research has been carried out for 3 years with a particular emphasis on: a) the quality of the services provided; b) the main features of the general structure and organizational processes; c) dynamics underpinning the interaction between PGM and the main stakeholders (both public and private); d) the level of satisfaction of members; e) the effects on the organization determined by changes occurring within the Italian sport system during the last 20 years. The research framework, ideographic in nature, has been carried out within the case-study approach and implemented throughout the following research tools: questionnaires with members (n=1100), in-depth interviews (n=11), focus groups (n=9), life histories (n=4) and participant observations. Evidences collected show that PGM is recognized as a high quality organization both in terms of services provided and organizational structure/processes. Specifically, the relationship between members and sports educators/coaches and their high level of competences and knowledge are identified as key determinants for the success and the quality of PGM. Furthermore, it can be argued that one of the main pillars of the success of the organisation is the quality of the didactics, the common educational plan adopted for all the services implemented and the pursuit of a lifelong learning approach that involved all the relevant roles in the organisation. Focusing on the organisational performance, PGM witnessed a process of professionalization as well as a trend that made communication and decisional procedures more complex. On the light of that, evidences collected during the second and third years of the study, show that PGM reacted with the rationalization of the internal structure and organisational procedures and with the involvement of a more professionalised workforce.