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Abstract:
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The Danish non-profit organizations within sports have always been a big part of the overall culture in
Denmark. However, the terms of these organizations’ existence have been largely challenged. This is
caused by an increased competition from new providers of sports and the fact that the everyday life has
changed radically during the last decade. This has left many non-profit organizations with significant
challenges in their ability to maintain their members and keeping them loyal. It is very essential for the
organizations to have loyal members, since loyalty can lead to an increased readiness to contribute in
volunteering, which is a key factor within these organizations.
In relation to these facts, the objective of this thesis is to examine and analyze the drivers that generate
member loyalty, specifically within football organizations. In extension of these findings, it will be
discussed how these can be used in a strategic perspective to improve the situation within the Danish
football organizations. To be able to visualize this, a conceptual model was developed. This model
contains a number of latent variables that were identified through theoretical literature and interviews.
The subsequent data collection was provided through an online questionnaire which was executed by
football players across Denmark. The characteristics of the data were analyzed, which formed the basis
to estimate the model, using the method of Partial Least Squares.
The results of the estimated model detected ‘Image’ and Involvement’ as the two most significant
drivers of member loyalty. A cluster analysis among the members also revealed that four types of
members could be identified. These clusters had significantly different characteristics compared to each
other, which made it easier to create specific strategic objectives and target actions that are necessary
to take.
The focus of creating an ‘Image’ has always been a difficult element to handle, due to the lack of
resources and expertise within the area. ‘Image’ has thereby been largely neglected in far too many
organizations. It was suggested in the thesis, that the organizations should choose their identity and at
the same time be able to make this visible to their members through an effective way of communicating
it. ‘Involvement’ was suggested to be improved by focusing on rewarding members that interact and
involve with the organization. Both focuses will create a certain value which will also benefit in creating
a stronger relationship. Finally, it can be conducted that organizations still have many limitations in their
ability to perform well, caused by lack of financial resources, knowledge and overall management. |
