Thinking About the Same Things Differently: Examining Perceptions of a Non-Profit Community Sport Organisation

Abstract

This paper explores the differing perceptions and identity responses that potentially exist in relation to one non-profit community sport organisation (identification, apathy and disidentification), and whether they explain variations in individuals’ existing values and beliefs, sport interest, community identification and views about one organisation’s legitimacy. Data were collected using a quantitative online survey (n = 390), then analysed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) to test three hypotheses investigating whether existing values and beliefs, shared community values, local players, organisational practices and sport interest varied based on perception of organisational image and identity response. Based on the contributions of this study, non-profit community sport organisations should spend time developing understanding of the key dimensions, values and beliefs which make them relevant to their audience. In addition, understanding specifically what a community sport organisation’s audience expect is fundamental, if it is to be perceived as legitimate in relation to its purpose.

Keywords: social identification, identity response, organisational image, organisational legitimacy