ANALYSIS OF SPORT FEDERATIONS IN TURKEY ON INNOVATION MANAGEMENT

Ouzhan Altungl, 2Sebahattin Devecioglu

1
1,2

Firat University, Faculty of Sports Sciences Elazig/Turkey

Email:1 altungul@hotmail.com, 2sdevecioglu@firat.edu.tr

Abstract
Innovation is realization of a novel change for an organization and its surrounding. Federations in
Turkey are technical entities regulating, managing, teaching the activities in the sport branches respectively in
accordance with the international codes and regulations, spreading such activities to the country and ensuring
representation thereof outside the country. In our study conducted based on the foregoing ideas, it is aimed at
review of analysis of the sport federations in Turkey on innovation management.
The population of the research is the sport federations conducting operations in Turkey actively, the
sample selected for the survey is 130 managers and 325 employees in sport federations.
In the survey 2 questionnaires Innovation Environment Survey in Entities and Corporate
Innovation Performance Questionnaire applied to public and private entities developed by Mr. Elci (2008) are
used. As a result of validity reality studies of innovation environment survey in entities filled by the employees,
the results obtained: Cronbach Alfa 0,897,KMO 0,77 , Barlet Test Result Chi-Square Approach 5346,74
Internal reliability 0,05.
According to the results of the study, none of the managers responded affirmatively to the question
Did your Federation conclude the followings in 2009 and 2010 of the process innovation environment survey
in the entities according to the federation managers of the sport federations in Turkey. They stated that no study
is conducted for service and process in the federations. (Table 4-5).
Findings on lack of innovation in federations indicate that they are not open for improvement and it is
difficult for them to advance. It is believed that such difficulties may be overcome with education and training.
Key Words: Innovation, Management, Sport Management, Sport Federations
1998). In the simplest definition, innovation is to develop
and apply different and new ideas. Such ideas may be
developed to solve the problems never solved before or meet
the needs never met before. Or it may aim at making an
existing product or service more beautiful, more usable or
more available for use by people (Anonym, 2009).
Innovation Types: Innovation may be realized in
the products, services, production, distribution methods,
work conduct methods, design and marketing methods.
Although it will change from the entity to entity, innovation
types may be summarized as following in order to indicate
the characteristics of the innovation process.
Product Innovation: Development of a different
and novel product or any change or novelty in products for
offering the products to the market shall be named as
product innovation. Development of a different, novel

INTRODUCTION
The fact that sport as a social institution has a
structure gradually growing every day within economic and
cultural organizations has made revaluation of this social
phenomenon considering the changing economic and social
conditions of the world (Talimciler, 2002). Management
approaches gaining more complex structures in the sport
everyday are to be planned and reviewed in compliance with
the sport clubs management by using the contemporary
management methods pursuant to the general management
logic. In close review of innovation management having
gained significant importance in recent years, it is seen that
it contains information and findings which may be applied
on sport management (Devecioglu, 2008).
Innovation: Innovation is realization of a novel
change for an organization and its surrounding" (Drucker,

14

product and presentation thereof to the market, by a business

entity shall imply innovation by such firm (Muftuoglu, and
Odabasi, 2004).
Service Innovation: New or significantly changed
service approach, novelty and difference in presentation and
distribution system of the service, and utilization of new
technologies in provision of the services are service
innovations (Hull and Tidd, 2003).
Process Innovation: Improving existing methods making
them more advanced (Jan Boone, 2000). Process innovation
is not limited to the changes conducted on the production
operations rather it contains review of all processes within
the scope of business operations (Iraz, 2005).
Organizational Innovation: Development of new
working and business methods or application of existing
methods on the present conditions.
Marketing Innovation: Development
an
application of different and marketing methods realized
differently, or improving the existing ones making them
more advanced (Elci, 2009).
Innovation Management: Innovation ensures that
the individual and social needs (e.g. health, resting, working,
transportation etc.) are met in a better level. Innovation is
also required for entrepreneur spirit. After all, in each new
initiation, a process will occur to being a certain level of
novelty. In addition, continuous renovation is required for all
initiations for sustainability of their competition powers.
Such facts shall also apply for the countries. They are
required to convert the new ideas into technical and
commercial success so that they will continue their
competition powers and employment opportunities (Gker,
2000).
Sport Management: Management shall mean all
of the operations towards ensuring collaboration and
coordination in group of people so that the purposes will be
realized in the most effective and efficient manner in the
broadest sense (Kemal, 1974). In a broader definition,
management is the sum of all operations related to
systematic, skilled and conscious application of the
concepts, principles, theories, models and techniques related
to planning, organization, execution, coordination and
control functions for realization of the organizational goals
effectively and efficiently (Howard, 1976).
Innovation in Sport Organizations: Today, sport
is considered as an important service sector on account of its

personal and social health protection and improvement

properties. Besides, sport having become a profitable
advertisement and promotion instrument thanks to the
effects of the mass communication instruments and in
particular the media at present is converted into consumption
sector as a show and entertainment activity attracting the
interest of the mass populations on one hand and an
attractive economic activity area in which significant
financial movements occur for the entrepreneurs. Sport with
its service dimension and goods production and
consumption sectors dimension is an interesting research
subject for business administration and sport administration
sciences (Can and Soyer, 2000).
Sport Federations in Turkey: Federations are
technical entities regulating, managing, teaching the
activities in the sport branches respectively in accordance
with the international codes and regulations, spreading such
activities to the country and ensuring representation thereof
outside the country. The moral and health rules are
considered in execution of these activities (Smer, 1990).
Each sport federation is obligated to act in line with the
activities of the international confederations as being
members of such international confederations and follow
their instructions necessarily. Where the instructions of the
international confederations will be in conflict with the
internal codes and rules (even including the Constitution),
they have to follow the instructions of the international
confederations.
These instructions are superior to the domestic laws pursuant
to the domestic laws. Gen D.A. (1998) 61 sport federations
in Turkey conducts their operations as per the laws and
regulations determined.
These studies are conducted towards defining the
innovation management performances and innovation
performances of the sport federations in Turkey.
METERIAL AND METHOD
In this research towards defining the innovation
management performances and innovation performances of
the sport federations in Turkey area (survey) with scientific
scanning model was used. The population of the research is
the sport federations conducting operations in Turkey
actively, the sample selected for the survey is 130 managers
and 325 employees in sport federations.

15

In the survey 2 questionnaires Innovation

Environment Survey in Entities and Corporate
Innovation Performance Questionnaire applied to public
and private entities developed by Mr. Eli Chairman of the
Board of Technolpolis Group (providing research,
consultancy, education and management support services
based on high quality practices and information) are
used.(31) As a result of validity reality studies of innovation
environment survey in entities filled by the employees, the
results obtained: Cronbach Alfa 0,897,KMO 0,77 , Barlet
Test Result Chi-Square Approach 5346,74
Internal
reliability 0,05 (Eli, 2008).
For statistical analysis of the study, SPSS
(statistical package for social sciences for Windows)

program was used. In evaluation of the data, Chair

decision tree analysis, reliability analysis and factor analysis
were used in addition to the descriptive statistical methods.
The results are evaluated at 95% confidence interval and
with the significance level of p<0.05.
FINDINGS
The findings showing the distributions of the
federation presidents and federation employees of the sport
federations in Turkey as per personal characteristics
gender, education level with whom the survey is applied:

Table 1. Quantitative Distribution of the Age and Working Periods by Gender of the Persons included in the
Study
Individuals (N,%)

Age(Average+ SD)

Work Duration
(Average+ SD)

Female

172(%52,9)

31,495,89

4,502,28

Male

153(%47,1)

35,036,41

5,141,88

Total

325(%100)

33,156,38

4,802,12

Table 2. Quantitative Distributions of Education Status Variable by Gender of the Persons included in the Study
Education
Primary and
Vocational
Secondary High
Higher
School
School
Education
University
Total
Gender
Female N
14
15
130
13
172
Line%
8,1%
8,7%
75,6%
7,6%
100,0%
Gender
Column %
50,0%
88,2%
55,8%
27,7%
52,9%
Education
Male
N
14
2
103
34
153
Line% Gender
9,2%
1,3%
67,3%
22,2%
100,0%
Column %
50,0%
11,8%
44,2%
72,3%
47,1%
Education
Total
N
28
17
233
47
325
Line%
8,6%
5,2%
71,7%
14,5%
100,0%
Gender

16

Gender

Female

Male

Total

Education
Primary and
Secondary
School
14
8,1%

High
School
15
8,7%

Vocational
Higher
Education
130
75,6%

University
13
7,6%

Total
172
100,0%

N
Line%
Gender
Column %
50,0%
88,2%
55,8%
27,7%
52,9%
Education
N
14
2
103
34
153
Line% Gender
9,2%
1,3%
67,3%
22,2%
100,0%
Column %
50,0%
11,8%
44,2%
72,3%
47,1%
Education
N
28
17
233
47
325
Line%
8,6%
5,2%
71,7%
14,5%
100,0%
Gender
Column %
100,0%
100,0%
100,0%
100,0%
100,0%
Education

Table 3. Results for Explaining that Likert Type Questions of Innovation Performance in the Entities of the Employees of
the Sport Federations in Turkey Survey are linked with the Factor Groups
Observational
Variables
L1
L2
L3
L4
L5
L6
L7
L8
L9
L10
L11
L12
L13
L14
L15
L16
L17
L18

Factor 1
,698
,769
,806
,748

Components
Factor 3

Factor 2

Factor 4
,459
,424

Factor 5

,401
,489
,801
,488
,633

,527
,429
,752
,807
,457

,547
,859
,620
,478

,498
,856
,863
,915
,536

,681

17

-,437

,450

L19
L20

,762
,771

In the light of such data, we may indicate the groups containing each of the factors in the Table 8, by using the rotated
loading matrix (Subtraction Method: Fundamental components Analysis. Rotation Method: Varimax)
Consequently, the following loading results are obtained: Factor 1: L1, L2, L3, L4, L6, and L8; Factor 2; L10, L11, L12,
L18, L19, and L20; Factor 3: L13, L14, L15, L16, and L17; Factor 4: L9; and Factor 5: L5 and L7.
Table 4. Frequency Results of the question Did your Federation conclude the followings in 2009 and 2010 of the
process innovation environment survey in the entities according to the federation managers of the sport federations in
Turkey.
Development of a new or significantly improved product/
service, process or production method
Yes
No
Total

N
100
30
130

%
76,9
23,1
100,0

Provision of a new or significantly improved product /

service, logistics or distribution method improvement
Observation
No

130

100,0

New or significantly improved support services for the

processes such as maintenance, purchase, financial
management, document management, and outsourcing
Observation
No

130

100,0

None of the managers working for the entities responded as yes to this question. It was stated that no study is conducted
in the federations related to process innovation.

Table 5. Frequency Results of the question Did your Federation conclude the following innovation activities in
2009 and 2010? of the process innovation environment survey in the entities according to the federation managers of the
sport federations in Turkey.
Outsourced R&D service procurements
Observation
Yes
No
Total

30
100
130

23,1
76,9
100,0

Machine Equipment Acquisitions

Observation
Yes
No

N
100
30

%
76,9
23,1

18

Total

130

100,0

Other External Information Acquisitions

No

N
130

%
100,0

Innovation Education
No

N
130

%
100,0

N
30
100
130
N

%
23,1
76,9
100,0
%

61
69
130

46,9
53,1
100,0

External R&D studies

No

N
130

%
100,0

Machine, Equipments or Software purchases

Observation
Yes
No
Total

N
104
26
130

%
80,0
20,0
100,0

Other activities required for developing a new product or

process
Observation
Yes
No
Total
In-house R&D studies
Observation
Yes
No
Total

Table 5: In review of the Table 5, it is seen that the

highest active operation is machine, equipment or software
acquisition with 80% within the scope of the innovation
operations in the federations between 2009 and 2010.

survey in the entities according to the federation managers

of the sport federations in Turkey. They stated that no study
is conducted for service and process in the federations.
(Table 4-5).
Statistical analyses in our study were analyzed by 5
different factors (Table 3). And loadings by the factors:
Factor 1: L1, L2, L3, L4, L6, and L8; Factor 2; L10, L11,
L12, L18, L19, and L20; Factor 3: L13, L14, L15, L16, and
L17; Factor 4: L9; and Factor 5: L5 and L7.
The scientific studies conducted in recent years
emphasize that not only the content and applications of the
system but also human resources management process is
effective on success of the human resources management
Bowen, David E. - Ostroff, Cheri (2004) - Evans, W. Randy
- Davis, Walter D. (2005). Strong a human resources system
shall establish an organizational climate in which employees
have common understanding on which behaviors are
expected by the organization from them and which
behaviors are rewarded. In order to establish more effective
and efficient work environment in public entities; and it is
required to establish consistent human resources application
compliant with the goals and targets of the entity and its

Discussion and Conclusion

In review of Likert type questions of the innovation
performance survey; the findings obtained indicate that
demographic data (e.g. gender and education levels) has no
significant effect statistically on increase in the
psychological indications. It was seen that strategies for
dealing with as one of the behavioral mechanisms used by
the employees for dealing with stressed situations are related
to the increase in the psychological indications index score.
In this part of the study, according to the managers
of the sport federations in Turkey making the second step of
the surveys applied, the statistical analysis results of the
survey questions related to differentiation of the innovation
environment are discussed.
None of the managers responded affirmatively to
the question Did your Federation conclude the followings
in 2009 and 2010 of the process innovation environment

19

inside, as supportive to the improvement of the employees.

The importance of role of human resources in establishment
of corporate development is revealed from the results of our
study and scientific studies. The base of the process
management is based on the quality management studies
starting from 1950s.
Academic studies on quality management
emphasize that it may be provided with less errors and lower
costs with improvement of procedures, and that accordingly
high profitability is achieved
(Imamoglu, 1992). In
federations, human resources and quality management
should be considered as important, and informational and
awareness seminars and meetings are to be organized
therefore.
In review of the frequency table for the question
Did your Federation conclude the following innovation
activities in 2009 and 2010 of the process innovation
environment survey in the entities according to the
federation managers of the sport federations in Turkey, it is
seen that that the highest active operation is machine,
equipment or software acquisition with 80% within the
scope of the innovation operations in the federations. (Table
5)

immediately, and the entity should have application

models in-house.
Connection should be established with the other
entities in the world, and different and new systems
are to be attempted to be applied in the institution.
The ideas of the employees of the entity should be
listened and respected, and the employees are to be
provided with the opportunity to try their ideas.
This article is made from the PhD. Thesis
of the researcher Mr. Oguzhan Altungul.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Findings on lack of innovation in federations indicate
that they are not open for improvement and it is difficult for
them to advance. In order to change such difficulty and the
prejudices;
Innovation education seminars are to be used in
each federation
The incomplete sides of each federation should be
found out by using the innovation scales, and
solutions are to be sought in order to eliminate
such incompleteness.
The entity should allow all employees to use right
to speak and should be open for new ideas.
The entity should apply new ideas and should use
other entities in the applicable areas of operations.
The entity should provide with in-house trainings to
its employees continuously for introducing
novelties to them and educating them on novelties.
R&D innovation units are to be established, all
novelties in the world are to be known

20

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