Institutional Pluralism and Governance in “Commercialized” Sport Clubs

In the European context “commercialized” sport clubs (CSCs) typically operate in multiple social spheres where different institutional logics prevail and hence CSCs are faced with having to be many different things to many different people. In this article a tentative typology of seven institutional logics that combine to constitute the CSC is outlined and their interrelations and implications for governance are discussed. Drawing extensively on institutional organization theory, the article identifies the need for leadership to create organizations that become an end in their own right despite the multitude of logics that constitutes them.