Nina Laakso: Citizens are calling for greater transparency and better leadership in the operations of Finnish sports organizations
T-Media’s Reputation&Trust examined Finns’ perceptions and views of major sports organizations. The reputation of the sports organizations surveyed ranged from good to poor, writes Nina Laakso, Senior Advisor at T-Media.
T-Media Reputation&Trust The 2022 survey of the organizational sector was conducted again this fall. This time, the study also examined, more extensively than before, the trust and reputation of Finnish sports organizations among the general public. Three organizations representing the entire Finnish sports sector were selected for the survey: the Finnish Olympic Committee, the Finnish Paralympic Committee, and the Finnish Center for Sports Ethics (SUEK).
The five sports federations that received the most government funding in 2022 were selected for the audit: the Finnish Football Association, the Finnish Gymnastics Federation, the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, the Finnish Floorball Federation, and the Finnish Sports Federation.
The reputation of the sports organizations surveyed ranged from good to poor; none achieved an excellent reputation. Among organizations covering all sports, the Paralympic Committee had a good reputation (3.65), SUEK ry had a moderate reputation (3.26), and the Olympic Committee had a poor reputation (2.90).
The reputation of sports federations ranged from good to fair. The Floorball Federation had the best reputation (3.59). Our analysis of sports organizations is based on more than 1,600 validated organizational evaluations provided by the general public.
The reputation of sports organizations was measured Reputation&Trust T-Media’s Reputation&Trust , which evaluates reputation based on eight factors: governance, finances, leadership, innovation, engagement, products & services, workplace, and responsibility. The results of the data analysis were supplemented with open-ended responses.
The study reveals that responsibility and leadership have a significant impact on the general public’s behavior toward sports organizations. In our studies examining the business world, we also observed that much more is now expected of organizations in the areas of responsibility and leadership than in the past. Over the past year, responsibility has emerged as one of the most significant areas across a wide range of our other studies as well.
An examination of the results for sports federations reveals that the lowest ratings are given in the areas of reform and governance. Impact analyses show that these same themes have a significant impact on public trust in sports federations. This means that in these areas, a change in reputation has a significant impact on stakeholder behavior.
A significant proportion of Finns are part of the sports community in one way or another—whether through club membership or some other role. Sports leaders must understand that the public’s views on the reputation of sports organizations—and particularly on the transparency of their governance and the renewal of their operations—have a significant impact on trust. This is highly relevant information for the sports community. The vitality of sports is ensured by public trust in their operations, which attracts participants and new competitive athletes, as well as support from their social circles through club dues and volunteer work.
The reputation of organizations covering the entire spectrum of sports varied widely
In the work of the Paralympic Committee, sports can be seen as a strong foundation of values, which is reflected in the perception of the organization as a responsible entity. As a result, the Paralympic Committee enjoys a strong reputation among the general public.
The general public considers SUEK’s reputation to be at a moderate level. From the open-ended responses in the survey, it is evident that nearly half of the respondents believed SUEK could improve its reputation by providing more information about its operations, increasing open communication, and engaging in more transparent and active interaction. Our data analysis shows that, in SUEK’s case, transparency and interaction have a significant impact on its effectiveness.
The general public rated the Olympic Committee’s reputation as the weakest. In particular, the Olympic Committee’s leadership and governance were seen as requiring significant improvement. Its image as an employer also requires clear improvement measures, as it received the second-lowest rating among the various reputation categories.
Although the Olympic Committee’s reputation scored poorly in the survey, it is already evident that the new CEO, who took office this summer, has hit the ground running and, through a different management approach, has created a clearly more active and socially influential image.
Sports organizations must be worthy of the public’s trust in their activities
In 2024, sports organizations will transition from being funded under the Act on the Distribution of Lottery Proceeds to receiving general state budget funding. There are therefore legitimate demands for greater openness, transparency, and accountability in their operations, as well as for strong and competent leadership.
Sports organizations can be compared, for example, to government agencies, which also receive public funding; as a result, they are subject to extremely high ethical and moral standards regarding their management and the responsible conduct of their operations.
As research shows, sports organizations must be worthy of the public’s trust in their operations. The sports sector must understand that communicating its activities in a more open and transparent manner helps build public trust in its operations and also strengthens the legitimacy of publicly funded activities.
This is how we conducted the study
The Reputation&Trust survey of organizations and associations examined the reputation of Finnish organizations among the general public. Among sports organizations, the study selected three so-called service organizations covering all of Finnish sports, as well as the five sports federations that received the most government funding in 2022.
The reputation of sports organizations was measured Reputation&Trust , which evaluates reputation based on eight factors: governance, finances, leadership, innovation, engagement, products & services, workplace, and responsibility.
Data for the survey was collected via an online questionnaire between August 30 and September 19, 2022. A total of 3,496 Finns participated in the survey. The survey’s target group consisted of Finns aged 15–65 nationwide (excluding the Åland Islands). The sample was weighted to be representative of the population by gender, age, and region of residence. The margin of error for the entire data set is at most approximately 0.XX percentage points in either direction.
More information about the study
Nina Laakso, Senior Advisor, T-Media Oy
+358 400 808 940
nina.laakso@reptrust-staging.fi-p.seravo.com
Harri Leinikka, CEO, T-Media Oy
+358 40 505 5001
harri.leinikka@reptrust-staging.fi-p.seravo.com
Text: Nina Laakso
