An analysis of sport clubs competing in Spor Toto Super League in terms of institutionalisation

In this study, opinions, workouts and problems of the clubs, in the existing construct, towards institutionalization was analyzed from the standpoint of the managers of sport clubs which compete in Turkey Sport Toto Super league. The aim of this research was to provide a number of suggestions for the sport clubs in their workout about institutionalization.The method applied in this study qualitative in nature. In this research phenomenological research design was used. In the data collection process semi-structured interview, which was composed of open-ended questions, was conducted. Convenience sampling method, categorized as purposive sampling, was used in the sampling phase. The interviews were made with the managers of five sport club of the 18 sport clubs, taking part in the in 2011-2012 TFF Sport Toto Super League season.The interviews were conducted face to face. In the analysis of the data descriptive and content analysis method were used. In these analyses, by converting the data into plain text, the answers given to the questions were put one under the other and put into table format. After the arrangement content analysis was conducted. As a result of these analyses the data was coded and the similar ones were gathered together and the themes were constructed. In the analyses, three researchers, who were detached with each other, took part.As a result of the study, it is evident that the participants were knowledgeable about institutionalization and they showed willingness towards the studies which would be done on this purpose. Even they considered institutionalization as a requisite management system in the organizational structure of the sport clubs. There are findings revealing that there were some workouts, in sport clubs, which were oriented towards institutionalization, but the findings also pointed out that the workouts were not implemented completely. The results also displayed that the institutionalization in the sport clubs operated differently from the ones in enterprises, cause of the existing legal and structural characteristics of the sport clubs.Also, the study results emphasized that sport clubs live some difficulty in the process of institutionalization as a result of some problems such as organizational status, having responsibilities towards different superior establishments, structural and legal problems, injustice in competition and inequity in income between clubs, problems in understanding and approaches towards institutionalization, individual dependent management, problems in revenue gathering and sportive score based evaluation. Additionally, findings pointed that the re-settlement workouts of sport clubs, which especially started with the implementation of UEFA criterias, have to be supported with legal and juristic arrangements special to the sport clubs, institutionalization have to be linked to law to enforce the clubs for transformation in the favor of institutionalization, the personnel who will be employed in the sport clubs have to be specialized in their area and have to be equipped with knowledge and experience. Besides, the results mentioned that the club management systems have to be established on sustainable management systems rather than systems depending on the financial power of the administrative board or the president. The thought that the arrangement of the UEFA criterias was done as a result of these requirements emerged.Key Words: Institutionalization, Sport Toto Super League, Sport Clubs