Digitalization and Stakeholder Participation in the Democratic Governance of Sport Organizations

At the grassroots level of sport, clubs are battling eroding democratic practices and weakening membership engagement. In this context, digital tools offer ample opportunity to, for example, facilitate meeting attendance, gauge membership views, and communicate board/committee decisions. At the same time, sport clubs are likely to be characterized by a digital divide, as well as varying levels of digital competence and excitement for digitized practices. The changes brought on by digitalization therefore bear significance both in terms of the promises for democratic renewal and enhanced participation they offer, and the new requirements they introduce. The project provides a novel conceptualization of the use of digital tools in the democratic governance of sport clubs, and its implications for stakeholder participation.