Sport management competencies for sport centers in the Republic of Korea

The general problem was to determine the job competencies that are important for managers of sport centers in the Republic of Korea (R.O.K.). There is currently no clear delineation of job competencies for the managers of sport centers in the Republic of Korea. Literature pertaining to Korean sport management job competencies in the Republic of Korea was found to be lacking. However, research conducted in the U.S., Canada, and Australia showed that a list of general competencies could be determined which was likely to apply to sport managers in the R.O.K. The present research was conducted to investigate how these competencies influenced managers in various organizational settings in South Korean sport management. Beginning with a competency list originated by Jamieson (1980, 1987), the researcher developed a survey instrument designed to measure how important 59 different competency statements were to the jobs of top-level, mid-level, and entry level sport managers. A sample of 1,575 sport management professionals in R.O.K. sport centers was then surveyed to determine the competencies which influenced them most in performing the duties of their jobs. The overall and relative importance of individual competencies were determined, and the effects of organizational size, type, and funding on the importance of competencies were measured through descriptive and non-parametric statistical (Spearman's rho) techniques. The researcher found that managerial level and organizational setting did have an influence on the relative importance of competencies. Competencies such as managing risks, understanding the nature of sport, communicating, developing leadership, and identifying funding sources were found to be most important overall, while competencies such as managing crowds, interacting with media and interagency groups, and negotiating were rated as less important. The researcher utilized a classification system for categorizing competencies developed by Zeigler and Bowie (1983). The researcher recommends that further research be conducted to determine how the findings related to job competencies can be utilized to improve professional preparation programs and personnel management systems in the R.O.K. sport industry.