Fans as stakeowners: A case-study analysis in professional club football

The sport sector is characterized by a specific stakeholder constellation, greatly formed by the unequalled passion of its fans (Babiak & Wolfe, 2009). Whereas sport fans have long been considered as mere (passive) customers, research has recently proposed to approach fans as genuine stakeholders, namely individuals impacting and/or being impacted by the organization (Garcia & Welford, 2015). This study aims to go one step further, by approaching fans as stakeowners. A stakeowner is a stakeholder with a legitimate claim in, and a certain responsibility towards the organization (Fassin, 2012). Currently, responsibilities related to stakeholder management are merely interpreted one directional (towards the stakeholders), whereas it can be argued that some stakeholders (stakeowners) also have a mutual responsibility towards the organization (Fassin, 2012). In times of increasing fan protest against secluded professional sport club governance, sport clubs could benefit from the consideration of fans as stakeowners, by simultaneously involving fans and making them accountable. This study analyses which fans to involve, as well as the expected added value and corresponding pitfalls. Theoretical insights are enriched with empirical results from a case-study in one Belgian top-level professional football club. A qualitative mixed-method approach is undertaken, based on a document analysis and semi-structured interviews with the head of the community working of the club and a random sample of fifteen fans (season card holders). Data collection is currently ongoing and will be finished in May 2017 for presentation at EASS 2017.

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