The Effect of Lithuanian Household Income on the Choice of Non-Formal Education of Children through Sports and Related Costs

Lithuanian government attempts to create equal opportunities for children who are brought up in different economic, social, and cultural conditions. The income of the majority of Lithuanian citizens still falls behind the European average. This study aims to examine the effect of household income on the choice of non-formal education activity of children and the costs of participation in sports. A questionnaire survey was public used on a website. Vilnius households (Ʃ = 136) were those whose 3-7 years old children were enrolled in non-formal sports activities. The survey aimed to find out the effect of household income on the selection of children’s non-formal sports education. Results showed that the importance level of a sports club, the sport, or activity selection criteria are more expressed in families with lower income. Survey revealed the annual (nine months) ten categories of expenses incurred by parents. The average parental costs for children’s sports activities per nine months amount to EUR 550, consisting of the membership fees and other costs. Parents tend to finance children’s non-formal education through sport irrespective of household income, i.e., parental predispositions towards their children’s participation in sports are much stronger compared to incurred expenses on sports activities

Public-Private Partnership in Youth Sport Delivery: Local Government Perspective

Youth sport programs in Lithuania are delivered in public and private sports schools, also by private sport clubs and various non-government organizations. However, a recent shift from public sector towards private sector has been observed. As a result, public-private partnerships in sport sector and, particularly, in youth sport program delivery, could be seen as a logical next step in strive for good governance. Private sector is mainly focused on utilization of sport facilities, while public sector – the owner of sport facilities – is mainly concerned with the economics of facility maintenance and additional income to offset budget reductions. Similarly to the findings of Legg and colleagues (2018), potential partnership efficiencies are not always realized due to a lack of goal alignment and limited resources. Using a qualitative interpretive approach, data were collected through online questionnaires from 8 municipality representatives who were either the heads of sport division or had direct contact with youth sports programs. Research findings were constructed along three phases of partnership governance – formation, management, and outcomes. Study results provide insights into the advantages and disadvantages of public-private partnerships in youth sport delivery, as well as identify possible solutions towards increased effectiveness of collaboration in future. Multiple positive outcomes were identified by this study – from improved infrastructure, increased sport participation numbers to successful collaboration in event management and constructive influence on the establishment of a more efficient regulatory framework. And although, this research has not uncovered more systematic findings regarding public-private partnerships, it clearly proved that benefits outweighed shortcomings, thus, indicating future potential of such governance model

Create Not an Event for Fans, But Fan’s Event: Managerial Aspects of Small-Scale Events

This paper argues the merits of hosting small-scale rather than large-scale sport tourism events. First, distinction between large-scale events and small-scale events will be drawn. Next, along with emphasizing potential markets for hosting small-scale sport tourism events, argument that there is a need for hosting those types of events will be introduced. Following provided arguments, the developmental issues surrounding sport tourism events will be discussed. Issues of commodification and authenticity will be explored in greater detail

An estimation of consumer spending on sport in Lithuania, its division between active and passive participation and the effects of COVID-19

The economic importance of sport has been developing from several methodological origins. Most economic research into the sport economies develops indicators for gross value added (GVA), employment and consumer spending. A further elucidation of the benefits of the sport economy relates to well-being outcomes, either from sport participation or from sport spectating. The added value of this research is that it estimates sport consumer spending in Lithuania into two distinctive strands: active participation (e.g., participating in sport or fitness) and passive participation (e.g., attending sport events). The aim of this research is to link the consumer spending results to the GVA and employment results of the Sport Satellite Account and elucidate the main characteristics of the sport economy and how these are affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Analysis of the scientific literature, a survey sample in Lithuania consisting of 3506 respondents who spent part of their household budget on sports activities (active or passive), and a specific method of analysis were developed and applied in this research. The research results show that consumer expenditure in sport is divided into passive and active with percentage shares of 17% and 83%, correspondingly. Sport consumption overall accounts for 2.2% of total consumption in Lithuania. Most elements of consumer spending in the passive and active categories are associated with welfare effects. The importance of the analytical framework is that we can explicitly differentiate among categories such as tourism for participation and tourism for spectating, which are associated with different well-being effects. The pandemic affected 53.7% of active sport consumption, a smaller percentage than in the case of passive participation (67.4%).</jats:p

What is a Reality of the Public-Private Partnership in Sport at the Municipality Level in Lithuania?

In October 2018, the Lithuanian Seimas adopted the Law on Sports, on the basis of which (from January 2019), the formulation, coordination and implementation of state sports policy was transferred to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports. The Law on Sports defines the principles of sport, foresees the role of the stakeholders and the competence of the specialists, and determines other important sports related issues. Article 8 of the Law on Sports defines the functions of the municipal council in setting long-term goals for the development of sports, sports areas to be financed from the municipal budget, criteria and procedures for financing from the municipal budget, and promoting public-private partnerships in sports. Municipalities are tasked with wide range of responsibilities pertaining delivery of various sports programs: from grass-root sports development to elite level athlete preparation, and from construction and maintenance of sports facilities to popularization of physical activity among general population. It would be naive to assume that municipality has sufficient capacity to adequately deliver on every level of aforementioned domains. Aside from limited budget, it also lacks required human resources as well as managerial expertise. As a result, outsourcing by bringing in partners could be seen as the essential condition in modern society exploring the concept of new public management

An Estimation of Consumer Spending on Sport in Lithuania, Its Division between Active and Passive Participation and the Effects of COVID-19

CC BY 4.0The economic importance of sport has been developing from several methodological origins. Most economic research into the sport economies develops indicators for gross value added (GVA), employment and consumer spending. A further elucidation of the benefits of the sport economy relates to well-being outcomes, either from sport participation or from sport spectating. The added value of this research is that it estimates sport consumer spending in Lithuania into two distinctive strands: active participation (e.g., participating in sport or fitness) and passive participation (e.g., attending sport events). The aim of this research is to link the consumer spending results to the GVA and employment results of the Sport Satellite Account and elucidate the main characteristics of the sport economy and how these are affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Analysis of the scientific literature, a survey sample in Lithuania consisting of 3506 respondents who spent part of their household budget on sports activities (active or passive), and a specific method of analysis were developed and applied in this research. The research results show that consumer expenditure in sport is divided into passive and active with percentage shares of 17% and 83%, correspondingly. Sport consumption overall accounts for 2.2% of total consumption in Lithuania. Most elements of consumer spending in the passive and active categories are associated with welfare effects. The importance of the analytical framework is that we can explicitly differentiate among categories such as tourism for participation and tourism for spectating, which are associated with different well-being effects. The pandemic affected 53.7% of active sport consumption, a smaller percentage than in the case of passive participation (67.4%)

Skills Development of Lithuanian Police Officers at Sports Events

Purpose – the goal of this article is to determine how police sports events enable the officers to develop their necessary skills. Design/methodology/approach – a quantitative analysis of empirical data was carried out. The method of the research – a questionnaire-based survey and statistical analysis. The generalized results of the research were presented in two tables. Findings – Police sports events are one of the most unconventional means for officers to develop certain skills and competences. Upon analyzing officers’ skill development through sports events based on gender aspect, statistically significant differences were not detected. However, education and age influenced the development of the skills among certain officials. Officials with higher education had the highest preference for access to skills development through sports competitions. From an age perspective, senior officials underestimated the ability to develop skills of selfless behavior and critical thinking through sports events, while developing skills of communication and cooperation as well as ability of quick decision-making were indicated as important among junior officers. Research limitations/implications – the research was conducted in 2019 and was based on the sports events of police officers carried out in 2018. Performance of multiple studies of such nature could lead to a more detailed conclusions and suggestions based on the results obtained. Due to this limitation, we can only evaluate the insights of the research as first time statements regarding the skills development of police officers at sports events. Practical implications – the results of this research could benefit the highest police administration. It could lead to their decisions to enhance the importance of sport events in strengthening the development of professional skills of police officers. Originality/Value – based on the results of the research, the authors were able to discuss the necessary skills that need to be developed for police officers. At the same time, the significance of sports event in society was broadened and its more extensive applicability was discussed

Gero viešojo valdymo principų įgyvendinimas: Lietuvos strateginių sporto šakų federacijų atvejis

The ideology and implementation of the new (good) public governance principles requires more effective institutionalization of strategic planning from the public sector organisations, more intensive development efforts to improve the preparedness of governance elite to achieve social – intellectual creativity. Implementation of good governance principles depends on the development of social responsibility, social solidarity, and transparency criteria and public communication as an instrument of transferring and integrating knowledge and information. The analysis of the implem entation of good governance principles shows, that good governance, as the last doctrine of public administration for each region and country (including Lithuanian public sector), has universal and specific features. The forms and methods of the implementation of good governance principles (first of all transparency and public communication) can be classified, described and explained as the development of methodology, mechanisms and instruments of ongoing modernization reforms. The article aims to identify the key principles of good public governance, define their concepts, and evaluate the general parameters and dimensions of the implementation of good governance principles in the activities of Lithuanian strategic sports federations. The main focus is placed on the analysis of transparency and public communication criteria and factors, monitoring and control processes. The survey described in this article involved general secretaries or presidents of eight Lithuanian strategic sports federations. The questionnaire was designed by adapting and amending the instrument that was developed in 2013 for the EC co-funded project Action for Good Governance in International Sports Organisations and used for the assessment of good governance principles in sport organizations. We found great variations in the implementation level of certain principles. Only the principle of democratic governance process received the “Excellent” score (76.44%). The implementation of this principle is 90% and above in three out of eight federations. The implementation of stakeholder identification and role principle was found at high level (80%) in two federations. The average score of governance control and balance principle was the lowest and that can be explained by the fact that external audit was conducted following the established international standards. The analysis of separate statements in the block of strategic governance process implementation principle revealed that the lowest scores were given to the statement regarding the use of certain criteria in the assessment of strategic plan implementation. Solidarity and social responsibility principle is implemented only at the level of 54.75%. We found that half of the interviewed federations scored below 50% in the assessment of the said principle. It is the lowest score among all assessed principles of good governance. The combined score of the statements used to assess transparency and public communication principle was the lowest (43.3%) among all analysed principles. Only one organisation has this principle implemented above 60%, while the others achieved only “Satisfactory” level of 50%. The statistical analysis of obtained results revealed that five out of fifteen statements representing transparency and public communication principle are evaluated negatively. We may claim that, on the one hand, the principle of transparency and public communication is judged ambivalently by the persons in charge of federation governance though having full awareness of the responsibility for the implementation of this principle. On the other hand, the compliance of awareness and aspirations with the actual operation processes is often at odds with objective reality. Apparently, the current status of the implementation of good governance principles is influenced not only by the financial capacities of federations and popularity of the sport, but also by different attitudes and approach of the leaders towards the governance of the federation, their practical expertise, their goals and actions for the improvement of organizational governance procedures.Straipsnyje analizuojami modernaus viešojo valdymo kaitos procesų kiekybiniai ir kokybiniai, sisteminiai – procesiniai pokyčiai ir jų įgyvendinimas. Remiantis modernaus viešojo administravimo teoriniais – metodologiniais konstruktais straipsnyje siekiama identifikuoti, pagrįsti ir eksplanuoti gerojo viešojo valdymo principus, jų įgyvendinimo metodus ir procedūras, išskiriant jų praktinės raiškos indikacijas Lietuvos strateginių sporto šakų federacijų veikloje. Atliktas tyrimas atskleidė pagrindinių gero valdymo principų įgyvendinimo kokybę federacijų veikloje. Ypatingas dėmesys skirtas itin silpnai įgyvendinamam skaidrumo ir viešos komunikacijos principui. Balansas tarp federacijos vykdomos skaidrios veiklos politikos siekiant išlaikyti federacijos autonomiją ir būtinybės išplėtoti tinkamus santykius su visomis suinteresuotomis grupėmis, laiduojančiomis federacijos plėtrą, išlieka pagrindiniu federacijos valdymo iššūkiu

Valuing the contribution of sport volunteering to subjective wellbeing: evidence from eight European countries

Introduction: Volunteering is a prominent and integral aspect of the activities undertaken by sports clubs in Europe. However, even with its growing importance, quantifying the monetary worth of this nonmarket activity, in terms of wellbeing, can present certain difficulties. Traditional approaches to valuing volunteering (i.e., replacement and opportunity cost approaches) do not fully capture the value of volunteering to individuals, as they do not consider the intangible benefits that individuals may derive from their participation. Methods: This research provides added value to the monetisation of volunteering in sport by applying the wellbeing valuation approach (WVA) for the first time to a cross-sectional data in eight European countries. A double instrumental variable approach was developed to correct for unobservable variables that may influence the pairs: income and subjective wellbeing (SWB), and volunteering and SWB. This allows to estimate the causal impact of volunteering and income on SWB more accurately and assign a reasonable monetary value to this non-market activity. Results: The results, based on a sample size of 1,091, show an income compensation for a volunteer, devoting on average 8.7 hours during a four-week period of €16 to €50 per hour, equivalent to between € 1,700 and € 5,200 per year, depending on the nationality of the volunteer. Discussion: With these estimations insights into the value of volunteering in sports are provided, contributing to a better understanding of how this activity can be valued and supported. By recognising and accurately valuing the contributions of volunteers, sport organizations and policymakers can develop more effective strategies for promoting and supporting volunteering in sports

DE-PASS Best Evidence Statement (BESt): modifiable determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents aged 5–19 years–a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Physical activity among children and adolescents remains insufficient, despite the substantial efforts made by researchers and policymakers. Identifying and furthering our understanding of potential modifiable determinants of physical activity behaviour (PAB) and sedentary behaviour (SB) is crucial for the development of interventions that promote a shift from SB to PAB. The current protocol details the process through which a series of systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses (MAs) will be conducted to produce a best-evidence statement (BESt) and inform policymakers. The overall aim is to identify modifiable determinants that are associated with changes in PAB and SB in children and adolescents (aged 5–19 years) and to quantify their effect on, or association with, PAB/SB. Methods and analysis A search will be performed in MEDLINE, SportDiscus, Web of Science, PsychINFO and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled trials (CTs) that investigate the effect of interventions on PAB/SB and longitudinal studies that investigate the associations between modifiable determinants and PAB/SB at multiple time points will be sought. Risk of bias assessments will be performed using adapted versions of Cochrane’s RoB V.2.0 and ROBINS-I tools for RCTs and CTs, respectively, and an adapted version of the National Institute of Health’s tool for longitudinal studies. Data will be synthesised narratively and, where possible, MAs will be performed using frequentist and Bayesian statistics. Modifiable determinants will be discussed considering the settings in which they were investigated and the PAB/SB measurement methods used. Ethics and dissemination No ethical approval is needed as no primary data will be collected. The findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and academic conferences where possible. The BESt will also be shared with policy makers within the DE-PASS consortium in the first instance