Succession planning in sport for development and peace

Sport for development and peace (SDP) organizations often operate in resource-constrained environments with limited capacity. A growing number of researchers have identified the importance of leadership for successfully navigating such challenging environments. Yet, the process of how organizations facilitate transitions in leadership remains unknown even though the field of SDP is becoming increasingly professionalized. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of succession planning in an international sample of SDP organizations. We draw on data from interviews with SDP leaders (n = 21) from across 14 different countries. The findings from our study indicate that while SDP leaders perceive succession planning to be of critical importance, most SDP organizations face significant challenges involving founder’s syndrome, limited organizational capacity, and restricted growth opportunities, which have hindered its incorporation into their managerial and human resource practices. We argue, however, that it is of critical importance that more strategic practices are prioritized to ensure the social impact and continuity of SDP organizations are sustained.