Anti-doping efforts in Norwegian ice hockey and golf: A qualitative research on anti-doping preventive measures and implementation in ice hockey and golf

Abstract

The primary purpose of this master thesis is to examine anti-doping preventive measures in the Norwegian Golf Federation (NGF) and the Norwegian Ice Hockey Federation (NIHF). Furthermore, the thesis studies how expectations from the institutional environment affect the two sports federations concerning the implementation of anti-doping preventive measures. The thesis focuses specifically on the implementation of preventive measures towards junior athletes. The Norwegian Anti-Doping Agency (ADNO) has the national responsibility for anti-doping efforts in Norwegian sports. ADNO has provided standard educational programs for Norwegian sports federations and clubs, and the implementation (or lack thereof) of these programs in the studied sports is a particular focus of the thesis. The study has a qualitative research design, and I have employed semi-structured interviews to interview informants from both federations and two clubs from each sport. In addition, one representative from the Norwegian Anti-Doping Agency (ADNO) was interviewed. The sample was strategically chosen based on the informant’s responsibilities and knowledge about doping. The theoretical framework employed is new institutionalism and implementation theory. In new institutionalism, the term isomorphism explains why and how organizations become more similar to each other because of pressure from the institutional environment. In addition, isomorphism refers to how organizational change occurs because organizations seek legitimacy. Implementation theory describes processes of implementation in an organization. A specific question of interest is whether implementation happens mainly from the top and downwards in the organizations or the other way around.