ABSTRACT
Achieving a strategy that meets the challenges and demands of the external environment is probably the most diffi cult and complex aspect of the strategic process. The dynamic nature of all that is external to the organisation creates barriers, problems and issues that need to be addressed through the use of a combination of forward thinking (some would say clairvoyance), meticulous research and in-depth knowledge of the social structures and processes that impact upon the services provided by sport development professionals (SDPs). Mintzberg, Ahlstrand and Lamped (1998:287) state how “leadership as well as organisation becomes subordinate to the external environment”, recognising the importance of scanning the environment within which sport development professionals operate. They also discuss how ‘the environmental school’ draws upon contingency theory as opposed to classical management theory due to the diversity of factors organisations such as sport development units need to be aware of when operating within a complex environment.
