ABSTRACT
International sport federations’ (IFs) dealing with challenging issues such as corruption and manipulation in sport has recently gained prominence in terms of policy, practice and as a subject of academic interest. Researchers stress the significance of implementing governance standards in order to raise ethical standards in sport organizations, specifically the federations and points towards past failures. However, there is only a limited body of research that has outlined the historical development of structural changes within IFs. To address this limitation, this paper reviews the history of key policy changes within the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in an attempt to contextualize its newest organizational changes, implemented by an extensive governance structure reform. The findings suggest that the Federation’s past organizational structures offer an explanation for recent allegations of corruption and manipulation within the IAAF.
