From project to place: conceptualising place-based factors leading to successful social innovation in sport

Research question Although social innovation has recently received some interest in the sport management field, extant studies have predominantly focused on the organisational factors leading to innovations in the Sport-for-Development and Peace (SDP) context. There is limited understanding of the context – and place-specific factors affecting social innovation in sport in rural areas. This research aims to unveil the key factors that lead to successful social innovations in sport in rural areas. Research methods This study adopts a Constructionist Grounded Theory approach to explore how sport has been anchored for a social innovation project to revitalise an impoverished rural area through the case of Village Super League (VSL) in China. A total of 28 open interviews have been conducted with stakeholders involved in the social innovation process. Results and findings The main result of this study is the empirically grounded identification of five place-based factors, namely, domain (football), local context, institutional support, individual agency and empowerment, and community engagement, as well as digital technology as a catalyst, which jointly contributed to the success of the VSL. The result is strengthened by providing a conceptual framework that depicts these factors and their interplay in leading to successful social innovation in sport. Implications The conceptual framework provides a theoretical basis for future empirical research on social innovation in the sport context and practical implications for practitioners and policymakers on how best to design and leverage localised sport-based social innovation projects for community and/or rural area development.