The dark side of social innovation: integrating a digital application for sport-for-development programmes

Sophia Harith, Mitchell McSweeney, Annick Willem, Mathieu Winand and Mathieu Marlier

Sport Management Review, 2025, vol. 28, issue 4, 676-704

Abstract: Digital technologies have been recognised as a promising social innovation strategy and are exercised in various ways to assist sport-for-development (SDP) programmes to better achieve their desired social change missions. Research on technology in SDP remain scarce, with some exceptions focused on their positive impact and outcomes. However, social innovations may not always exert positive outcomes and/or challenge the status quo. Hence, this study used the Behavioural Reasoning Theory to explore the beliefs, values, reasons and motives influencing a failed adoption of a digital app in an SDP program, by examining users’ experiences across three pilot cities (Thessaloniki, Vilnius and Ghent). Fifty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with cause champions, on-site practitioners, and youth and/or sport organisations. These findings revealed resistance toward the technology and highlight the value of examining failures to advance both theoretical understanding of SDP social innovations and make critical programmatic suggestions for SDP programmes to consider from the on-set.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/14413523.2025.2497598

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