Pursuing Reinstatement to the Olympic Games: An Examination of the International Softball Federation's Association with the Olympic Movement.

摘要

In 2005, softball was excluded from the 2012 Olympic Games, along with baseball. Following the removal, the International Softball Federation (ISF) began its efforts to reinstate softball to the Olympic Programme. The purpose of this study was to analyze what, if any, influences the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other involved organizations had on the ISF during its initial two bids to regain softball's Olympic status between its exclusion at the 117th Session in Singapore and the 125th Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2013. Relying on extensive interviews with key actors and an analysis of both primary and secondary sources, this study argues that the majority of institutional isomorphic changes emanated from the IOC during these reinstatement attempts. In addition, the ISF was influenced by the International Baseball Federation, the Olympic Council of Asia, and other stakeholders within the Olympic Movement.