Abstract des Autors

The Paralympic Movement has undergone rapid growth in the last few decades, yet its governance system remains largely unknown and under-researched. Based on institutional theory and content analysis of archival records, this chapter develops a processual analysis of the governance system of the Paralympic Movement since the creation of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in the late 1980s. The analysis revealed two main stages during which the governance system of the IPC, and the underlying institutional dynamics, experienced significant transformations: 1) from a disability-based movement to a sport-based movement (1989–2001); and 2) autonomy and self-sustainability of the Paralympic sports (2001–2017). Following this analysis, key governance issues the IPC is currently facing are discussed. Future research directions are also proposed for study pertaining to power, organizations and institutional change.