Drug Scandal and Organizational Change within the International Ski Federation: A Figurational Approach

This paper explores the process of organizational change within the International Ski Federation (FIS) in relation to the issue of doping. More specifically, the paper examines how the FIS adopted the policy established by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) following a doping scandal in cross-country skiing during the 2001 Nordic World Ski Championship in Lahti, Finland. The qualitative case study reported here draws upon interviews with key actors and the analysis of documents and media text. The paper utilizes a figurational sociological perspective and, in particular, the concept of game models, in order to analyse the roles of different people and organizations in the figuration, and how the increasing interdependency between FIS and WADA and the resulting shift in the balance of power within FIS, led to changes in FIS policy.