Despite the departures from Hockey Canada’s board of directors, it will be necessary to be patient before seeing real changes in this organizational culture that has completely lost its social conscience, believes Dany Baillargeon, a professor in the University of Sherbrooke School of Arts and Humanities .

• Also read: Cromwell Report: Important changes needed at Hockey Canada

• Also read: Hockey Canada: The women’s program will still suffer

According to Mr. Baillargeon, this organizational culture is much more than a board and decisions. “These are values, symbols, people and interactions during tournaments. An organizational culture is like a spider’s web, and the little knots are repeating values, symbols, and people taking action. We need to completely undo this canvas to restore a healthier one,” he introduced himself in an interview with QUB Radio.

Mr. Baillargeon believes the next board must address all action at Hockey Canada. “He has to ask himself how it is that we have arrived at a value system in which the hockey player, who is perceived as an aspiring top athlete, [est] protected from any obstacles that might prevent him from becoming a great player,” he lamented.

Mr Baillargeon believes an outside eye would warn people when performance is being valued at the expense of mental health or healthy relationships. “It takes someone to point out the faulty nodes,” he added.

A change that takes time

“You can have a board that advocates change, but when people don’t feel accountable for that culture, the knots get tied again. It takes several years before there is a noticeable change,” the professor repeated.

If there is another case of an allegation of a sexual nature at Hockey Canada, that will be the real test, Baillargeon said.

“Being able to denounce your own members shows that there are more important values ​​than bringing an athlete into the National Hockey League,” he said, adding that the #MeToo movement has brought about a culture shift in many organizations.