With the advent of professional sports, sport organisations have had to increasingly adopt a more professional approach in the way that they are managed and the way they organise their daily business. This brought about a major shift in the running of local sport as administrators had to adopt a ‘business’ model that fit their exigencies. For example, a more business-like approach takes into account the sources of funding whether it is from public monies, private investments or both; the business context in which it operates whether it is a small or large market economy; an increasing array of stakeholder interests; and knowledge and understanding of target markets and other elements.
By illustrating specific examples of how some comparable small sporting nations such as Cyprus and Iceland are modernising themselves and becoming more professional, the study unit will provide unique insight into the rich and complex dynamics of this process. Insightful material will provide a deeper understanding into the workings of these nations and will also propose ways on how to establish useful exchanges in knowledge-sharing. Ultimately, the goal of this unit is to equip the student with a framework and tools with which to understand and to evaluate the administrative side of a wide range of sports and how can these become more professional.
Main Reading List
- Beech, J. & Chadwick, S. (2013). The Business of Sport Management (2nd ed). Pearson Education Ltd.
- Byl, J. (2014). Organizing Successful Tournaments (4th ed.). Champaign, IL, Human Kinetics.
- Hoye, R. Nicholson, M., Smith, A., & Stewart, H.W. (2012) Sport Management: Principles and Applications. (3rd Ed). London: Routledge.
- Nagel, M. & Southall, R. (2011). Introduction to Sport Management. Kendall Hunt.
- Robinson, L.,Chelladurai, P., Bodet, G., & Downward, P., (2012) (Eds.) Routledge Handbook of Sport Management. London: Routledge.
Supplementary Reading List
- Torkildsen, G. (2011). Torkildsen's Sport and Leisure Management (6th ed). London: Routledge.
- Trenberth, L. & Hassan, D. (2012). Managing Sport Business: An Introduction. Routledge.
