The Global Sporting Arms Race


Book Description

This title presents an international comparison of elite sports policies in six nations (Norway, Canada, Italy, Holland, the UK and Belgium). Drawing on research involving more than 1400 athletes, coaches, and performance directors, it evaluates and compares over 100 factors that lead to international sporting success.







National Success in Elite Sport


Book Description

This book takes a deep dive into the factors that lead to countries’ success in elite sport. While some researchers have suggested looking at the political, economic, demographic, geographic and cultural characteristics of a country, other scholars have advocated that meso-level strategies such as financial support, governance, and talent identification systems are the factors that need to be taken into consideration. Taking into account the two sides of this debate, the authors review and evaluate these various components. They go on to use this review to propose a new holistic framework of analysis that includes the macro, meso and micro-level factors that lead to national success in elite sport. This is a valuable resource for researchers and students interested in sport management, particularly the subject of sport governance. In addition, sports consultants and policymakers will find this to be an eye-opening read.




Successful Elite Sport Policies


Book Description

How can nations improve their chances of winning medals in international sport? This book deals with the strategic policy planning process that underpins the development of successful national elite sport development systems. Drawing on various international competitiveness studies, it examines how nations develop and implement policies that are based on the critical success factors that may lead to competitive advantage in world sport. An international group of researchers joined forces to develop theories, methods and a model on the Sports Policy factors Leading to International Sporting Success (SPLISS). The book presents the results of the large-scale international SPLISS-project. In this project the research team identified, compared and contrasted elite sport policies and strategies in place for the Olympic Games and other events in 15 distinct nations. With input from 58 researchers and 33 policy makers worldwide and the views of over 3,000 elite athletes, 1,300 high performance coaches and 240 performance directors, this work is the largest benchmarking study of national elite sport policies ever conducted. The nations taking part in SPLISS are: • Americas: Brazil and Canada • Asia: Japan and South Korea • Europe: Belgium (Flanders & Wallonia), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland • Oceania: Australia




International Perspectives on Sport for Sustainable Development


Book Description

This book brings together examples and cases from across the world to discuss how sport has and can further contribute to the UN 2030 Sustainable Development agenda. It discusses the major steps that international bodies have taken so far and can further take in the progressive integration of sport for sustainable development. Contributors from 21 countries take up at least one of the 17 UNO Sport for Development and Peace goals, and present and analyse examples of national, regional or local policies using sport as a lever for sustainable development. From traditional games to major competitions, from gender equality to social development and developing governmental transparency, the chapters showcase diverse experiences and demonstrate that sport is today much more than just physical activity. This book is based on the network of the International Research Network in Sport Tourism (IRNIST) with the collaboration of Sport 4 Impact. It is the first step of a collaboration between universities and the world of associations working in partnership with organizations such as the UN or the European Union. The book is an important resource not just for students and researchers of sport science but for policy makers, bureaucrats and sport administrators.




Success and Failure of Countries at the Olympic Games


Book Description

The Olympic Games is undoubtedly the greatest sporting event in the world, with over 200 countries competing for success. This important new study of the Olympics investigates why some countries are more successful than others. Which factors determine their failure or success? What is the relationship between these factors? And how can these factors be manipulated to influence a country’s performance in sport? This book addresses these questions and discusses the theoretical concepts that explain why national sporting success has become a policy priority around the globe. Danyel Reiche reassesses our understanding of success in sport and challenges the conventional explanations that population size and economic strength are the main determinants for a country’s Olympic achievements. He presents a theory of countries’ success and failure, based on detailed investigations of the relationships between a wide variety of factors that influence a country’s position in the Olympic medals table, including geography, ideology, policies such as focusing on medal promising sports, home advantage and the promotion of women. This book fills a long-standing gap in literature on the Olympics and will provide valuable insights for all students, scholars, policy makers and journalists interested in the Olympic Games and the wider relationship between sport, politics, and nationalism.




Routledge Handbook of Theory in Sport Management


Book Description

Theory is an essential element in the development of any academic discipline and sport management is no exception. This is the first book to trace the intellectual contours of theory in sport management, and to explain, critique and celebrate the importance of sport management theory in academic research, teaching and learning, and in the development of professional practice. Written by a world-class team of international sport management scholars, each of whom has taken a leading role in developing a particular theory or framework for understanding sport management, the book covers the full span of contemporary issues, debates, themes and functional approaches, from corporate social responsibility and diversity to strategy, marketing and finance. Every chapter explores a key theoretical approach, including an overview of that theory, a discussion of the process of theory development and of how the theory has been employed in research, practice or teaching, and outlines directions for future research in that area. Each chapter includes cases and examples, as well as short illustrative commentaries from people who have used that particular theory in their work, and attempts to highlight the theory-practice links, or gaps, in that area. For a fully-rounded understanding of what sport management is and how it should be studied, taught and practiced, a thorough grounding in theory is essential. The Routledge Handbook of Theory in Sport Management is therefore important reading for all advanced students, researchers, instructors, managers and practitioners working in this exciting field.




Research Methodologies for Sports Scholarship


Book Description

When investigating the diverse, complex and changing contemporary field of sport, we recognize there is no methodology that meets the needs of all sport. Sport researchers should take advantage of innovative approaches from other fields to explore emerging phenomena or innovatively advance scholarly sport research approaches. For example, technology, globalization and commercialization may be the principal trends, but they are not the only trends, Sport researchers have the opportunity to study other trends, including the modernization of sport organizations, changing governance practices, regulatory changes, innovation, merchandising, media and broadcasting technologies, socio demographic influences (i.e. aging populations, change in employment patterns, increasing diversity), sport for development, physical activity and sport participation changes. As such, this book introduces innovative research methods and approaches can be applied to the sport discipline. This book was originally published as a special issue of Sport in Society.