Key drivers of the evolution of the sports management model demonstrated by an example of Armenia and EU Countries

Abstract

The problem of the successful functioning of organizations and institutions, including sports-related ones, has become more acute in view of growing turbulence of the exogenous and endogenous environment. Building modern management model and its implementation in the sports industry is a key tool for solving this problem. The aim of the article was to determine the specifics of building modern management model and its implementation in the sports industry. The research involved the method of synthesis, stakeholder analysis, statistical analysis. The method of strategic analysis formed the methodological framework of the study. The study identified key drivers for the development of the sports management model in terms of technological and social innovations, as well as social entrepreneurship. The key role of the relationship between the micro and macro levels in the context of the model is emphasized. The relationship between the state policy in the field of sports and the management goals of sports organizations is identified. The effectiveness of the proposed changes in the sports management model was assessed on the basis of the EU statistics. The study proposes that sports management model should have a balanced structure in the context of blocks of strategic and operational management with a particular focus on human capital management, financial and operational efficiency. In particular, it is noted that EU experienced a significant increase in GDP growth associated with the sports industry from 1.93% (2015) to 2.16% (2020) due to sport management model’s enhancement. The analytical tool was built on the basis of the assessment of strategic gaps between the current and target state in the context of the model. Keywords: Digitalization, Technological innovations, Social innovations, Sport management, Sports financing, Grant, Stakeholder.