Social Entrepreneurship in Sport

Abstract

There is an omission in the current literature on social entrepreneurship in sport compared to other areas of entrepreneurship research. The rationale for this chapter about social entrepreneurship in sport is twofold: first, it is suggested that there is a need to analyze more the role of social entrepreneurship in sport and how it is shaping the future of the industry; second, it is argued that there is a need to study more the impact of social entrepreneurship in sport. The absence of literature on social entrepreneurship in sport is unusual as there has been an increased practical use of it in the industry. The existing literature can be enhanced by a more explicit and theoretically informed understanding of social entrepreneurship in sport and its significance in the sport industry. In most aspects of the sport industry, entrepreneurship is an outcome and influences power relations but there is also an emphasis on social issues. A distinctive feature of social entrepreneurship in sport is the extent to which innovation is both a resource and a source of identity.