The continuing evolution of sport management

Abstract

Key Terms: Sport Business Management; Trends and Issues in Sport Management; Overarching ThemesSport management is a multifaceted field incorporating many of the business roles found in the private sector. Indeed, sport management is often referred to as sport business management (Beech & Chadwick, 2004; Leberman, Collins & Trenberth, 2012; Trenberth & Hassan, 2012) as the management of sport is now more business-like than it has ever been. This description has gained popularity as the growth, commercialisation and professionalisation of the sport industry have driven changes in the ways sport management is operationalised. Sport business management constructs encompass, for example, core business concepts such as ‘PLOC’, the management processes of planning, leading, organising and controlling. Similarly in sport, human resources or people management is a key focus because, ultimately, this is what sport is about – people! Katz’s managerial skills (human, technical and conceptual) can also been seen as important in sport business management, as can concepts of accountability, performance measurement and management, and the need to comply with legislation and government policy. In all these ways, the management of sport and the management of business can be seen to be rather similar in approach. Understanding Sport Management: International Perspectives provides an array of concepts, some of which relate directly to sport, and others to business more generally.