Management and governance

Within the Management and Governance theme, we are passionate about understanding the hyper-commercialised environment and how this can be used for societal good, addressing both sporting and societal inequalities. We acknowledge and embrace commercialisation, as long as it retains the integrity of the sport. For example, sponsorship strategies of brands have allowed athletes to perform at the highest level. However, the added strain of performance-based metrics can have unfavourable consequences for athletes, brands and sports. Similarly, attracting new fans and participants is integral to the future of sports, therefore understanding and employing effective marketing campaigns is integral. However, inter and intra resources differences between sports and sporting organisations often make effective marketing difficult – threatening such sports.

Crucially, our passion is to enhance the management and governance of the sport industry as whole, and tackle important issues at local, national and international levels. From helping design a national treatment-system for gambling-related harm to developing and evaluating how cricket can be used as development tool our work has impacted policy at all levels across a range of associations, federations, governments, and commercial partners.

Evidencing the impact of sport for development programmes

The Centre for Social Justice in Sport and Society at Leeds Beckett University offers innovative methods to help sports organisations understand and evidence the true impact of their community programmes. Traditional key performance indicators (KPIs) often fall short in fully capturing the value and social impact of these initiatives. To address this, the Centre uses cutting-edge ripple effect mapping techniques, which involve gathering insights from all programme stakeholders to assess how, where, and why a programme makes a difference. These methods not only provide a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of a programme's impact but also allow organisations to present their achievements in an engaging and informative way. This approach ultimately supports greater programme efficiency and cost-effectiveness.