SPORT MANAGEMENT – MARKETING

Part 1

The development of sport management and marketing research in the academic field can be traced to the 1980s when the first academic journals appeared. The precursor of research in sports management and marketing involved a general review of the sport with no strong foundation in this field.  The emergence and proliferation of various academic journals represented the beginning of maturity in this discipline. The growing research work placed more emphasis on analyzing sports sponsorship, application of strategic marketing in sport, consumer behavior in relation to sport and even events’ management.  While sport management had largely been discussed since the 1960’s, where attention was paid more on the administration of various sports, research on sport marketing was to catch up later with emergence of the aforementioned journals (International Conference on QQML et. al 2010). The discipline is still relatively young and many scholars have highlighted its remarkable growth over the past few decades.  There are varied perspectives relating to sport management and marketing issues, which can be considered to be an indication or an outcome of the idea that sport management continues to be a young discipline.  The current research is prompted by postmodernism and critical theory so that analytical reflection has focused on the nature of this discipline (Slack & Parent, 2006).  The theoretical framework in this disciplined involves understanding sports management from an organization point of view. This is because organizations forms an all-encompassing part of sport industry and the organization theory knowledge is necessary for those working in the sporting industry (Becker, Bryman, & Ferguson, 2012).

 The foundation of historical analysis of sport management involves a simple revelation of an aspect, personality and phenomenon in the sporting industry which has formed the basis of various researches on sport management and marketing.  This involves various methods that can be used in sport studies including research, analysis, and interpretation of sport management and marketing issues. Studies on sporting management involve a social research that includes a wide philosophical perspective and designing of specific research by the researchers (International Conference on QQML et. al 2010).  The social research can be carried out through various methods which includes qualitative and quantitative methods and mixed-methods research which involves a combination of both the qualitative and quantitative research methods. These methods have been used in the collection of both primary and secondary data while carrying out research on sporting management and marketing from an organizational point of view (Andrew, Pedersen & McEvoy, 2011).  The quantitative method may be chosen because is seen to be realist or positivist and based on the perception that research is done to uncover a reality that already exists which is the work of the researcher. On the other hand, qualitative research can be ignored because it is perceived as being subjectivist. The choice of mixed methods in research may be preferred since it is an inquiry that allows researchers to link qualitative and quantitative data to come up with a common understanding of the problem.

 These methods may involve various challenges which may hinder accurate results for studies being carried by researchers.  In using quantitative method, a challenge may involve utilization of sample sizes that are so small that detection of differences that are significant statistically becomes difficult. Another challenge is that non-random samples that hinder the generalization of effective-size estimates to the related population. Researchers may encounter difficulties in their efforts to capture lived experiences through a social text. A major challenge in mixed –methods research involves the validity, and this refers to difficulties encountered in obtaining findings and making credible inferences (International Conference on QQML et. al 2010).  

Part two

Sport management and marketing is becoming an important aspect of the global economy and drawing a lot of interest from the practitioners and in the academic field. Sport has become an international product or even service whose influence on business has reached a global scale such impacts cannot be ignored.  In the academic front, sport management and marketing is being perceived as a young discipline compared to other major ones such as economics and psychology (Ratten, 2011). Attention is being placed on the particular content areas within the management and marketing of sport such as its development in the global arena which has led to emergence of various organizations in sports management.  One of the major arguments involves the need for creation of more programs and this has inceased the number of researchers in this particular field. Moreover, there is a need for development of standards in the leaning sport management and marketing so as to enhance its future expansion and growth (Ratten, 2011).

 The sport activities are being developed with strategic decisions whose basis is on research and related information.   The sporting organizations are being forced to study what is wanted by the consumer and provide sporting products that will satisfy such wants.  The complex task of providing what is wanted by the consumer depends on the capacity of the organization to manufacture it and then distribute in the market.   A major emerging issue is effective management of various marketing functions and the necessary critical analysis of the sporting market before any decisions are made (Mihai, 2015).

References

Becker, S., Bryman, A., & Ferguson, H. (Eds.). (2012). Understanding research for social policy and social work: themes, methods and approaches. Policy Press.

 

Slack, T., & Parent, M. M. (2006). Understanding sport organizations: The application of organization theory. Leeds: Human Kinetics.

Andrew, D. P. S., Pedersen, P. M., & McEvoy, C. D. (2011). Research methods and design in sport management. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

International Conference on QQML, Katsirikou, A., Skiadas, C. H., & ASMDA International Society. (2010). Qualitative and quantitative methods in libraries: Theory and applications : proceedings of the International Conference on QQML2009, Chania, Crete, Greece, 26-29 May 2009. Singapore: World Scientific.

Mihai, A. L. (2015). The Sport Marketing Management Model. SEA-Practical Application of Science, (8), 297-303.

 

Ratten, V. (2011). Practical implications and future research directions for international sports management. Thunderbird international business review, 53(6), 763-770.