Sport Governance Insights

This book introduces the fundamentals of sport governance, assuming no prior knowledge on the part of the reader. It explains to students and practitioners alike why governance matters and how it can be better practiced in sport organizations.

Introducing key concepts and the micro-processes of implementation, the book explains what governance is and why it has become increasingly important. It explains what sport boards do, and how they should function for sport organizations to be effective, and it provides practical tools to help ensure good governance.

Full of insights from cutting-edge research and real-world cases, this is essential reading for any student or practicing sport manager, administrator, or policy-maker who needs a concise introduction to this important topic.

Christos Anagnostopoulos is an Assistant Professor in sport management within the College of Science and Engineering at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar. He is an editorial board member in nine international scientific journals related to sport management. He established the UNESCO Chair on Governance and Social Responsibility in Sport at UCLan Cyprus; he serves as the Director and one of the two co-chair holders.

Dimitra Papadimitriou is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Business Management at the University of Patras, Greece. Part of her research interest lies in organizational governance issues related to the organizational structure and board effectiveness of national sport federations. She teaches the sport organizational governance course, serving also as course coordinator, at the Sport Management Master Program of the Open Hellenic University, Greece.

Terri Byers is a Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of New Brunswick, Canada. She has served on multiple sport club boards in equestrian sport and worked with the Sport Governance Academy in England on good governance tools and resources for all Tier 2 and 3 funded sport organizations. She has consulted for local and provincial sport organizations in New Brunswick, Canada, on improving strategic planning, managing conflict of interest and good governance. Current research projects focus on understanding barriers to increasing diversity in sport governance.

Grzegorz Botwina is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Management at the University of Warsaw, Poland, where he serves as Director of the Polish Olympic Research and Studies Centre. He is the elected President of the Polish Cycling Federation and CEO of the Institute for Sport Governance, an independent think tank focused on improving governance in sport organizations. He also created the Academy of Sport Management, a government-funded program for the national sport federations in Poland.