International Journal of Sport Management

A Need for Conceptual Clarity 
for Employment and Careers in Sport

Michael Odio

Abstract: In this commentary I offer a critique of the current state of research on employment and careers in sport, particularly the lack of clarity as to what is meant when referring to a job or career in sport. I argue that the current state of the literature has hindered the ability to connect knowledge across studies, which limits the ability to generalize research and build theories related to the people and roles within the sport context. I propose a new direction using the tenants of boundaryless career theory that can have meaningful implications for professional preparation and career counseling, the studying of labor market dynamics, and research on understudied populations in sport.

Keywords: work in sport; sport management; boundaryless career theory

Citation: Odio, M. (2023). A need for conceptual clarity for employment and careers in sport. International Journal of Sport Management, 24(3), 197-210.

References

  • Alfermann, D., & Stambulova, N. (2007). Career transitions and career termination. In Handbook of Sport Psychology, Third Edition, 712-733. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
  • Arthur, M.B. (1994). The boundaryless career: A new perspective for organizational inquiry. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 15(4), 295-306.
  • Baruch, Y., & Bozionelos, N. (2011). Career issues. In S. Zedeck (Ed.), APA handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, Vol 2: Selecting and developing members for the organization (pp. 67-113). American Psychological Association.
  • Belzer, J. (2014, February 5). Sports industry 101: Breaking into the business of sports. Retrieved from: https://
www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbelzer/2014/02/05/sports-industry-101-breaking-into-the-business-of-sports/#4b5e87a63db9.
  • Bloom, G.A. (2002). Coaching demands and responsibilities of expert coaches. Psychological foundations of sport, 2, 438-465.
  • Boucher, R.L. (1998). Toward achieving a focal point for sport management: A binocular perspective. Journal of Sport Management, 12(1), 76-85.
  • Bowers, M.T., & Dixon, M.A. (2015). Sport management: An exploration of the field and its value. Urbana, IL: Sagamore.
  • Bowers, M.T., Green, B.C., & Seifried, C.S. (2014). “Let the Marketplace be the Judge”: The Founders Reflect on the Origins and Trajectory of NASSM. Journal of Sport Management, 28(5), 565-587.
  • Brassie, P.S. (1989). Guidelines for programs preparing undergraduate and graduate students for careers in sport management. Journal of Sport Management, 3, 158-164.
  • CareerBuilder.com (2014, August 28). Sports-related employment is on the rise and creating jobs in other industries, according to new research from CareerBuilder and economic modeling specialists. Retrieved from http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?ed=12%2F31%2F2014&id=pr839&sd=8%2F28%2F2014.
  • Chalip, L. (2006). Toward a distinctive sport management discipline. Journal of Sport Management, 20(1), 1-21.
  • Chelladurai, P. (1985). Sport management: Macro perspectives. London, ON: Sports Dynamics Publishers.
  • Chelladurai, P. (1992). Sport management: Opportunities and obstacles. Journal of Sport Management, 6(3), 215-219.
  • Chelladurai, P. & Kerwin, S. (2017). Human resource management in sport and recreation. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
  • Clarke, M. (2013). The organizational career: not dead but in need of redefinition. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(4), 684-703.
  • Coupland, C. (2015). Entry and exit as embodied career choice in professional sport. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 90, 111-121.
  • Cunningham, G.B., & Singer, J.N. (2010). “You’ll face discrimination wherever you go”: Student athletes’ intentions to enter the coaching profession. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 40(7), 1708-1727.
  • Cuskelly, G., & Auld, C.J. (1991). Perceived importance of selected job responsibilities of sport and recreation managers: An Australian perspective. Journal of Sport Management, 5, 34-46.
  • DeSensi, J.T., Kelley, D.R., Blanton, M.D., & Beitel, P.A. (1990). Sport management curricular evaluation and needs assessment: A multifaceted approach. Journal of Sport Management, 4, 31-58.
  • Doherty, A.J. (1998). Managing our human resources: A review of organisational behaviour in sport. Sport Management Review, 1(1), 1-24.
  • Dowling, M., Edwards, J., & Washington, M. (2014). Understanding the concept of professionalisation in sport management research. Sport Management Review, 17(4), 520-529.
  • Fitzgerald, M.P., Sagaria, M.A.D., & Nelson, B. (1994). Career patterns of athletic directors: Challenging the conventional wisdom. Journal of Sport Management, 8(1), 14-26.
  • Foster, S.B., & Dollar, J.E. (2010). Experiential learning in sport management: Internships & beyond. Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology.
  • Gibson, H.J. (1998). Sport tourism: a critical analysis of research. Sport Management Review, 1(1), 45-76.
  • Hardin, R., Cooper C.G., & Huffman, L.T. (2013). Moving on up: Division I athletic directors’ career progression and involvement. Journal of Applied Sport Management, 5(3), 55-78.
  • Heitner, D. (2015, November 15). The best ways for young entrepreneurs to break into the sports industry. Retrieved from: https://www.inc.com/darren-heitner/best-ways-for-young-entrepreneurs-to-break-into-the-sports-industry.html.
  • Hofacre, S., & Branwold, S. (1995). Baseball front office careers: Expectations and realities. Journal of Sport Management, 9, 173-181.
  • Howes, L. (2010, January 5). Top 9 ways to break into sports. Retrieved from: http://www.sportsnetworker.com/
2010/01/05/work-in-sports/.
  • Huml, M.R., Taylor, E.A., & Dixon, M.A. (2021). From engaged worker to workaholic: A mediated model of athletic department employees. European Sport Management Quarterly, 21(4), 583-604.
  • Hums, M.A., & MacLean, J. C. (2017). Governance and policy in sport organizations. Scotsdale, AZ: Holcomb Hathaway.
  • Inkson, K., Gunz, H., Ganesh, S., & Roper, J. (2012). Boundaryless careers: Bringing back boundaries. Organization Studies, 33(3), 323-340.
  • Jenny, S.E., Manning, R.D., Keiper, M.C., & Olrich, T.W. (2017). Virtual(ly) athletes: Where eSports fit within the definition of “sport”. Quest, 69(1), 1-18.
  • Jones, C. (1996), Careers in Project Networks: The Case of the Film Industry. In M. B. Arthur and D. M. Rousseau (Eds.), The Boundaryless Career: A New Employment Principle for a New Organizational Era. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
  • Jones, C., & DeFillippi, R.J. (1996). Back to the future in film: Combining industry and self-knowledge to meet the career challenges of the 21st century. Academy of Management Perspectives, 10(4), 89-103.
  • Kaplanidou, K., Giannoulakis, C., Odio, M., & Chalip, L. (2021). Types of human capital as a legacy from Olympic Games hosting. Journal of Global Sport Management, 6(3), 314-332.
  • Kent, A., & Chelladurai, P. (2001). Perceived transformational leadership, organizational commitment, and citizenship behavior: A case study in intercollegiate athletics. Journal of sport management, 15(2), 135-159.
  • Mielke, D. (2007). Coaching experience, playing experience and coaching tenure. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 2(2), 105-108.
  • Milano, M., & Chelladurai, P. (2011). Gross domestic sport product: The size of the sport industry in the United States. Journal of Sport Management, 25(1), 24-35.
  • Mintzberg, H. (1979). The structuring of organizations. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
  • NIAAA (n.d.). NIAAA Certification Program. Retrieved from: http://www.niaaa.org/niaaa-programs/niaaa-certification-program/.
  • Odio, M.A., & Kerwin, S. (2017). Permeability of sport job sectors: An analysis of careers across boundaries. International Journal of Sport Management, 18(3), 330-347.
  • Oja, B.D., Bass, J.R., & Gordon, B.S. (2015). Conceptualizing employee identification with sport organizations: Sport employee identification (SEI). Sport Management Review, 18(4), 583-595.
  • Paton, G. (1987). Sport management research—what progress has been made? Journal of Sport Management, 1(1), 25-31.
  • Parkhouse, B.L. (1987). Sport management curricula: Current status and design implications for future development. Journal of Sport Management, 1¸93-115.
  • Parkhouse, B.L., & Ulrich, D.O. (1979). Sport management as a potential cross-discipline: A paradigm for theoretical development, scientific inquiry, and professional application. Quest, 31(2), 264-276.
  • Parks, J.B. (1991). Employment status of alumni of undergraduate sport management programs. Journal of Sport Management, 5, 100-110.
  • Parks, J.B., & Olafson, G A. (1987). Sport management and a new journal. Journal of Sport Management, 1, 1-3.
  • Pitts, B.G., Fielding, L.W., & Miller, L.K. (1994). Industry segmentation theory and the sport industry: Developing a sport industry segment model. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 3(1), 15-24.
  • Ridinger, L.L., Kim, K.R., Warner, S., & Tingle, J.K. (2017). Development of the referee retention scale. Journal of Sport Management, 31(5), 514-527.
  • Saxenian, A. (1991). The origins and dynamics of production networks in Silicon Valley. Research policy, 20(5), 423-437.
  • Saxenian, A L. (1994). Regional Advantage: Culture and Competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
  • Sheptak, R.D., & Menaker, B E. (2020). When sport event work stopped: Exposure of sport event labor precarity by the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Sport Communication, 13(3), 427-435.
  • Sports Innovation Institute (n.d.). 2019 Sports Industry Jobs Report. https://
sii.iupui.edu/Research/2019-Sports-Jobs-Report.pdf
  • Stewart, B., Smith, A.C.T., & Nicholson, M. (2003). Sport consumer typologies: A critical review. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 12(4), 206-216.
  • Suddaby, R. (Ed.). (2010). Editor’s comments: Construct clarity in theories of management and organization. Academy of management review, 35(3), 346-357.
  • Sullivan, S.E. (1999). The changing nature of careers: A review and research agenda. Journal of management, 25(3), 457-484.
  • Sullivan, S.E., & Arthur, M B. (2006). The evolution of the boundaryless career concept: Examining physical and psychological mobility. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 69(1), 19-29.
  • Swanson, S., & Kent, A. (2015). Fandom in the workplace: Multi-target identification in professional team sports. Journal of Sport Management, 29(4), 461-477.
  • Swanson, S., & Kent, A. (2017). Passion and pride in professional sports: Investigating the role of workplace emotion. Sport Management Review, 20(4), 352-364.
  • Tingle, J.K., Jacobs, B.L., Ridinger, L L., & Warner, S. (2021). Female sports officials and mental health: The overlooked problem. Journal of Sport Management, 36(4), 383-393.
  • Walker, N.A., & Bopp, T. (2010). The underrepresentation of women in the male-dominated sport workplace: Perspectives of female coaches. Journal of Workplace Rights, 15(1).
  • Washo, M. (2004). Break into sports through ticket sales. Mark Washo.
  • White, A. (2011, August 14). Ask the experts: Breaking into sports journalism. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/careers/sports-journalism.
  • Weight, E.A., Taylor, E., Huml, M.R., & Dixon, M.A. (2021). Working in the sport industry: A classification of human capital archetypes. Journal of Sport Management, 35(4), 364-378.
  • Wong, G.M. (2009). The comprehensive guide to careers in sports. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
  • Zeigler, E.F. (1987). Sport management: Past, present, future. Journal of Sport Management, 1, 4-24.

Discover more from International Journal of Sport Management

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading