Argyro Elisavet Manoli

Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility in the Football Industry

Corporate Social Responsibility in the football industry is an important part of each clubs agenda, while being more than a business trend. The way its activities are communicated, however, has not attracted, thus far, enough academic interest. This study aims at filling this literature gap by providing not only a presentation of the ways and methods in which CSR is promoted, but also a critical examination of their efficiency. This examination can only take place after the academic literature available on CSR promotion is scrutinized and the sample of the research is clarified. The FA Premier League clubs, the sample of this study, have then been carefully inspected with the help of insiders interviews, providing details of their current practice in CSR promotion methods, as well as a critical review of their effectiveness. Finally, the question of abundance of CSR promotion in football is being answered taking into consideration both the insiders and the public opinion.

Financial fair play and competitive balance in the Premier League

Purpose n n n n nThe introduction of financial fair play (FFP) regulations in 2011 was accompanied by criticism that they would have an adverse effect on competitive balance in European football. Counter-points were also expressed, suggesting that the opposite would occur; that they would actually increase competitive balance through reducing the importance of financial power. The lack of clarity and cohesion on this issue prompted this paper. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect FFP has had on competitive balance in the English Premier League. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nThe analysis conducted uses the Herfindahl Index of Competitive Balance as the primary method, and is supported by standard deviation of points analysis and a Scully-Noll ratio analysis, which together provide an indication of the level of competitive balance for each of the past 21 seasons, from 1995/1996 to 2015/2016. This examination allows for the trends in competitive balance to be identified, with emphasis drawn on the seasons after the introduction of the regulations. n n n n nFindings n n n n nThe results provide no indication that FFP regulations have resulted in a decline in competitive balance in the EPL, instead hinting that a positive effect may have been caused. This positive effect exceeds the primary aim of the regulations and underlines their importance in the future stability of club football. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nWhile underlining the need for further research on the topic, this study provides the first insights into the effects of FFP regulations on competitive balance in the EPL. These insights would support the view that FFP initiatives have begun to shift the focus of sporting competition away from financial strength towards more natural means of competition such as efficiency, innovation and good management.

The inevitability of corruption in Greek football

From the late 1990s, corrupt practices in Greek football have been considered to pose a serious threat to the integrity of the sport, with a number of schemes and measures being introduced as a response. The aim of this article is to show why corruption in Greek football is inevitable by offering a detailed account of three football-related corrupt practices and highlighting their contextual parameters, as well as juxtaposing them against the set of measures that have been implemented. By placing corruption in football in the wider landscape of the country and of global football, and examining the political, structural and economic factors that contribute to the overall managerial and financial implications of corruption, we present the reader with the new norm which, in reality, makes corruption the ‘only game in town’.

Marketing outsourcing in the English Premier League: the rights holder/agency interface

ABSTRACT Research question: While marketing outsourcing may offer a clear means for revenue generation and cost efficiency, there is a need to go beyond the outsourcing decision itself to address ‘how’ outsourcing can be managed successfully. Differing to existing studies, this study examines the dynamic nature of marketing outsourcing from the rights holder and agency perspectives in an overlooked setting. Research methods: Qualitative data were generated from semi-structured interviews with marketing managers from 30 English Premier League (EPL) football clubs and with 10 marketing agency account managers. The clubs included in this study had all participated in the EPL, and all 10 marketing agencies interviewed had been contracted at some point in time to these clubs. Results and findings: By capturing both sides of the rights holder/agency interface, this study includes a neglected perspective (i.e. agency) to more accurately examine the principal–agency relationship in marketing outsourcing. The findings add greater nuance to the drivers/motivations and barriers/constraints that are typically cited in sport management and marketing studies, providing a new framework to understand the relationship dynamic and guide successful sport marketing outsourcing initiatives. Implications: Though outsourcing can be an impactful business decision, the success of marketing outsourcing in football is dependent upon the balance of conditions across the rights holder/agency interface. Specifically, while pushing factors may contribute to effective marketing outsourcing, resisting factors undermine the rights holder–agency relationship. However, in nurturing key necessary features both parties can limit resisting factors and emphasise push factors for shared value creation.

Alternative revenue streams for centrally funded sport governing bodies

ABSTRACT In a world of ever-increasing focus on Government spending as a result of recession-induced austerity measures, the current Government of the United Kingdom has clarified its intention to share and ultimately transfer the burden of funding to those sports that currently enjoy Government support. Outside the sports that, due to their wide commercial and broadcast appeal are able to derive significant revenues, it will become necessary for national governing bodies (NGBs) to cast the net wide in search of consistent, reliable methods of generating revenues that satisfy broader stakeholder aims while maintaining focus on their core responsibilities of sport development, encouraging participation and driving performance. In order to unpick this process, interviews were undertaken with senior officials from non-commercialised NGBs to better grasps the current situation and what steps are being taken to secure funding with further exploration of the impact of these new streams. Using Pfeffer and Salancik’s Resource Dependence Theory and Markowitz’s Portfolio Theory, this study examines the revenue streams currently explored by the NGBs, as well as their associated benefits and pitfalls. Through this research, it was found that the applicability of each stream was largely dependent on the unique characteristics of each body. Size and demographics of membership or participants, the degree of formality of participation, local or regional importance of the sport and commercial appeal to potential sponsors and partners, all drove the particular mix of revenue streams achieved by NGBs, making generalisation or the creation of a usable, common template difficult as a result.

Sport marketing’s past, present and future: an introduction to the special issue on contemporary issues in sports marketing

In 2015, the global sport industry was estimated to be worth US

Brand consistency and coherency at the London 2012 Olympic Games

145 billion which accounts for over 3% of the world’s economic activity (PWC, 2011). Adding to this the total estimated worth of the blooming esport industry (reported to soon reach US

Means as well as ends: some critical insights for UK sport policy on the impact of facility ownership and configuration on sports participation

1 billion according to CNN, 2016), and the projected growth in particular markets, such as China and India, the sports industry appears to have cemented its value and potential around the world, while differentiating itself from the wider service and entertainment industries. Combining its economic impact with its socio-cultural importance in people’s lives and in local and wider communities, it is of little surprisenthat academics have been increasingly interested in studying the sport industry,nincluding its particular functions and peculiarities.

Does sport and fitness facility ownership matter? The impact on sport participation and citizens’ health, well-being and social capital in England [Abstract]

Abstract As brand management and brand perceptions attract more attention in both academia and in practice, examining the link or lack thereof between brand identity and image is becoming increasingly important. The existence of brand consistency and coherency is examined in this research, which aimed to evaluate whether the pre- or post-event brand image of the Olympic Games or the London 2012 Games, in the domestic UK population and media, were aligned with the brand identities of these objects. Online surveys and media content analysis revealed that both brands have yet to achieve consistency or coherency within these two key stakeholder groups, even though the brand image of the 2012 Games improved following the event. What this study suggests is that unless the brand owner takes key stakeholders’ perceptions into consideration, a coherent and consistent brand identity does not necessarily equate to these being a feature of the brand image, with the connection between perceptions requiring additional attention.

Football clubs and financial crimes in Greece

ABSTRACT The effectiveness of sports facility provision in increasing participation is debated internationally. The impact will be mediated by the sport delivery system, the welfare system within which sports policy might operate and the culture of sport. Change in the political persuasion of recent UK governments has followed a broadly consistent neoliberal policy direction of moving from big government and public ownership, to outsourcing and governance through networks. The intended aim: to more effectively achieve policy objectives, such as subjective well-being (SWB), health and social capital. A case study of participation in sport and fitness activities in a County Sports Partnership (CSP) in England is presented to examine if different ownership types and configuration of facilities that have emerged as a result of the policy direction, has influenced participation and policy targets. Regression results reveal that the ownership and configuration of facilities have no effect on the duration of activity and consequently no impact on policy outcomes. The largest influence on participation occurs in using facilities with others that were previously met there. The results also suggest that participation in facilities combined with other sport and physical activity can have an impact on health and social capital, and indirectly SWB. These insights are strongly indicative of the co-creation and interconnectedness of participation and suggest that policy should focus on network development more than specific forms of ownership and provision in seeking to achieve policy objectives. The research casts new critical light on the role of neoliberalism in sports policy.