Sylvia Trendafilova

Understanding strategic corporate environmental responsibility in professional sport

This study sought to understand how teams and leagues in professional sport in North America understand, position, and deploy environmentally focused CSR practices. We conducted interviews with sport executives and executives from consulting, advisory, non-profit and partner groups. Data revealed that teams and leagues viewed their environmental practices as being strategic and as playing a key role in the teams’ and leagues’ core CSR activities. We also uncovered some of the tangible and intangible benefits for the teams and leagues as a consequence of adopting environmentally responsible initiatives. We determined and integrated the perceived strategic benefits of environmentally responsible actions by considering whether these efforts were based on defensive factors (e.g., risk management to manage social legitimacy) or value adding factors (e.g., enhancing market demand from customers and fans). We present practical implications and discuss directions for future studies in the area of environmental responsibility.

Did the 2012 World Series positively impact the image of Detroit?: sport as a transformative agent in changing images of tourism destinations

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of sport in Detroit as a tool for shaping the image of the downtown area as a tourist destination. We utilized two different sources of data collection: we interviewed a panel of local experts representing sport and tourism stakeholders in Detroit, and we also examined local and national media reports published during the World Series in 2002. Results indicated that efforts are placed on broadening the scope of events the city hosts to attract more visitors and improve the image of the downtown area, but at the same time, the major problems the city is currently experiencing send a rather dual message of the role sport plays in this citys image. Additionally, results from the media analysis produced three key themes: (1) Recovery of the city; (2) Negative image of the city; and (3) Financial woes. Overall, our findings provide mixed evidence about the role of sport as a vehicle for building a positive image of Detroit. Sport could be an image-booster for Detroit, yet any image increase is superseded by the citys other major problems (e.g. economics, population decrease).

Crossing Boundaries An Examination of Sustainability Department and Athletics Department Collaboration Regarding Environmental Issues

Across the world, organizational personnel in various industries are integrating natural environment issues into existing organizational practices. In the intercollegiate sports world, environmental efforts are undertaken as part of a strategic effort involving collaborative processes across university units. The purpose of this study is to develop a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of collaborative processes and practices between personnel in athletics departments and sustainability offices at universities and colleges in the United States. In-depth interviews were conducted with athletics and sustainability department personnel at colleges and universities in the United States. A total of 13 schools were included in the study with 17 participants agreeing to be interviewed. All interviewees were from the middle management level and higher in their respective organizations. Five central themes related to these relationships were found: relationship development, relationship communication, relationship decision-making development, collaborative efforts, and relationship challenges. The themes raise important issues about the diversity of relationships, the communicative and decision-making processes, and the involvement of stakeholders in environmental efforts as well as future research in this area.

Social Accountability and Responsibility in Sport: An Examination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association

Social Accountability and Responsibility in Sport: An Examination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association As the business of sport continues to grow there is a need to remain concerned with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in sport. In the United States, collegiate sport is a complex, and thriving enterprise. At the forefront of the business of college sports are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and its member colleges and universities. CSR has been reviewed extensively in the realm of professional sports, but scholarship related to CSR and its application in collegiate sports is lacking. For the plethora of good that the NCAA has done over the years, it is also an entity filled with paradoxes. Stakeholder theory serves as the foundation for discussing CSR. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the concept of CSR and its relationship to college sports in the United States. This article examines the organizational structure of the NCAA, its functionality, and the trappings of its fiscal operations. In addition, an analysis of the role CSR plays in the shaping of social responsibility and accountability in collegiate sport is presented.

A study of women administrators in campus recreation in the USA

The number of women working in campus recreation organizations in the United States of America (USA) has steadily increased due to dynamic changes in recreation departments within colleges and universities across the USA since 1990. This paper is descriptive in nature and its purpose is to examine how women, currently working as campus recreation administrators, are positioned in the industry. Data were collected utilizing an online survey, based on a modified version of the Female Sport Manager Career Survey. Findings offer a descriptive “snap shot” of women in campus recreation such as age, level of education, sector of employment, employment patterns, and use of networking and mentoring to advance their careers. Additionally, results provide some valuable information on work history, continuing education and career advancement, affiliation with professional associations, as well as issues related to networking and mentoring. This paper sets the stage for further inquiries with practical and theoretical implications.

Environmental sustainability and sport management education: bridging the gaps

ABSTRACT Although sport management higher education has recognized the need to include environmental sustainability in curricula, little is known about the scope and content of environmental sustainability curricula. This study conducted an inventory of environmental sustainability courses offered in sport management programs. A questionnaire was distributed to 553 faculty members from North American higher education institutions. Additionally, a panel of experts were interviewed about the benefits, drawbacks and challenges of including sustainability in a sport management curriculum. Findings reveal that very few programs currently have stand-alone courses dedicated to environmental sustainability in sport. There are significant barriers to adopting environmental sustainability in sport as a stand-alone course and as a module, which certainly makes developing stand-alone coursework a long-term process. However, these challenges have not stopped many programs from incorporating these topics into their programs of study in other creative ways. The paper suggests ways to overcome barriers and integrate environmental and sport management education.

Environmental sustainability scholarship and the efforts of the sport sector: A rapid review of literature

Abstract The sport sector has witnessed a shift where organizations at all levels have begun to place considerable importance on becoming more environmentally conscientious. Simultaneously a growing body of scholarship has addressed sustainability in sport as well. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the state of scholarship on environmental sustainability over an 11-year period (2007–2017) and to determine whether scholarship in this domain is addressing (or not) the efforts of the sport sector using rapid review methodology. To achieve this objective, 96 peer-reviewed journals were identified and reviewed for manuscripts related to the topic, applying specific criteria. A rapid review was carried out, and a total of 84 articles were obtained. Additionally, the content from the Green Sports Alliance, a sport sustainability information and knowledge clearinghouse organization, was categorized into seven groups: performance/evaluation, marketing/communication, fan engagement/behaviors, procurement, facility management, managerial decision-making, and social sustainability. Results indicated that the areas most addressed by scholars were management, fan behavior and facilities management, whereas the least emphasized were performance evaluation and social sustainability. Each area is discussed in detail and suggestions for how to bridge the gap between the sport sector efforts and scholarship to advance environmental sustainability in the sport sector is addressed.