George Yiapanas, Alkis Thrassou and Demetris Vrontis
Football exists and evolves in a dynamic ecosystem, displaying a massive and multidimensional influence on most contemporary societies, and football has grown into a significant…
Abstract
Purpose
Football exists and evolves in a dynamic ecosystem, displaying a massive and multidimensional influence on most contemporary societies, and football has grown into a significant industry with a plethora of stakeholders. This research is the first to comprehensively identify the key industry stakeholders and their distinct value, from the individual club perspective, and to conceptualise and test their interrelationship toward the development of a corresponding framework of club benefits.
Design/methodology/approach
The study applied a multilevel approach to collect and verify qualitative data. It initially developed a preliminary conceptual framework, which was first validated by an expert panel and was subsequently extensively tested in the Cyprus-specific context, which offered fertile ground for such a study. The empirical stage rested on 41 semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with very high-ranking individuals from the top nine football clubs, as well as with key industry stakeholders.
Findings
Though the examined industry is partly in line with international norms, it is also highly affected by unique characteristics that alter the various stakeholders' role, producing (even negative) value of varied typologies that is directly linked with the industry's financial, sporting, cultural and social conditions.
Research limitations/implications
The research ultimately presents scholars, practitioners and policymakers with a systemic and comprehensive understanding of the individual club stakeholder value offerings, delivers a tested framework as a tool for social and business management and prescribes future avenues for research, governance and practice.
Originality/value
Extant studies on the subject are either partial or focus on individual stakeholders and evidently lack requisite scientific comprehensiveness. The current research bridges this significant gap in knowledge by exhaustively identifying the key industry stakeholders, explicating their relative social, economic or other value in the individual club perspective and developing a value-based stakeholder framework.
Details
Keywords
Annes Elsa Francis, Cheryl Desha, Savindi Caldera and Sharyn Rundle-Thiele
This paper aims to identify industry drivers and priorities that influence decision-making towards adopting environmentally sustainable (ES) features in stadiums. An…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify industry drivers and priorities that influence decision-making towards adopting environmentally sustainable (ES) features in stadiums. An “Environmentally Sustainable Stadium (ESS) Process Model” is proposed to track ES features throughout their life cycle, guiding planning, designing, construction, operation and management.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through 20 online semi-structured interviews with experts from sustainability, built environment, stadium management, mega-event planning and management and researchers. The experts’ project experiences spanned across Oceania, North America, South America, Asia and Europe. The data were recorded and transcribed through Teams and analysed using NVivo 11 application software.
Findings
Stadium’s ES features predominantly focus on energy, waste and materials management with some emphasis on carbon emission reductions and renewable energy sources. Emerging focus areas include flexible designs, audience (or fans) and community engagement, circular economy principles and integration with nature. Key drivers for adopting ES features include legislation and other sector-based requirements, competitive advantages and stakeholder pressures. ES feature success depends on owner support, budget, partnerships, expertise and opportunities. Major barriers include stakeholder diversity, infrastructure limitations and limited stadium-specific requirements.
Practical implications
This paper proposes a six-step “ESS Process Model” to support the stadium industry to holistically integrate ES features, from the initial decision-making to the implementation, ongoing improvement and stakeholder engagement. The model helps stakeholders to identify opportunities, navigate challenges and achieve continual improvement.
Originality/value
The ESS process model is a novel approach to integrate ES features in stadiums, through enhancing collaboration among stakeholders and overcoming challenges in choosing, implementing and maintaining ES features.