Sport Leadership: A New Generation of Thinking

A Stakeholder Perspective on Ethical Leadership in Sport: Bridging the Gap Between the Normative and Descriptive Lines of Inquiry

“…Particular focus has thereby been put on the perspectives and the perceptions of key internal stakeholders of sport organizations, such as athletic administrators, coaches, and players [for an exception, see the fan study of Constandt and colleagues ( 2020 )]. A couple of authors have acknowledged and advocated the integration of a wider group of internal and external stakeholders in sport leadership research ( Billsberry et al, 2018 ; Ferkins et al, 2018 ; Kihl et al, 2010 ). For example, sponsors of sport organizations can demand certain behavioural standards of the leadership of the sport organization they fund, in return for their (continued) support.…”

“…A stakeholder perspective on ethical leadership is promising to bridge this ethical leadership research gap in sport (see Ferkins et al, 2018 ; Kihl et al, 2010 ) and beyond (see Eisenbeiß & Giessner, 2012 ; Heres, 2015 ). Sport’s complex stakeholder constellation contributes to its uniqueness as a sector, as many different internal (e.g., board members, coaches, players, volunteers) and external (e.g., sponsors, fans, government, media) stakeholders are involved ( Walters & Tacon, 2010 ).…”

“…Moreover, this stakeholder perspective bears both a descriptive (i.e., integrating the perceptions of all relevant stakeholders), as well as a normative (i.e., incorporating the values and prescriptions of all relevant stakeholders) component, while it also looks into how both components continuously impact each other. In sum, this stakeholder perspective provides necessary attention to how the desired and perceived content of ethical leadership is shaped and socially constructed by those involved ( Fehr et al, 2015 ; Ferkins et al, 2018 ; Heres, 2015 ).…”

“…We therefore posit that combining normative and descriptive insights can only turn into practice when sufficient attention is being paid to specific circumstances and values at stake. Furthermore, different sources advocate leadership in sport research to consider leadership as a socially constructed and collective phenomenon, that is co-created by all relevant stakeholders – everyone who impacts or is impacted by the sport organization under study, such as players, coaches, and board members (internal), and sponsors, governments, and the media (external) – involved ( Billsberry et al, 2018 ; Ferkins et al, 2018 ). In this light, we believe adopting such a stakeholder perspective to study ethical leadership in sport may aid to bridge the gap between the normative and descriptive lines of inquiry, leading to a more comprehensive view on this phenomenon.…”

Christian sports coaches and servant leadership

“…Ferkins, Skinner 28 similarly proposed that leadership should be considered a “collective achievement” (p. 77). Whilst numerous scholars advocate further research into shared leadership approaches 28,29 and, in particular, servant leadership, 29,30 Billsberry, Mueller 27 suggest that social constructionist approaches to investigating leadership necessitate understanding that most leaders deploy Implicit Leadership Theories (ILTs) rather than aligning to any specific model. ILTs are proposed to form over the individual’s lifespan and are unique constructions of belief and behaviour formed through, for example, relationships and observations.…”