Sport medicine and sport science practitioners' experiences of organizational change

Abstract

The globalization and commercialization of sport has been intertwined with its 2 medicalization and scientization (Stewart & Smith, 2008) with performers becoming 3 increasingly dependent upon sophisticated systems of innovative medical and scientific support 4 as they seek a competitive edge (Waddington & Smith, 2009). Further, in response to 5 requirements for establishing systems which instantly and consistently deliver success, those 6 leading elite sport organizations have increasingly sought innovative practices for talent 7 management and asset maximisation (Gilmore, 2009;Gilmore & Gilson, 2007 Day, Gordon, and Fink (2012), one of the most enduring 19 characteristics of the football manager's job is its chronic insecurity (Bruinshoofd & ter Weel, 20 2003; Cruickshank & Collins, 2012; Day, Gordon, & Fink, 2012; Flores, Forest, & Tena, 2012). 21In line with these observations, the average tenure of a manager in English league soccer is It is also pertinent to note that the legacy of amateurism has been hard to jettison.

A Commentary and Reflections on the Field of Organizational Sport Psychology

“…Arnold et al's data contribute to the growing evidence that working as a member of support staff in elite sport is precarious (see Gilmore et al, 2018). Indeed, these individuals are typically poorly remunerated in comparison to managerial or playing staff, work undesirable hours, spending substantial time away from home, and are often at the mercy of questionable employment practices (see Waddington, Rodderick, & Naik, 2001;Wagstaff et al, 2015). In view of such precarity and demands, sport organizations often rely on the appeal of working in elite sport to recruit and retain support staff.…”

“…Given the growing scientization and medicalization of elite sport environments and the recent observation of the largely deleterious impact of managerial turnover-related organizational change on support staff (see Wagstaff, Gilmore, & Thelwell, 2015;, it is surprising that more studies have not been dedicated to the working experiences of science and medicine support and management staff. Arnold et al's (this issue) examination of the "team behind the team's" stressors therefore offers a valuable contribution to knowledge regarding the experiences and needs of this social group.…”

The professional quality of life of sport psychologists: Development of a novel conceptualization and measure.

“…In doing so, it is our hope that this work will provide insight into the ways practitioners manage the demands they face in their professional lives, while also extending recent theoretical developments on the working lives of SPPs (cf. Fletcher et al, 2011;Cropley et al, 2016;Hings, Wagstaff, Thelwell et al, 2018;Hings, Wagstaff, Anderson et al, 2018;Wagstaff et al, 2015;.…”

“…Quartiroli & Etzel, 2012) and practitioners employed in precarious and volatile sport environments (cf. Gilmore et al, 2018;Hings, Wagstaff, Thelwell, et al, 2018;Hings, Wagstaff, Anderson et al, 2018;Wagstaff et al, 2015;.…”

The micro-politics of organizational change in professional youth football: towards an understanding of the “professional self”

“…Moreover, research investigating organizational change within professional sport has only recently received scholarly attention (Welty Peachey & Bruening, 2012). Specifically, previous research has concentrated on the leadership of change (Amis, Slack & Hinnings, 2004;Welty Peachey, Bruening & Burton, 2011), culture change within professional sport (Cruickshank & Collins, 2012a;2012b;Cruickshank, Collins & Minton, 2014), and repeated organizational change in professional football clubs (Wagstaff, Gilmore & Thelwell, 2015;2016). Furthermore, although constant organizational change is an inherent factor within professional football, the academic field investigating such micro-level explorations of practice during change remains limited.…”