Expertise
Sport management is the process of governance, leadership, and management of sport organizations to facilitate social and economic value through the sport experience in all its forms and at all levels (Shilbury, 2022).
The expertise of Sport Management UCLouvain is articulated around three axes:
- Governance and strategy
Sport governance is the “processes and structures used by the organization to develop its strategic goals and direction, monitor its performance against these goals, and ensure that the board acts in the best interests of the organization’s members” (ASC, 2004). Strategy is a set of actions designed to achieve the goals of sport organizations, achieve success on the field, and develop the sport. The formulation of strategy, particularly through a strategic plan, is an important task for senior managers and the board of directors. The continuous process of professionalization of sport organizations and commercialization of sport requires more transparency, control, democratic processes and strategic capabilities. Our research focuses on the factors influencing good governance and its impact on sport, but also on organizational capacity, deviant behavior, the role of the president, the implications and the management of passion in governing bodies. - Diversity and inclusion
Diversity refers to the heterogeneity of individual profiles within a social unit such as a sports team, a board of directors or a sport federation, while inclusion is the way in which each individual profile is included in that social unit. Diversity and inclusion are among the major issues facing sport and our society at large. These notions concern a set of characteristics such as gender, sex, geographical and socio-cultural origins, age, religion or sexual orientation. Our research focuses on the findings, the obstacles and the equity approaches implemented by the sport movement in order to combat discrimination in leadership (governance, management, refereeing, coaching), management, volunteering, and sport participation. - Corporate social responsibility and sustainability
Both international and local sport organizations are faced with many social, ethical and environmental challenges. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability practices aim to respond to the high expectations of society towards the sport movement. Our research aims to contribute to these theoretical and empirical developments through a set of questions such as: How to integrate sustainable development objectives in the activities of a sport organization? How to lead changes in practices within the organization and with its partners? How to integrate CSR in its strategy? What are the skills of a socially responsible leader? How to evaluate and communicate the impact of these societal commitments?
Ongoing research
In collaboration with various national and international partners, the members of the research group are currently involved in the following projects:
Improving Diversity and Inclusion on the Boards of Directors of National Football Associations
This research project, in collaboration with Prof. Josh McLeod (Deakin University), focuses on issues of diversity and inclusion on the boards of national soccer organizations. The project is funded by the FIFA Research Scholarship through the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES).
Géraldine Z. – geraldine.zeimers@uclouvain.be
Better Governance Principles and Organizational Performance of National Sport Organizations
This post-doctoral project, in collaboration with Prof. Milena Parent (University of Ottawa), examines the relationship between the adoption of better governance principles and the performance of national sport organizations.
Arthur L. – arthur.lefebvre@uclouvain.be
A Global Assessment of Professional Sports Organizations’ Corporate Social Performance: A Delphi Study
This collaborative research project with Prof. Lisa A. Kihl (University of Minnesota), Prof. Cleo Schyvinck (Ghent University), Prof. Michael Jonas (University of Minnesota), and Prof. Matt Hlina (University of Minnesota) aims to develop a tool for measuring the social performance of professional sport organizations.
Géraldine Z. – geraldine.zeimers@uclouvain.be
Sport Environmental Sustainability: An Investigation into Non-Profit Sport Organizations from a Stakeholder Perspective
This PhD thesis, in collaboration with the KU Leuven, aims to investigate how sports organizations and their stakeholders engage in environmental sustainability. This project will contribute to the development of knowledge on environmental sustainability in sport, a field of research that is still largely underdeveloped.
Pierre L. – p.leonard@uclouvain.be
Interested in a specific research theme? Opportunities are available for highly motivated researchers to conduct post-doctoral, doctoral or master’s research in our research group or to collaborate with it.
Express your interest in research to Prof. Géraldine Zeimers (geraldine.zeimers@uclouvain.be).
Factsheets
Theses
Dr Thierry Zintz (2004)
Configuration et Changement Organisationnel des Ligues et Fédérations Sportives Belges. Typologie et Perspectives d’Évolution
Dr Mathieu Winand (2009)
Déterminants de la Performance
Organisationnelle des Fédérations Sportives:
une Analyse Comparée des Ligues Sportives de la
Communauté Française de Belgique
Dr Emilie Malcourant (2016)
Analyse d’une Méta-organisation Internationale, du Processus de Prise de Décision à sa Mise en oeuvre par les Membres : le Cas de l’Agence Mondiale Antidopage
Dr Simon Gérard (2016)
The Paralympic Movement from 1944 to 2016: A Processual Analysis of Institutional Creation, Maintenance and Change
Dr Géraldine Zeimers (2019)
Corporate Social Responsibility Implementation in Non-Profit Sport Organisations
Dr Arthur Lefebvre (2021)
Non-Profit Sport Collaborations Involving Sport Clubs: Inside the Walloon Federated Sport System
Leslie Nothomb (ongoing)
Factor of Women’s Professional Sport Development
Pierre Léonard (ongoing)
Sport Environmental Sustainability: An Investigation into Non-Profit Sport Organizations from a Stakeholder Perspective
Scientific publications and conferences
Publications
Conferences
Hugaerts, I., Scheerder, J., Helsen, K., Corthouts, J., Zeimers, G., Van de Sype, C., Könecke, T. (2021, September 29). Environmental Sustainability in Belgian Sport Federations. 29th European Association for Sport Management Virtual Conference (EASM 2021), online.
Zeimers, G., Shilbury, D. (2021, September 29). Emotions in Sport Governance: A research Agenda. 29th European Association for Sport Management Virtual Conference (EASM 2021), online.
Lefebvre, A., Zeimers, G., & Zintz, T. (2020, December 11-12). Efficacité Perçue de la Collaboration entre les Fédérations Sportives et leurs Clubs : Rôle du Processus de Collaboration. Conférence de la Société Savante en Management du Sport, online.
Zeimers, G., Shilbury, D. (2020, December 1-3). The Influence of Passion on Sport Board Performance. 26th Sport Management Association Australia New Zealand Conference (SMAANZ 2020), Canberra, Australia.
Zeimers, G., Shilbury, D., Zintz, T. (2019, December 4-6).The Role of Passion in Governing Non-profit Sport Organisations. 25th Sport Management Association Australia New Zealand Conference (SMAANZ 2019), Christchurch, New Zealand.
Lefebvre, A., Zeimers, G., & Zintz, T. (2019, September 4-7). Examining Interconnections of Preconditions, Process and Outcomes of Collaboration among Non-profit Sport Clubs. 27thEuropean Association of Sport Management Conference (EASM 2019), Seville, Spain.
Zeimers, G., Shilbury, D., Willem A., Zintz, T. (2019, May 29 – June 1). Hybridity in Non-profit Sport Organisations: Organisational Challenges. 2019 North American Society for Sport Management Conference (NASSM 2019), New Orleans, USA.
Lefebvre, A., Zeimers, G., & Zintz, T. (2019, May 29 – June 1). Organisational Resources Related to Collaboration among Non-profit Sport Clubs: a Qualitative Comparative Analysis. 2019 North American Society for Sport Management Conference (NASSM 2019), New Orleans, USA.
Zeimers, G., Zintz, T., & Willem A. (2018, September 5-8). Collaborative Dynamics and Processes Among Nonprofit Sport Organizations. 26th European Association for Sport Management Conference (EASM 2018), Malmö, Sweden.
Zeimers, G., Zintz, T., & Willem A. (2017, November 24). Réflexions sur le Positionnement Épistémologique d’un Chercheur Embarqué sur un Terrain dans le Management du Sport. Conférence Audencia” Research and Business in Sport”: Qu’est-ce que la recherche peut apporter au monde du sport?, Paris, France.
Lefebvre, A., & Zintz, T. (2017, November 24). Recherche-action entre Université et Fédération Sportive pour l’Élaboration d’un Label : Retour sur l’Expérience d’Étudiants. Conférence Audencia” Research and Business in Sport”: Qu’est-ce que la recherche peut apporter au monde du sport?, Paris, France.
Zeimers, G., Anagnostopoulos, C., Zintz, T., & Willem, A. (2017, September 2-8).The Process of Organisational Learning in Sport Organisations: the Case of Social Responsibility Programmes. 25th European Association for Sport Management Conference (EASM 2017), Bern, Switzerland.
Zeimers, G., Anagnostopoulos, C., Zintz, T., & Willem, A. (2017, May 31 – June 3).Teaming-up for Social Responsibility Programs: the Case of Belgian Nonprofit Sport Organizations. 2017 North American Society for Sport Management Conference (NASSM 2017), Denver, USA.
Zeimers, G., Zintz, T., & Willem A. (2016, September 7-10). Corporate Social Responsibility in Sport: A Critical Review of CSR Development and Sensemaking. 24th European Association for Sport Management Conference (EASM 2016), Warsaw, Poland.
Zeimers, G., Zintz, T., & Willem A. (2016, June 1-4). Corporate Social Responsibility in Sport Federations: A Framework to Assess Organizational Integration and Knowledge of CSR. 16th EURAM Conference, European Academy of Management, SIG “Managing Sport”, Paris, France.
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