Books by Nico Schulenkorf
Featuring authors, cases and examples from around the world, the book explores the impact of COVI... more Featuring authors, cases and examples from around the world, the book explores the impact of COVID-19 on sport at all levels, from community sport – where local clubs, gyms and development programmes had to find ways to survive with pitches closed and projects cancelled – to the major professional sport leagues and sport mega-events, with events postponed and teams playing in empty stadia. It considers the economic, social and developmental impacts of the pandemic, including physical, mental and social wellbeing, and looks at how key professional and community sport organisations have reacted to the crisis, reflecting on the lessons learnt and preparations for future pandemics and challenges of similar size and significance.
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Managing Global Sport Events: Logistics and Coordination provides a look behind the scenes of la... more Managing Global Sport Events: Logistics and Coordination provides a look behind the scenes of large-scale sports events, combining the previously separate but inextricably bound areas of sports, logistics and coordination management. This first volume of the ground-breaking Sports Management series enters uncharted territory and advances our inter-disciplinary knowledge across sport, event and logistics studies, informing both contemporary sport management theory and practice.
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This book explores and advances the latest concepts and developments in event management theory a... more This book explores and advances the latest concepts and developments in event management theory and practice. Drawing on the ever-growing event management literature – and supported by theories and concepts from parent disciplines – the book examines challenges and opportunities related to maximising business and social benefits for those working in different event management positions in a variety of contexts. Written by an international team of five management scholars, the book investigates event management and leverage from various angles, including international business, event business studies, sport management, community development, and business strategy. It does so by offering a combination of theoretical approaches as well as contemporary cases from around the world.
Preview: https://www.routledge.com/Managing-and-Leveraging-Events-Business-and-Social-Dimensions/Schulenkorf-Schlenker-Rammal-Peachey-Morgan/p/book/9780367428273
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This book critically evaluates the complex relations between physical activity, health imperative... more This book critically evaluates the complex relations between physical activity, health imperatives and cultural and social opportunities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It explores the uncertainty of knowledge around physical activity behavior and its distinctive meanings in LMIC contexts, the factors influencing physical activity, and how populations across the world understand and live the concept of physical activity. It discusses the key challenges and opportunities for sustaining physical activity within geographically and culturally diverse contexts of LMICs; introduces the reader to contemporary global physical activity approaches, models and policies; and presents case studies from around the world, including Asia, Africa, South America, the Pacific and Europe.
Preview: https://www.routledge.com/Physical-Activity-in-Low--and-Middle-Income-Countries/Siefken-Varela-Waqanivalu-Schulenkorf/p/book/9780367362232
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This book explores the global developments in sport leadership and practice. Drawing on the vast ... more This book explores the global developments in sport leadership and practice. Drawing on the vast and ever-growing leadership literature, the book examines advances in leadership theory and practice in the context of the challenges faced by those working in global sport management positions. It explores the various dimensions of leadership, with a particular focus on the development of leadership theory. It also looks at the operational and contextual elements of leadership in a global sport environment. Finally, it reflects on the status quo and explores future challenges and research opportunities for leadership and global sport management.
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Critical Issues in Global Sport Management will provide researchers, students and practitioners w... more Critical Issues in Global Sport Management will provide researchers, students and practitioners with a collection of chapters that examine the latest concepts and challenges faced by the global sport industry. The book identifies and evaluates current issues and complexities faced by those charged with the responsibility of managing sport in compound business contexts as well as intricate social environments.
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In recent years, sport has been used as an instrument through which wider development objectives ... more In recent years, sport has been used as an instrument through which wider development objectives are pursued. This includes sport as a means to create awareness about the risks of HIV; sport as a vehicle to counter inter-group hostility; and sport as an environment where children can find respite in the wake of military conflict. The use of sport for development purposes is neither simple nor inherently successful. It is therefore regrettable that some of the agents and organisations involved in development programs provide evangelistic accounts of their activities, thus suggesting that field work is unproblematic. By contrast, this book provides a critical approach to sport-for-development, acknowledging the potential of this growing field but emphasising challenges, problems and limitations – particularly if programs are not adequately planned, delivered or monitored. The book features both critical theory and reflective praxis, and will thus be useful to both academics and practitioners.
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Papers by Nico Schulenkorf
The professionalization of sport for development (SFD) has
resulted in the evolution of increasin... more The professionalization of sport for development (SFD) has
resulted in the evolution of increasingly complex organizational
environments. As such, these initiatives are often balancing divergent
goals such as financial, sport and community outcomes.
However, previous research provides minimal insight into how
SFD managers handle such tensions, and frequently oversimplifies
the realities of these conflicts. To address this knowledge gap, we
aim to explore the experiences of SFD managers employed within
Australian National Sporting Organizations engaged in SFD programming
across Asia and the Pacific. Adopting a basic qualitative
methodology, our findings demonstrate how managers are challenged
with complexities, tensions, and resourcing. Drawing upon
paradox theory, our results also highlight how managers navigate
these challenges, including scaling back programs, collaboration,
promoting work, fostering local autonomy, and seeking synergies.
Through this study, we build upon theoretical understandings
of SFD management roles and paradoxes. Further, we offer
practical insight into the challenges and strategies of managing
SFD hybrids.
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Whitley, M., Collison-Randall, H., Wright, P., Darnell, S., Schulenkorf, N., Knee, E., Holt, N. and Richards, J. (2022): “Moving Beyond Disciplinary Silos: The Potential for Transdisciplinary Research in Sport for Development”, Journal of Sport for Development, 10(2), 1-22 The Sport for Development (SfD) field is transdisciplinary by nature, and yet scholars tend to st... more The Sport for Development (SfD) field is transdisciplinary by nature, and yet scholars tend to stay within their disciplinary perspectives in their study of SfD. There is a need for more collaborative and collective approaches in SfD research. Transdisciplinary research facilitates conceptual, theoretical, philosophical, and methodological innovations that transcend disciplinary boundaries, creating new knowledge that can advance a field. The purpose of this paper is to critically review the disciplinary trends in SfD research within (respectively) sport sociology, social anthropology, sport management, public health, leisure, sport pedagogy, and sport psychology, with a particular focus on where there may be intersection, duplication, obfuscation, and omission between these disciplines. Disciplinary intersections are then considered, along with gaps in the SfD evidence base that are ripe for transdisciplinary research. The paper concludes with an exploration of possibilities for future transdisciplinary research in SfD.
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Schulenkorf, N., Sherry, E., Siefken, K., Tauhalaliku, U. and Richards, J. (2022): “Health Interventions as Vehicles for Increased Sport Participation for Girls and Women: Socio-Managerial Insights from a Netball-for-Development Program in Tonga”, Journal of Sport for Development, 10(1), 25-39 Against the background of ever-rising non-communicable disease rates, an area that has received i... more Against the background of ever-rising non-communicable disease rates, an area that has received increased attention from sport-for-development practitioners and academics is sport-for-health (SFH). SFH projects attempt to contribute to the development of healthy lifestyle behavior and physically active societies through sport-related programs and interventions. The purpose of this paper was to explore the socio-managerial challenges and opportunities of a netball-based SFH program in Tonga. Based on local focus group and interview data, findings were grouped under five overarching themes: strategic management of volunteer network, sociocultural barriers, public space management, events and tournaments as incentives, and collaboration across local and national sports. In discussing these findings in context, we provide implications for managing culturally sensitive SFH projects in the Pacific region and beyond.
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Richards, J., Sherry, E., Tamala, F., Schuster, S., Schulenkorf, N. and Keane. L. (2022): “Netball shoots for physical and mental wellbeing in Samoa: A natural experiment”, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(5), 2663 Sport-for-development programs claim to address key determinants of recreational physical activit... more Sport-for-development programs claim to address key determinants of recreational physical activity participation and subsequent development outcomes in low-income settings. We conducted a natural experiment with pre–post measures taken from women in the 12 villages in Samoa, some of which voluntarily participated in the sport-for-development intervention. The intervention comprised a six-week netball league delivered by local volunteers who attended coaching workshops, received
ongoing support from the national governing body and were provided with infrastructure and equipment to conduct local training sessions. Changes in netball participation, recreational physical activity, body composition, mental wellbeing and socio-ecological determinants of physical activity
were compared between intervention and comparison villages using a univariate ANOVA. The intervention reached women who participated in little recreational physical activity and had poor physical and mental wellbeing. Program uptake was higher in villages with the strongest social
support for netball participation. Local social support and capacity to independently organize netball activities increased. There were concurrent improvements in netball participation, physical activity levels, mental wellbeing and body weight in the intervention villages. Our findings support scaling up of the intervention in similar settings but preceding this with formative evaluation to identify low active communities that are “primed” to participate in the proposed activity.
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Sharp, P., Bottorff, J.L., Rice, S., Oliffe, J.L., Schulenkorf, N., Impellizzeri, F. and Caperchione, C.M. (2022): “‘People say men don’t talk, well that’s bullshit’: Avenues for men’s mental health promotion”, PLOS ONE, 17(1), e0261997 Men’s mental health promotion presents unique challenges including gender-related barriers and st... more Men’s mental health promotion presents unique challenges including gender-related barriers and stigmas, which demand novel approaches to prevention, treatment, and management. The aim of this study was to explore men’s perceptions of mental health and preferences for mental health promotion. Seven focus groups (N = 59) were conducted in Sydney, Australia, including 5 groups of men (M = 50.65, SD = 13.75 years) and 2 groups of stakeholders who had frontline experience working with men (e.g., men’s groups, health clubs, mental health advocates). Data were analysed using thematic analysis and interpreted using a gender relations approach to explore connections between gender roles, relations and identities, and men’s mental health. Three overarching themes were identified; (1) Roles, identities, and the conceptualisation and concealment of mental health challenges, revealing challenges to mental health promotion related to perceptions of men’s restrictive emotionality and emotional awareness as well as difficulties with conceptualising the internalised experiences of mental health, (2) Constraining social contexts of stigma and gender relations, identifying how social context and the policing of gender roles often obscured opportunities for discussing mental health and help-seeking behaviour, (3) Anchoring mental health promotion to acceptable lifestyle practices, highlighting potential remedies included leveraging men’s social practices related to reciprocity, normalising mental health promotion relative to other behaviours, and embedding mental health promotion within acceptable masculine practices. Discussed are directions for men’s community-based mental health promotion and opportunities for how masculinities may be negotiated and expanded to embody mental health promoting values.
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Since 2020, the world has been navigating an epidemiologic transition with both infectious diseas... more Since 2020, the world has been navigating an epidemiologic transition with both infectious diseases (COVID-19) and noncommunicable diseases intertwined in complex and diverse ways. In fact, the pandemics of physical inactivity, noncommunicable diseases, and COVID-19 coincide in a tragically impactful ménage à trois with their detrimental long-term health consequences yet to be determined. We know that people in low-and middle-income countries not only have the highest risk of developing chronic diseases, they also develop the diseases at a younger age, they suffer longer, and they die earlier than people in high-income countries. This commentary features 5 compelling reasons for putting physical activity in low-and middle-income countries high up on the public health research agenda and calls for more commitment to inclusive and context-specific public health practices that are paired with locally relevant promotion and facilitation of PA practice, research, and policymaking.
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Despite evidence of its effectiveness in the area of conflict studies,
intergroup contact theory ... more Despite evidence of its effectiveness in the area of conflict studies,
intergroup contact theory (ICT) has rarely been applied to specifically
designed sport-for-development (SFD) interventions. As such, the purpose of this study is to demonstrate the suitability and applicability of ICT as a framework analyzing SFD interventions that aim to foster integrative social transformation. In this paper, we first situate ICT within the broader sport and SFD contexts before demonstrating the utility of ICT through a reflective analysis of League Bilong Laif (LBL), an education-focused SFD intervention in Papua New Guinea. Our examination of LBL demonstrates that ICT may well be a useful framework to design and deliver SFD interventions, particularly in the context of existing intergroup tensions.
To maximize opportunities for positive social impact, we propose the aspect of ‘cultural relevance and excitement potential’ as an additional critical condition for achieving meaningful intergroup development.
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Joachim, G.J., Schulenkorf, N., Schlenker, K., Frawley, S. and Cohen, A. (2021): “No idea is a bad idea: Exploring the Nature of Design Thinking Alignment in an Australian Sport Organization”, Journal of Sport Management, 22(2), 155-176 As research into sport innovation management continues to evolve, the innovation efforts of both ... more As research into sport innovation management continues to evolve, the innovation efforts of both for- and non-profit sport organizations are increasingly revealed to be focused on best serving the sport user. Design thinking—a human-centered approach to innovation—may hold promise for sport organizations attempting to identify and deliver on the unmet needs of their users. As such, we undertook a qualitative exploration of the innovation practices of a commercial sport organization, attempting to balance hybrid for- and non-profit service goals. Alignment with design thinking themes was discovered in the organization’s practice, as were performative components of design thinking practice. Our findings suggest that design thinking is suitable—and indeed desirable—for adoption into sport management practice, particularly as a means of enhancing innovation efforts, designing holistic sport experiences, and/or overcoming competing institutional demands.
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Global, national and regional sport organizations heavily rely on logistics management practices ... more Global, national and regional sport organizations heavily rely on logistics management practices in their operations. However, scientific research in sports logistics is in its infancy, with conceptualizations of the sport logistics domain proposed only recently. In response and by using a reoccurring professional sport event as a case, this study applies the Sports Logistics Framework (SLF) to systematically assess logistics activities, organizational structures, resources and components. Based on semi-structured interviews, unstructured participant observation, internal documents and additional secondary data, our findings not only provide insights into the logistics operations behind a matchday of one of the leading and most valuable sport competitions in the world, but also contextualize, illustrate and refine the logistical tasks of the SLF, thereby providing a template which can be used for further comparison and examination of logistics activities at similar sport events.
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The burgeoning field of sport-for-development (SFD) is witnessing a steady increase in experience... more The burgeoning field of sport-for-development (SFD) is witnessing a steady increase in experience-related empirical investigations. To support academics - and in particular young and emerging scholars - with a rigorous framework for investigating social and cultural phenomena in different SFD contexts, we propose the process-oriented sport in development settings (SPIDS) research framework. SPIDS represents a guiding framework that advocates a qualitative approach to researching SFD projects in which multiple methods are combined for a holistic in-depth investigation. In this paper, we apply practical examples from the SFD field to the SPIDS framework and discuss its individual sections in a step-by-step manner. Specific focus is placed on aspects of reflection and reflexivity as distinctly important and underpinning aspects of qualitative SFD research.
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Although logistics management is a crucial part of local and global sports events, there is no re... more Although logistics management is a crucial part of local and global sports events, there is no research-driven characterization of “sports logistics management”. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a framework that allows for a more structured recognition of logistics in sports, in general, and sport event management, in particular. In addition, we conduct a systematic literature review of sports logistics management and locate opportunities for future research both for sports management and logistics management scholars. The study reveals that sports logistics management – meaning logistics activities in sports and sport event management – is a heavily under-researched area that provides an abundance of scientific opportunities. Based on the three sport event types of local/regional sport events, major sport events and mega sport events, the authors propose four sports logistics management pillars that are central to the proposed Sport Logistics Framework: venue logistics management, sports equipment logistics management, athletes logistics management, and fan and spectators logistics management.
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Over the past decade, the field of sport-for-development (SFD) has experienced significant growth... more Over the past decade, the field of sport-for-development (SFD) has experienced significant growth and diversification across research and practice. In this review paper, the authors provide a comprehensive analysis and discussion of the theoretical and conceptual developments within SFD, addressing a gap in the literature. Following a sport-focused
review of SFD literature, the authors first identify five theoretical and conceptual frameworks that have emerged from within the SFD space. As a second step, they analyze and discuss scholarly work that has utilized these theories and frameworks. Building on a comparison of key messages, themes, and concerns, the authors highlight that to date, limited SFD scholarship has truly applied, extended, or challenged existing frameworks and conceptualizations. Motivated by this review, they posit several conceptual advancements, and offer directions for future research and theoretical development.
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Books by Nico Schulenkorf
Preview: https://www.routledge.com/Managing-and-Leveraging-Events-Business-and-Social-Dimensions/Schulenkorf-Schlenker-Rammal-Peachey-Morgan/p/book/9780367428273
Preview: https://www.routledge.com/Physical-Activity-in-Low--and-Middle-Income-Countries/Siefken-Varela-Waqanivalu-Schulenkorf/p/book/9780367362232
Papers by Nico Schulenkorf
resulted in the evolution of increasingly complex organizational
environments. As such, these initiatives are often balancing divergent
goals such as financial, sport and community outcomes.
However, previous research provides minimal insight into how
SFD managers handle such tensions, and frequently oversimplifies
the realities of these conflicts. To address this knowledge gap, we
aim to explore the experiences of SFD managers employed within
Australian National Sporting Organizations engaged in SFD programming
across Asia and the Pacific. Adopting a basic qualitative
methodology, our findings demonstrate how managers are challenged
with complexities, tensions, and resourcing. Drawing upon
paradox theory, our results also highlight how managers navigate
these challenges, including scaling back programs, collaboration,
promoting work, fostering local autonomy, and seeking synergies.
Through this study, we build upon theoretical understandings
of SFD management roles and paradoxes. Further, we offer
practical insight into the challenges and strategies of managing
SFD hybrids.
ongoing support from the national governing body and were provided with infrastructure and equipment to conduct local training sessions. Changes in netball participation, recreational physical activity, body composition, mental wellbeing and socio-ecological determinants of physical activity
were compared between intervention and comparison villages using a univariate ANOVA. The intervention reached women who participated in little recreational physical activity and had poor physical and mental wellbeing. Program uptake was higher in villages with the strongest social
support for netball participation. Local social support and capacity to independently organize netball activities increased. There were concurrent improvements in netball participation, physical activity levels, mental wellbeing and body weight in the intervention villages. Our findings support scaling up of the intervention in similar settings but preceding this with formative evaluation to identify low active communities that are “primed” to participate in the proposed activity.
intergroup contact theory (ICT) has rarely been applied to specifically
designed sport-for-development (SFD) interventions. As such, the purpose of this study is to demonstrate the suitability and applicability of ICT as a framework analyzing SFD interventions that aim to foster integrative social transformation. In this paper, we first situate ICT within the broader sport and SFD contexts before demonstrating the utility of ICT through a reflective analysis of League Bilong Laif (LBL), an education-focused SFD intervention in Papua New Guinea. Our examination of LBL demonstrates that ICT may well be a useful framework to design and deliver SFD interventions, particularly in the context of existing intergroup tensions.
To maximize opportunities for positive social impact, we propose the aspect of ‘cultural relevance and excitement potential’ as an additional critical condition for achieving meaningful intergroup development.
review of SFD literature, the authors first identify five theoretical and conceptual frameworks that have emerged from within the SFD space. As a second step, they analyze and discuss scholarly work that has utilized these theories and frameworks. Building on a comparison of key messages, themes, and concerns, the authors highlight that to date, limited SFD scholarship has truly applied, extended, or challenged existing frameworks and conceptualizations. Motivated by this review, they posit several conceptual advancements, and offer directions for future research and theoretical development.
Preview: https://www.routledge.com/Managing-and-Leveraging-Events-Business-and-Social-Dimensions/Schulenkorf-Schlenker-Rammal-Peachey-Morgan/p/book/9780367428273
Preview: https://www.routledge.com/Physical-Activity-in-Low--and-Middle-Income-Countries/Siefken-Varela-Waqanivalu-Schulenkorf/p/book/9780367362232
resulted in the evolution of increasingly complex organizational
environments. As such, these initiatives are often balancing divergent
goals such as financial, sport and community outcomes.
However, previous research provides minimal insight into how
SFD managers handle such tensions, and frequently oversimplifies
the realities of these conflicts. To address this knowledge gap, we
aim to explore the experiences of SFD managers employed within
Australian National Sporting Organizations engaged in SFD programming
across Asia and the Pacific. Adopting a basic qualitative
methodology, our findings demonstrate how managers are challenged
with complexities, tensions, and resourcing. Drawing upon
paradox theory, our results also highlight how managers navigate
these challenges, including scaling back programs, collaboration,
promoting work, fostering local autonomy, and seeking synergies.
Through this study, we build upon theoretical understandings
of SFD management roles and paradoxes. Further, we offer
practical insight into the challenges and strategies of managing
SFD hybrids.
ongoing support from the national governing body and were provided with infrastructure and equipment to conduct local training sessions. Changes in netball participation, recreational physical activity, body composition, mental wellbeing and socio-ecological determinants of physical activity
were compared between intervention and comparison villages using a univariate ANOVA. The intervention reached women who participated in little recreational physical activity and had poor physical and mental wellbeing. Program uptake was higher in villages with the strongest social
support for netball participation. Local social support and capacity to independently organize netball activities increased. There were concurrent improvements in netball participation, physical activity levels, mental wellbeing and body weight in the intervention villages. Our findings support scaling up of the intervention in similar settings but preceding this with formative evaluation to identify low active communities that are “primed” to participate in the proposed activity.
intergroup contact theory (ICT) has rarely been applied to specifically
designed sport-for-development (SFD) interventions. As such, the purpose of this study is to demonstrate the suitability and applicability of ICT as a framework analyzing SFD interventions that aim to foster integrative social transformation. In this paper, we first situate ICT within the broader sport and SFD contexts before demonstrating the utility of ICT through a reflective analysis of League Bilong Laif (LBL), an education-focused SFD intervention in Papua New Guinea. Our examination of LBL demonstrates that ICT may well be a useful framework to design and deliver SFD interventions, particularly in the context of existing intergroup tensions.
To maximize opportunities for positive social impact, we propose the aspect of ‘cultural relevance and excitement potential’ as an additional critical condition for achieving meaningful intergroup development.
review of SFD literature, the authors first identify five theoretical and conceptual frameworks that have emerged from within the SFD space. As a second step, they analyze and discuss scholarly work that has utilized these theories and frameworks. Building on a comparison of key messages, themes, and concerns, the authors highlight that to date, limited SFD scholarship has truly applied, extended, or challenged existing frameworks and conceptualizations. Motivated by this review, they posit several conceptual advancements, and offer directions for future research and theoretical development.
Methods: Tonga Netball’s “lowengagement village program” was implemented in 10 villages and aimed to increase the recreational PA levels in women and girls through a comprehensive, structured community-level netball program addressing key barriers to participation. In a mixedmethods approach, these mediating barriers were identified through qualitative interviews based on the socioecological model. Quantitative measures for mediators and recreational PA were then developed, and data from 301 women and girls were collected. Standard mediation analyses methods were then applied.
Results: Program participation appeared to significantly increase PA levels. Statistically significant personal mediators were body issues, preferring competitions, and clothing. Social mediators were support from sports council, community leaders, friends, and church. Environmental mediators were travel time and access to balls, bibs, and umpires.
Conclusion: A comprehensive community-level program addressing key participation barriers can increase recreational PA among women and girls in Tonga. Triangulating these results with mediation analyses of variables on the causal pathway can strengthen our understanding of causation and inform funding prioritization for critical program components in similar contexts.