Organizational Communication and Sport: Connections, Applications, and Opportunities
By (Author) Jimmy Sanderson
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Bloomsbury Academic
22nd January 2026
United Kingdom
Professional and Scholarly
Non Fiction
Sports management and facilities
Organizational theory and behaviour
Business communication, etiquette and presentation
Hardback
288
Width 152mm, Height 229mm
This edited volume illustrates the function of communication within sport organizations, offering analyses of multiple facets of the industry. Contributors examine a variety of cases including whistleblowing, athlete safeguarding, sexual harassment scandals, leadership, marketing, and social justice advocacy, among others.
Throughout this volume, contributors argue that communication plays a significant role in the operation and management of sports organizations, demonstrating the complex and challenging functions it serves in a continually-evolving landscape. The book provides a diverse approach to the study of organizational communication in sport contexts, highlighting the unique communicative challenges that leaders in the industry face, given the high visibility of sport and the significant media attention directed toward players, teams, and audiences. An internationally-diverse roster of contributors offers nuanced perspectives on how sport organizations manage communication functions through a selection of contemporary case studies that build upon existing research, discussing both practical and theoretical implications and directions for future research on the organizational communication dynamics within the sport industry.
Organizational Communication and Sport is an essential compendium focused on the at-times overlooked (but vitally important) area of the communication that is done within, by, and through sport organizations. Led by one of our fields leading scholars, Sanderson has assembled a notable collection of 21 scholars who cover a wide variety of organizational topics (whistleblowing, technology, culture, mental health, leadership, law, marketing, etc.). This collection is a valuable, timely, and quality contribution to the body of knowledge in sport communication. * Paul M. Pedersen, Professor of Sport Management, Indiana University Bloomington, USA *
Through a varied set of cross-disciplinary voices this volume effectively represents the traditional mechanisms of communication in organizations with coverage spanning whistleblowing, socialization, organizational culture, leadership, and sexual harassment and provides important insight into how these phenomena play out in sport organizations. It also effectively tackles current and contemporary issues like athlete abuse, athlete mental health, social justice, and sports betting that have become pronounced concerns that sports organizations must manage communicatively. Through ample examples and appropriate case studies, contributors to the volume effectively address the current state of affairs at the intersection of sport and organizational communication. * Jeffrey W. Kassing, Professor of Communication Studies, Arizona State University, USA *
Dr. Jimmy Sanderson has compiled a powerhouse group of scholars and timely topics for this engaging read. Jimmy is always ahead of the curve on what is trending in communication and sport, and his big-picture insights are beautifully seen in the overview as the architect/editor of this important book. There are excellent chapters that will be valuable both within and outside of the classroom. An outstanding edited book that will be of great benefit for organizational communication and sport scholars for years to come. * Blair W. Browning, Professor of Communication Studies, Baylor University, USA *
Jimmy Sanderson is Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management at Texas Tech University, USA. His research interests focus on social media and its impact for sport organizations and sport stakeholders.