The module aims to:

Enable students to synthesise concepts and theories from the breadth of sport business disciplines in order to critical evaluate practice within a range of sports organisations;

Introduce students to the practical sports business environment;

Develop reflective students that understand both the 'know-how' and 'know-why' functions of sports industries;

Develop confident students, able to adapt and apply their knowledge to a range of contexts.

(LO1) Students will be able to discuss the key reasons for differences in business practice within the sport industry, and identify overarching issues that impact on them.

(LO2) Students will demonstrate the ability to synthesise and critique theories and concepts from a breadth of sport business disciplines in order to appraise sport business practice.

(LO3) Students will be able to reflect critically on their own values, attributes and practice with regard to future career aims.

(LO4) Students will develop a sustainable appreciation of sports business practice to inform future management decision making.

(LO5) Students will be able to formulate alternative forms of 'practice' that are theoretically informed, and could be used to inspire more ethical and responsible sports business practice.

(S1) A problem solver.
Students will develop their ability to diagnose and address problems within a sports organisation through discussion with industry leaders and exposure to live cases.

(S2) Organised and able to work under pressure.
Students will learn from direct exposure to industry leaders and practitioners in terms of the pace of the industry, while module content and assessment deadlines will help refine organisation and delivery skills.

(S3) An excellent verbal and written communicator.
Assessments and group discussion boards will nurture strong verbal, visual and written communication skills.

(S4) Internationally aware.
Students will be encouraged to reflect and share their experiences with a broad range of other students and stakeholders through this module, discussing international differences, and how local, national and international factors constitute and influence practice in the global sport industry.

(S5) A lifelong learner.
By drawing from past experiences and industry insights, students will learn both the determinants of current practice, and the basis of future trends, helping to identify opportunities for reflection and continuous professional development.

(S6) Ethically aware.
Within the content discussions, guest speaker sessions and assessment, students will consider the ethical implications of the issues being analysed and the basis of their proposed solutions.

The module will primarily be delivered through eight e-lectures/seminars. Individual online tasks and discussion boards will be used to develop students’ learning; these will be moderated by the module tutor to provide feedback. Students will also be directed to key academic and practitioner readings to further develop their learning.

Unscheduled Directed Student Hours: 24 hours

Description: The e-Lectures/seminars will equate to 3 hours/week over 8 weeks, undertaken asynchronously.

Attendance Recorded: Yes – tracked via the learning platform.

Additionally, one scheduled synchronous seminar will be delivered (if there are issues with time zones another seminar will be provided).

Scheduled Directed Student Hours: 2 hours

Description: The scheduled seminar will equate to 2 hours undertaken synchronously. The date and time of the seminar will be confirmed at the start of the module.

Attendance Recorded: Yes – tracked via the learning platform.

Self-Directed Learning Hours: 124 hours

Description: This will involve directed and independent reading, independent research into sports organisations and assessment preparation.

Business practices will be critically evaluated in a range of organisations using guest speaker videos and case studies. These will include:

Private sport businesses;
Public/governance sport organisations;
Elite sports clubs.

A particular focus will be on the following themes:
Strategies and values of sport businesses in different sport industry sectors;
Sustainability and sport business practice.

The key themes of digital practice in sport organisations, fan engagement and sponsorship activation introduced in the module ‘Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, will be developed and explored through analysing business practice within the range of sports organisations examined in the module.

Contemporary issues: the study of business practice within sports organisations will highlight the key issues that are impacting on them. Consequently these will be determined according to the business environment at the time of the module delivery and the innovative practices being used to address them.