Sports Management As an Emerging Economic Activity ― Trends and Best Practices

Sports activity is a rapidly growing and evolving industry, offering numerous business opportunities--from the manufacturing of sporting equipment and activity at gyms and sports centers to revenue from sporting events and sport tourism. In order for the varied businesses across the sport industry, whether public or private, to be successful, proper management strategies and policies must be in place. This includes the knowledge of the industry, strategic planning, sector analysis, quality management and sustainable (economic and environmental) use of resources. Featuring case examples from several countries, including Spain, Turkey, Uruguay, Portugal, and Italy, this volume provides international perspectives on a wide spectrum of managerial issues across this dynamic industry.

Marta Peris-Ortiz is Professor at Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (Polytechnic University of Valencia). Her current research is focused on the topics of Entrepreneurship, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, Innovation, Knowledge Management and Education Innovation. She has published articles in journals such as Journal Business Research, Management Decision, Service Industries Journal, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Service Business, European Journal of International Management, Journal of International Change Management, International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, and Non Profit Management and Leadership among others, and is also a reviewer.

She has been Guest Editor of Management Decision, European Journal and International Management, Service Industries Journal, Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Small Business Economics and Journal of Knowledge Economy among others. She is on the editorial board of several journals of relevant international prestige. She has been President in different International Conferences and she has been executive secretary of the International Network of Business and Management Journals.

Marta Peris-Ortiz has been Editor of several books published by Springer such as Entrepreneurial Universities; Sustainable Learning in Higher Education; Innovation and Teaching Technologies; Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Crisis; Entrepreneurship, Regional Development and Culture; New Challenges in Entrepreneurship and Finances; Management Innovation; Strategies in E-Business and, Cooperation and Networks In Small Business Strategy; among others. Since 2016, she has been a member of the DEVA agency evaluator group, responsible for evaluating degrees and masters in Andalucia (Spain).

Jose Alvarez-Garcia is Assistant Professor and Researcher at the Department of Financial Economics and Accounting of the Faculty of Business, Finances and Tourism at the University of Extremadura, Caceres, Spain. He is part of the staff of several national and international Masters in the field of Tourism, Business and Introduction to Research, including Official University Master's in Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship (University of Vigo) and Master MBA Executive of Business Administration & Management (Business School Caixa Nova).

Jose is the author of numerous research articles in national and international journals such as Revista de Administracao de Empresas (RAE), Revista Brasileira de Gestao de Negocios - Review of Business Management, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, Sustainability, Current Issues in Tourism, Revista de Ciencias Sociales (RCS), among others. He has served as guest editor of Tourism and Hospitality International Journal (THIJ) and Enlightening Tourism (ET). Jose has also co-edited several books published by Springer: Action-Based Quality Management (2014), Achieving Advantage through Quality Management (2015) and Health and Wellness Tourism.

Jose has been a member of the Executive Committee and Directorate of the multinational Conagra Food in Spain, with an antiquity in the same, for 20 years, until 2008. At present, he collaborates in the audit teams of the National Agency for the Evaluation of Quality and Accreditation (ANECA) in the Program ACREDITA PLUS as an expert in quality in Spain and with the Agencia de Avaliacao e Acreditacao do Ensino Superior of Portugal in External Evaluation Commissions of Degree Titles.

Maria de la Cruz del Rio-Rama is Assistant Professor and Researcher at the Business Organisation and Marketing Department of the University of Vigo- Campus of Ourense, Galicia, Spain. She is the author of numerous research articles in national and international journals such as Revista de Administracao de Empresas (RAE), Revista Brasileira de Gestao de Negocios - Review of Business Management, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, Sustainability, Current Issues in Tourism, and Revista de Ciencias Sociales (RCS), among others. She has also been co-editor of the book Wine and Tourism (Springer, 2016). She has also served as guest editor of Tourism and Hospitality International Journal (THIJ) and Enlightening Tourism (ET).