Research Handbook of Employment Relations in Sport

Research Handbooks in Business and Management series

Edited by Michael Barry, Professor, Department of Employment Relations and Human Resources, Griffith University, Australia, James Skinner, Institute for Sport Business, Loughborough University London, UK and Terry Engelberg, James Cook University, Australia

Employment relations, much discussed in other industries, has often been neglected in professional sports despite its unique characteristics. The book aims to explore in detail the unique nature of the employment relationship in professional sports and the sport industry.

‘A new addition to the growing area of sport-industry-specific texts, Research Handbook of Employment Relations in Sport brings to light an understudied topic in a fashion that can be easily understood by sport management or communications students, regardless of their background in academia. Whether approaching from a researcher’s or practitioner’s perspective in the sport management industry, this handbook provides a compelling case for further incorporation of employment relations (ER) scholarship into sport-industry-based research. . . . The contents of this Research Handbook are a must-read for those hoping to better understand the multitude of employment relationships happening within the sport industry. . . . This edited Research Handbook presents historical and modern issues that need to be studied and discussed by sport practitioners as the questions surrounding ER in sport happen on a continuum in sporting environments across the globe. While readers of this text may find interest in individual chapters, a complete read of the volume will provide a much more comprehensive understanding of legal, regulatory, and economic considerations that are in need of further research. . . . Through reading these texts, sport communication practitioners will better understand athletes and professionals with whom they will interact and work.‘
– Ryan Turcott, University of Georgia, US and International Journal of Sport Communication

‘This book is a long overdue investigation of an important, but neglected, aspect of sport management. The editors have not only assembled a set of international contributors who are leaders in their respective fields, but they have also identified the employment relations issues of central concern to those studying sport management. This book should be on the shelf of every sport management researcher.’
– Barrie Houlihan, Loughborough University, UK