The Study of business and football: an overview of the nature of the literature

Abstract

I have recently completed a management-orientated research project in the study field of football. Several students have asked me to suggest helpful academic sources. This occasional paper is a direct response to these enquiries and aims to assist any Business School students undertaking football related dissertations and projects. Although some aspects of the game are well served by literature for other topics there are “black holes”: not least in the area of management and business. This paper provides some guidance in this respect and classifies the nature and content of key academic and other contributions. It also explains how non-academic literature could be utilised. Finally, appendices list useful points of enquiry and an extended bibliography.