About the Journal
The Journal of Leadership in Sport and Management (JLSM) explores the multifaceted landscape of sports leadership and management, transcending theoretical boundaries to delve into practical implications and real-world applications. Beyond theoretical exploration, the journal seeks to unravel the complexities of leadership in sports management by addressing strategic issues such as talent acquisition and retention, organizational culture development, branding and marketing strategies, financial management, and stakeholder engagement.
In its pursuit to bridge the gap between academia and the sports industry, JLSM endeavors to catalyze positive change within sports organizations. The journal aims to inform decision-making processes and contribute to continuously improving leadership practices in the dynamic sports environment by providing actionable insights and evidence-based recommendations.
Emphasizing a commitment to academic rigor, JLSM welcomes diverse contributions from authors with backgrounds spanning scholars, researchers, industry professionals, and practitioners. The journal values a balanced approach, placing equal importance on both theoretical rigor and practical relevance. The clear, accessible presentation of research findings is prioritized, and JLSM encourages a multidisciplinary approach to enrich the scholarly discourse on leadership in sports management, engaging a broad readership that extends well beyond the boundaries of academia.
Aims and Scope
The Journal of Leadership in Sport and Management (JLSM) is an international, peer-reviewed, Diamond Open Access journal dedicated to advancing knowledge in leadership, management, governance, and organizational studies within sport and physical activity contexts. The journal provides a forum for research that contributes to the theoretical understanding of sport organizations while also addressing contemporary challenges faced by sport leaders, managers, governing bodies, clubs, federations, and other organizations operating within the sport sector.
JLSM welcomes theoretically grounded and methodologically rigorous research representing diverse disciplinary and methodological perspectives. The journal encourages quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, theoretical, and review-based scholarship, as well as carefully developed case studies that provide a meaningful contribution to knowledge or professional practice.
The journal particularly welcomes research addressing:
- leadership theories, styles, practices, and development in sport;
- sport governance, policy, institutional structures, and decision-making;
- strategic management and organizational effectiveness;
- organizational behavior, culture, change, and innovation;
- human resource management, talent development, and workforce retention;
- athlete, coach, and staff leadership within sport organizations;
- diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in sport leadership and governance;
- ethics, integrity, accountability, and social responsibility;
- stakeholder management, partnerships, and community engagement;
- sport marketing, communication, branding, and consumer relationships;
- financial management, sustainability, and the economic dimensions of sport organizations;
- entrepreneurship, technology, digital transformation, and innovation in sport management;
- management and governance of sport events;
- leadership and management across professional, amateur, youth, para-sport, and community sport;
- comparative and international perspectives on sport leadership, management, and governance.
JLSM seeks contributions that move beyond description and provide a clear conceptual, empirical, methodological, or practical contribution to the field. Interdisciplinary research is particularly encouraged where it advances understanding of leadership and management phenomena within sport.
The journal publishes original research articles, review articles, theoretical and conceptual papers, case studies, commentaries, and editorials relevant to its scope.
JLSM is committed to rigorous and transparent scholarly publishing, editorial independence, research integrity, and research accessibility. All research articles submitted for consideration undergo independent peer review in accordance with the journal’s Peer Review Process and Editorial Policies.