Editor-in-Chief Lecture
Author
Professor of Sport Management. University of Guilan , Rasht, Iran
Abstract
In research, theory means that the research process is not a chaotic collection of opinions, ideas, and methods. Theory should be used as a theoretical framework for the entire project. If research is not theory-based, it tends to become merely descriptive, whereas sport management requires research evidence that is more strongly grounded in theory. In quantitative studies, research questions are usually derived from an existing theory or a combination of related theories that determine the hypothesis, research protocol, and interpretation of results. Of course, this does not necessarily need to be definitively established from the very beginning of the project; in fact, a theoretical approach may evolve as the project progresses. A theory that we initially believed would help answer the questions may not fully do so, and therefore we may shift our focus to a complementary theoretical approach. In qualitative studies, theory is a key and inseparable part of the research, and distinguishing between theory and method is almost impossible.
Alongside the contribution of theory to research, investment should also be made in theory-building studies. This includes developing existing theories or generating new theories, which, especially in relation to sport management, may potentially have broader applications as well. An important point is that research, conducted without following a specific research trend or direction, cannot provide the foundation for theory construction. Although doctoral dissertations, qualitative and review studies, and even the development of research-based books can be highly beneficial, this issue requires the research specialization among scholars in the field of sport management. Only in this way can the development of specialized human capital and the professional deepening of sport management be achieved. Unlike other specialized fields in sport sciences, sport management developed within departments of physical education and sport sciences. Although some management scholars contributed to this field, most of them were not particularly interested in sport studies. In contrast, specialists in sociology, psychology, and biological sciences became more interested in sport studies, whereas such a foundation did not exist for management researchers. Therefore, sport management scholars and researchers still have much work ahead to expand their perspectives and theoretical foundations. Sport management researchers must emphasize these theories in order to achieve unity and coherence among theory, research, and practice.
Theory-driven and theory-building research contributes to the legitimacy and credibility of sport management. Sport management researchers should borrow theoretical frameworks and research tools from other disciplines, modify and develop them, or create new theories in sport management that are purposefully aligned with this field, so that, like sport psychology and sport sociology, they may provide specialized theories of their own. At present, however, sport management still requires years of hard work and qualitative research to develop its own specific theories. Some researchers believe that the field is currently in the stage of stabilizing and testing hypotheses before it can present its own interdisciplinary theory. Therefore, the lack of theoretical foundations and the limited practical applicability of research in this field may diminish the status of sport management within the academic system and among scholars.
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