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Introduction 

As a fundamentally applied social science, sport management scholars frequently draw upon specific cases to explore or explain their research questions. As illustrated by Flyvbjerg (2011), case studies of individuals, groups, organizations, communities, schemes, activities, and events are crucial for highlighting and exploring important issues, anchoring societal process in tangible manner, and emphasizing stakeholder experiences. Despite the wide use of cases in research and teaching, many colleagues hesitate to accept case study as a legitimate approach to knowledge production and dissemination. An initial review of publications in leading sport management and marketing journals from 2013 to 2023 indicates that case studies are relatively scarce (e.g., Clark & Misener, 2015; Heinze et al., 2014; Park et al., 2020; Taks et al., 2014). Attempts to publish case studies in these journals often encounter concerns about research design, reliance on a single participant, a small group, or a particular setting, researcher bias and idiosyncrasy, and the lack of generalisability (Gerring, 2004; Hodgetts & Stolte, 2012). Many colleagues view case studies as a softer option, capable of raising interesting insights but does not constituting a valid and reliable research endeavor.

Regarding the power of case study in generalization, Gerring (2004) argued that the ultimate goal of research is to generate, further, and generalize theories, not merely to pursue statistical generalization. As a primary approach for “intensive” research, case studies allow us to investigate a specific social event, situation, or condition, and to provide insights into the underlying concepts and processes that explain how the specific event occur (Hodgetts & Stolte, 2012). This approach enables researchers to build or develop theories by collecting and synthesizing comprehensive, systematic, and in-depth information from multiple data sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents (Gerring, 2004; Hodgetts & Stolte, 2012). In sport management research, scholars employed case studies to do such as obtaining in-depth findings in social inclusions in sport organizations (Maxwell et al., 2013), examining evolution of corporate social responsibility in professional sport organizations (Heinze et al., 2014), and identifying sport events portfolio for urban development (Clark & Misener, 2015; Taks et al., 2014). Beyond the pursuit of thorough interpretive understanding, the case study, as a legitimate scientific research method, serves as a vital foundation for theory inquiry from the real-life context. The significance of case study in theory conceptualization underlines the long-standing advocacy for developing theories originating from the field of sport management (Cunnignham, 2013; Zeigler, 2007). 

The aim of this special issue of the International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship (IJSMS) is to promote the case study as a scientific research method in sport marketing to a broader audience of sport management studies. This special issue invites contributions that advance our understanding of both empirical studies using this approach and methodologies for conducting case study.

List of topic areas

This special issue is intended not only for researchers but also for practitioners. By fostering a deeper understanding, we aim to enhance both theoretical knowledge and practical application in sport marketing and sponsorship. We invite submissions that are pioneering in thought and practice, offering innovative perspectives in research and practice. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Application of case study in new technologies in sports marketing and sponsorships.
• Use of case study in developing sports marketing strategies and implications.
• Use of case study for strategies in hosting sporting events.
• Case studies addressing recent incidents in sports marketing initiatives.
• Analyses of one or more sports marketing or sponsorship issues using case study methods.
• Ethical considerations and implications of conducting case studies in sport marketing
• Development and application of case study across various sport marketing contexts.
• Analyses of sport marketing phenomena, topics, or issues via case study.
• Inductive inquiries by using case study as a research method for exploring theoretical conceptualization.
• Deductive inquires by using case study as a research method for exploring theoretical applications.
• Comparative case study analyses of traditional and new sports marketing and sponsorship initiatives in sporting events to highlight outcomes and areas for improvement.
• Comparative analyses to dissect marketing process and analyse the reasons that cause and channel differences and effectiveness.
• Development and application of case study methodologies in sport marketing contexts.

 

Guest Editors

Dr. Yehan Zhang, 
Shanghai University of Sport, China, 
[email protected]
 
Dr. Lei Luo, 
Shanghai University of Sport, China, 
[email protected]

Dr. Ruth M Crabtree, 
Sheffield Hallam University, UK, 
[email protected]

Dr. James J. Zhang (Corresponding Guest Editor), 
University of Georgia, USA, 
[email protected]

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available by clicking the button below.
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Author guidelines must be strictly followed.
Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”. 
Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

 

Key Deadlines

Opening date for manuscript submissions: 19 August 2024
Closing date for manuscript submissions: 15 February 2025    
Email for submission information: [email protected]