Managing Organizations for Sport and Physical Activity: A Systems Perspective

Written by Packianathan Chelladurai, one of the preeminent scholars and researchers in the field of sport management, this text presents a clear and concise treatment of the management of organizations in sport and physical activity.

The four functions of management-planning, organizing, leading, and evaluating- provide the general framework for the book. This organization, used in the majority of texts written for business students, represents the simplest and best approach to introduce students to the intricacies of management. For each function, Chelladurai uses relevant theory to explain why sport and physical activity managers do what they do, citing the theoretical models most relevant to the unique aspects of the sports industry. He also introduces readers to landmark studies in management giving particular emphasis to those in sport management.

In addition, Chelladurai provides numerous examples from the broad area of physical activity and sports, including professional sports, intercollegiate athletics, health clubs, sports clubs, consulting firms, and nonprofit sports/fitness programs. His examples also highlight management experiences in public, private, and third sector, profit and nonprofit, and small and large organizations.

Packianathan Chelladurai, or "Chella" as he is most widely and affectionately known, has clearly established himself as one of the pre-eminent scholars in sport management. Chella has left an indelible mark at two different world class universities, the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada, and The Ohio State University.

Chella's contributions have been recognized worldwide. Over the past three decades, Chella has become sport management's "international spokesperson." He has been invited to speak and consult on a worldwide basis, presenting at national and international conferences held in the Republic of South Africa, Korea, Netherlands, Japan, Hungary, France, England, and Spain among other countries. His influence has been felt in sport management associations in India, Japan and Europe, in addition to his significant contributions in both Canada and the United States.

Chella has established a prolific publishing record over the past thirty years. His articles have appeared in issues of the Journal of Sport Management, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Journal of Japan Society of Sports Industry, and European Journal for Sport Management. Chella's first textbook, Sport Management: Macro Perspectives was published in 1985. The text represented a clear departure from the norm of earlier texts in the field, integrating management theory with clear, practical applications for the field of sport management. In addition, he is author of HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN SPORT AND RECREATION, Human Kinetics, 1999.

The marriage of sound theory and excellent practice in the field of sport management has long been talked about but rarely achieved. Chella has dedicated his professional career to this goal and his most recent book, MANAGING ORGANIZATIONS FOR SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: A SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE, represents a giant step toward the achievement of this goal.