Cogent Business & Management

Bribery Risk Management in Sport Organizations

Currently, anti-bribery management has gained traction and recognition. Many companies in the business sector have implemented tools to combat bribery, mostly oriented on prevention and risk mitigation. However, evidence shows that outcomes vary depending on sectors of the economy. Some sectors are stricter and more oriented on effectiveness. This Article Collection focuses on the sport industry and aims to explore if sport organizations have an advantage in implementation of anti-bribery measures since their stakeholders are operating with integral core values such as integrity, ethics and fair play. Therefore, risk management perspectives can be applied to explore this assumption. This research can contribute to current knowledge in various topics such as sport management, anti-bribery management, ethics, stakeholder management and risk management.

Bribery along with other anti-social behavior have plagued societies since their development. History shows various examples of how bribery can distort a business environment. On the other hand, research has also provided many tools to combat bribery. However, the implementation of these measures has been challenging and the levels of success vary. Bribery still prevails and distorts business environments. The importance of anti-bribery research is significant.

Organizations operating in the sport sector are unique in many ways, most significantly they can be characterized by the significance of stakeholder pressure and public scrutiny. Sport is closely observed by both professionals and members of public. As such, any bribery related incidents are harshly criticized and can destroy the organization and its members. On one side the sport industry can be characterized by strong code of fair play, integrity and ethics. However, there is also the opposite side that includes sport’s intense competition, money flows, sponsorships, gambling links, opaque governance, player transfers, event bidding, and federation politics may create distinctive bribery risks.  Therefore, focus on bribery prevention is not just a tool to protect image but should be considered an existential protection.

The topic of this Article Collection integrates various subtopics that provide a platform for interdisciplinary research. Anti-bribery measures can be explored from various approaches such as economics, law, business, psychology and sociology or social sciences. Therefore, the subtopics incorporate bribery risk assessment in sport federations, ISO 37001 in sport organizations, procurement and event-hosting corruption, betting-related bribery, sponsorship and conflicts of interest, governance failures in clubs/leagues, whistleblowing systems, stakeholder pressure, compliance culture, and comparative sector studies. Both research studies and case studies are welcome.

When submitting to this Collection, please select the section "Accounting, Corporate Governance & Business Ethics," and the title of the Collection when prompted.

Lenka Veselovská is a lecturer and researcher form Slovakia. Her research focus has been on risk management and more currently, anti-bribery management systems. She has published more than 100 scientific publications. Since 2020 she has also served as an expert on anti-bribery management systems for Slovak nation accreditation service.

The Guest Advisor does not have conflicts of interest to disclose.

For more information about this Collection, please reach out to the Commissioning Editor, Dr. Molly Cole, at [email protected].