The intersection of sport management and sociology of sport research: A social network perspective

Numerous scholars have highlighted important connections between the sport management and sociology of sport disciplines. Heeding calls from scholars in both fields to utilize social network analysis as a lens of inquiry, the purpose of the current study was to empirically explore the relationship between sport management and sociology of sport via coauthorship patterns. Specifically, we analyzed coauthorship patterns in three of the oldest and most highly regarded journals in each field from 1987 to 2009. Through the use of social network analysis, the descriptive results present a view of coauthorship patterns in both fields and highlight influential actors in the network who appear to transcend and connect both disciplines. The information yielded by this research provides insight useful for exploring the historical development of the fields, assessing the current state of the fields, and imagining how the fields might grow and prosper in the future.

► Important connections exist between sport management and sociology of sport.
► Empirical evidence of these connections is found in coauthorship patterns.
► Certain scholars act as key connectors in the fields.
► Rates of collaboration have been rising in sport management.
► The future relationship between these fields is ripe for further collaboration.