Tesi etd-02202026-142628
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Tipo di tesi
Corso di Dottorato (D.M.226/2021)
Autore
DI TULLIO, NICOLÒ
Indirizzo email
nicolo.ditullio@gmail.com
URN
etd-02202026-142628
Titolo
Sustainability governance in sport systems: scientific evidence, organizational practices and athletes’ perspectives
Settore scientifico disciplinare
SECS-P/08
Corso di studi
Istituto di Management - Ph.D. in Management Innovation, Sustainability and Healthcare
Relatori
relatore Prof. IRALDO, FABIO
Parole chiave
- sport
- management della sostenibilità
- sustainability management
- sport ecology
- sport management
- sustainability sport management
Data inizio appello
02/04/2026;
Disponibilità
parziale
Riassunto analitico
This doctoral dissertation investigates the role of sport as a strategic domain for advancing environmental sustainability through governance mechanisms, organizational practices, and athlete behavior. Positioned at the intersection of sport management and sustainability studies, the thesis conceptualizes sport not only as an activity affected by environmental change, but also as a social system capable of influencing environmental outcomes through decision-making, stakeholder engagement, and everyday practices. By combining qualitative and quantitative empirical approaches with a comprehensive synthesis of existing knowledge, the dissertation contributes to the fields of Innovation and Sustainability Management by offering an integrated, multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions in sport.
The first empirical chapter provides a systematic literature review of literature reviews on environmental sustainability in sport management and sport science. By analyzing 35 systematic and non-systematic reviews, the study offers a second-order synthesis of the field, mapping its intellectual structure and identifying key thematic and methodological trends. The bibliometric and content analyses reveal a fragmented and uneven body of knowledge, with a strong predominance of studies addressing sport’s impacts on the natural environment, and comparatively limited attention to the reciprocal effects of environmental change on sport, educational pathways for sustainability, and theoretical or conceptual development. Four main thematic clusters are identified—Sport on Nature, Nature on Sport, Education, and Conceptual papers—highlighting the need for stronger theoretical grounding, greater methodological diversity, and deeper integration between sport management scholarship and sustainability science.
The second empirical chapter adopts a qualitative case-study approach to explore environmental governance and management practices within European canoe and kayak federations. Based on eight semi-structured interviews with representatives of national federations, the analysis examines how sustainability is interpreted, operationalized, and constrained within federated sport systems. The findings reveal that environmental initiatives are often driven by motivated individuals rather than formalized strategies, with substantial variation across federations in terms of resources, expertise, and institutional commitment. While some organizations have developed innovative practices related to event management, waste reduction, or ecosystem protection, others display limited engagement due to structural and capacity-related barriers. The chapter contributes to the sport governance literature by illuminating the micro-dynamics of environmental management and the challenges of aligning grassroots initiatives with national and supranational governance frameworks.
The third empirical chapter shifts the analytical focus to athletes, presenting quantitative evidence from a cross-country survey conducted within the Erasmus+ DECK project in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Greece. Drawing on responses from competitive canoe and kayak athletes, the study examines perceptions of climate change and pollution risks, perceived environmental impacts of paddlesport activities and events, evaluations of sustainability measures adopted by event organizers and sport clubs, and self-reported pro-environmental practices and engagement. Using descriptive and comparative analyses based on ordinal Likert-scale measures, the chapter highlights both convergences and cross-national differences in perceptions and behaviors. The results suggest a widespread awareness of environmental threats and impacts, alongside more heterogeneous evaluations of organizational responses and individual engagement, pointing to gaps between sustainability aspirations and perceived implementation in practice.
Taken together, the three empirical chapters demonstrate that sustainability in sport is shaped by the interaction between governance structures, organizational capacity, and individual behavior. The dissertation advances sport management research by integrating evidence across levels of analysis—literature, organizations, and athletes—and by focusing on an underexplored set of nature-based sports. It shows that paddlesports offer a particularly revealing context for studying environmental sustainability, given their direct dependence on aquatic ecosystems and their exposure to climate- and pollution-related pressures.
The concluding chapter synthesizes the findings and reflects on their theoretical, managerial, and policy implications. It argues for a more holistic and stakeholder-informed approach to sustainability in sport management, one that recognizes athletes not only as participants but also as potential agents of change within sustainability transitions. Limitations related to sport-specific focus and self-reported data are acknowledged, and directions for future research are proposed, including cross-sport comparisons, longitudinal designs, and the integration of behavioral data with organizational and environmental performance indicators. Overall, the dissertation positions sport as a meaningful arena for sustainability-oriented innovation and governance, capable of contributing to broader societal transitions toward environmentally responsible development.
The first empirical chapter provides a systematic literature review of literature reviews on environmental sustainability in sport management and sport science. By analyzing 35 systematic and non-systematic reviews, the study offers a second-order synthesis of the field, mapping its intellectual structure and identifying key thematic and methodological trends. The bibliometric and content analyses reveal a fragmented and uneven body of knowledge, with a strong predominance of studies addressing sport’s impacts on the natural environment, and comparatively limited attention to the reciprocal effects of environmental change on sport, educational pathways for sustainability, and theoretical or conceptual development. Four main thematic clusters are identified—Sport on Nature, Nature on Sport, Education, and Conceptual papers—highlighting the need for stronger theoretical grounding, greater methodological diversity, and deeper integration between sport management scholarship and sustainability science.
The second empirical chapter adopts a qualitative case-study approach to explore environmental governance and management practices within European canoe and kayak federations. Based on eight semi-structured interviews with representatives of national federations, the analysis examines how sustainability is interpreted, operationalized, and constrained within federated sport systems. The findings reveal that environmental initiatives are often driven by motivated individuals rather than formalized strategies, with substantial variation across federations in terms of resources, expertise, and institutional commitment. While some organizations have developed innovative practices related to event management, waste reduction, or ecosystem protection, others display limited engagement due to structural and capacity-related barriers. The chapter contributes to the sport governance literature by illuminating the micro-dynamics of environmental management and the challenges of aligning grassroots initiatives with national and supranational governance frameworks.
The third empirical chapter shifts the analytical focus to athletes, presenting quantitative evidence from a cross-country survey conducted within the Erasmus+ DECK project in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Greece. Drawing on responses from competitive canoe and kayak athletes, the study examines perceptions of climate change and pollution risks, perceived environmental impacts of paddlesport activities and events, evaluations of sustainability measures adopted by event organizers and sport clubs, and self-reported pro-environmental practices and engagement. Using descriptive and comparative analyses based on ordinal Likert-scale measures, the chapter highlights both convergences and cross-national differences in perceptions and behaviors. The results suggest a widespread awareness of environmental threats and impacts, alongside more heterogeneous evaluations of organizational responses and individual engagement, pointing to gaps between sustainability aspirations and perceived implementation in practice.
Taken together, the three empirical chapters demonstrate that sustainability in sport is shaped by the interaction between governance structures, organizational capacity, and individual behavior. The dissertation advances sport management research by integrating evidence across levels of analysis—literature, organizations, and athletes—and by focusing on an underexplored set of nature-based sports. It shows that paddlesports offer a particularly revealing context for studying environmental sustainability, given their direct dependence on aquatic ecosystems and their exposure to climate- and pollution-related pressures.
The concluding chapter synthesizes the findings and reflects on their theoretical, managerial, and policy implications. It argues for a more holistic and stakeholder-informed approach to sustainability in sport management, one that recognizes athletes not only as participants but also as potential agents of change within sustainability transitions. Limitations related to sport-specific focus and self-reported data are acknowledged, and directions for future research are proposed, including cross-sport comparisons, longitudinal designs, and the integration of behavioral data with organizational and environmental performance indicators. Overall, the dissertation positions sport as a meaningful arena for sustainability-oriented innovation and governance, capable of contributing to broader societal transitions toward environmentally responsible development.
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