P20 Public Value of Sport in the Era of Polycrises

Panel Chairs

Corresponding and Review group chair Co-Chair

• Gianluca ANTONUCCI, G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara. gianluca.antonucci@unich.it

Co-Chairs

• KUDO Hiroko, Faculty of Law, Chuo University, Japan. 
• Elisabetta TRINCHERO, SDA Bocconi, Bocconi University, Milan. 
• David HEROLD, Centre for Future Enterprise QUT Faculty of Business and Law | QUT. 

Panel Topic Description

Public administrations today operate in an increasingly complex and unsettled landscape, where crises rarely unfold in isolation. Climate change, geopolitical tensions, demographic shifts, digital transformation, fiscal constraints, public health emergencies, social inequalities and challenges to democratic governance interact in ways that amplify uncertainty and place growing pressure on institutional capacity.

Within this context, sport and physical activity represent a relevant, yet still underexplored, field for public management research.

Sport provides indeed an important arena for analysing how public administrations engage with complex societal problems that cut across policy sectors and levels of government. Public bodies often play a direct or indirect role in promoting grassroots sport, physical activity and active recreation, especially where these activities contribute to health promotion, social inclusion, community development and sustainability. Namely, sport is not only a domain of leisure, competition or entertainment. It is also a public policy arena through which governments, public organizations, communities and civil society actors may address some of the most pressing societal challenges of our time. Sport can indeed contribute to public value creation through citizens’ health, social inclusion, community well-being, active ageing, youth engagement, sustainability.

Particularly, in an age of polycrises, sport may become a strategic enabler of resilience. Grassroots sport, physical activity programmes, community-based sport initiatives and sport infrastructures can help public administrations to strengthening social connectedness, promote healthier lifestyles, support vulnerable groups, reduce isolation and foster trust among citizens and institutions. These functions are particularly relevant when public organizations are asked to respond simultaneously to polycrises arising by the simultaneous presence of aspects such as health risks, demographic ageing, sedentary lifestyles, social fragmentation, climate-related disruptions, pressures on public service delivery.

Moreover, the above-mentioned aspect cannot be addressed by single organizations or policy sectors alone. Sport might therefore offer a valuable perspective for addressing these wicked problems and grand challenges, by favouring integrated governance arrangements, collaboration across public, private, non-profit and civic actors, as well as the capacity to mobilize citizens as co-producers of public value.

Lastly, sport organizations contribute to safer and stronger communities by promoting social cohesion, preventing exclusion, supporting mental and physical health, and providing structured spaces for participation and collective engagement.

This panel therefore welcomes a broad range of methodological approaches, inviting scholars to explore how sport can contribute to public value, community resilience, safety and well-being in the age of polycrises. It seeks to advance public management debates by positioning sport as a policy domain where contemporary challenges of governance, resilience, inclusion, security become visible and analytically fruitful.

Relevance to Public Management Scholarship and/or Conference Theme

The proposed panel is directly connected to the IRSPM 2027 conference theme, as it examines sport as a strategic public management field through which administrations may respond to polycrises, wicked problems and grand challenges.

First, sport contributes to the governance of polycrises by addressing multiple intersecting public problems. Public health, ageing, social isolation, youth disengagement, climate sustainability, digital sedentary behaviours and inequalities are increasingly interconnected. Sport and physical activity policies can help public administrations develop integrated responses that combine health promotion, inclusion, education, sustainability and community development.

Second, sport is highly relevant to safety and security. Sport activities, facilities and events require risk governance, preparedness, emergency planning, crowd management, child protection, safeguarding, cybersecurity and information security. At the same time, sport can contribute to safer communities by strengthening social bonds, preventing exclusion and creating spaces for participation, trust and collective belonging.

Third, sport provides an important context for analysing resilience. Grassroots sport organizations, local clubs, voluntary associations and community initiatives often operate as relational infrastructures that sustain social connectedness and mutual support during periods of uncertainty. They may help communities absorb, adapt to and recover from crises, while also contributing to long-term well-being.