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SMGT30300

Academic Year 2025/2026

Sports Ethics and Governance (SMGT30300)

Subject:
Sports Management
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Public Hlth, Phys & Sports Sci
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Tom Fabian
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

There is a reason why ethics are known to have “grey” areas. There is always more than one side to an issue. This module is designed to elaborate on these perspectives, allowing students to explore and analyze historical and hypothetical decisions affecting events, opportunities, and stakeholders in the sports industry. Through an investigation of ethical and governance issues in sport, students will provide the foundational arguments and ultimate outcomes of their learning experience. In preparation for careers in the sports industry, sport management professionals should be aware of the ethical debates and legal ramifications imposed upon the field and develop a skillset that can aid in resolving such situations. Topics will include fair play, fandom, human rights, corruption, violence, doping, and sustainability.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Understand the significant ethical and legal issues affecting the sports industry.
2. Develop a critical awareness of the moral and ethical bases of decision-making in sport management.
3. Comprehend and advocate for diverse perspectives on both historical and hypothetical cases.
4. Research and develop well-founded arguments for ethical and legal issues.
5. Enhance teamwork, communication, and critical thinking skills.

Indicative Module Content:

Behaviour: Fan, parent, volunteer, and coach management
Fairness: Competitiveness, cheating, and sports/gamespersonship
Governance: Corruption in local, national, and international sports governance
Identity: Equity, diversity, and inclusion (including all self- and societally-imposed identity markers)
Law: Legal precedents and legislating sport
Marketing: Sportswashing, corporate social responsibility, and the sports-media complex
Money: Finances, gambling, and commercial impacts
Risks: Violence, doping, and human rights
Sustainability : Environmentalism, climate action, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Seminar (or Webinar)

24
Specified Learning Activities

65
Autonomous Student Learning

36
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Examination of ethical theories and legal precedents through mini lectures and readings will form the context of the module. A structured debate league, however, will comprise the majority of the learning environment. Students will be divided into teams for the duration of the trimester and debate a different team each week based on specific case studies pertaining to the topic of the week. The last weeks of the trimester will comprise the league playoffs, with bonus marks, guest judges, and relevant sport industry cases. Debates improve research, communication, and critical thinking skills, while enticing students to engage in deeper ethical reflection. Students will learn debate styles, how to defend oppositional arguments, and the merits of approaching ethical conundrums from multiple perspectives.

An alternative linear conversion grade scale is used for this module.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Group Work Assignment: Team debates and weekly research reports Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10 Graded No
80
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: In-class participation in discussions and completion of personality assessment Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
20
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

After each debate, groups will receive oral or written feedback either in-class, after class, or via email.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 31 Fri 10:00 - 11:50
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 24, 30 Mon 09:00 - 11:50
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, 29 Mon 10:00 - 11:50
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 22 Tues 09:30 - 11:30
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 29, 32, 33 Wed 10:00 - 11:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20 Wed 10:00 - 12:50
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