Risk Management in Sprots Teams in Eorope Versus Asia (Research Paper Sample)

RISK MANAGEMENT IN SPORTS TEAMS / BRANDS IN EUROPE VERSUS ASIA
Sports are among the most popular activities that human beings take part in. Team sports are among the most collaborative undertakings taken by people from diverse heritages. There are so many different types of sporting competitions that are regularly undertaken with different regions having their own preferences. Furthermore, certain regions are more adept at certain sports than others to the point that they have become synonymous. They are thought to cultivate discipline as a result of the enforcement of rules which takes place for the entire duration of a match or competition. Sports bring people together in harmony and are especially useful for an increasingly diverse world as seen in events such as the Olympics and the World Cup. Additionally, they are a proven method for keeping the human body physiologically and psychologically fit. Despite the multiple benefits associated with taking part in sports, not all outcomes that rose from it are of a positive nature. The commercialization of sports has meant that it has become more competitive than ever – this has since resulted in safety concerns rising with injuries becoming a commonplace occurrence among athletes.
Statement of the Problem
Risk management involves determination, analysis, and control of threats within any setting. It is a process which requires a multi-disciplinary approach involving several stakeholders who may be far removed. There are different methods used to manage risks in sports teams throughout regions all over the world. Europe and Asia are significant sporting regions with multi-billion investments being put into professional sports. As sports have grown more lucrative in the recent past, the level of competitiveness has similarly increased. Athletes have grown more aggressive as well with superlative performances attracting huge payloads. Therefore, it is no surprise to witness increased numbers of injuries taking place every sporting season. Alternatively, the gravity of injuries has also increased such that spectators regularly witness nerve-jarring damages to athletes’ careers. As a result, there is need for different sporting regions to exchange and compare the methods used in risk management per region so that areas of improvement are dealt with.
Time and Place of the Study
It will be primarily conducted in the university premises depending on the convenience of participants. Research for the study may be conducted by holding interviews in the lecture halls, cafeteria, or other accommodative spaces within the campus. However, interviews may also take place via email correspondence or phone calls hence the location notwithstanding.
The study will be conducted between the months of January and March it will be carried out in the year 2022. The time of the study is from the date of approval January 7th, 2022, to the date of presentation of the results for the final defense on March 29th.
Scope and Limitation of the Study
The scope of this study will be an examination of the risk management practices for sports teams in Europe versus those in Asia. However, the study will restrict itself to an investigation of select countries in order to represent the broad continents of both Europe and Asia. The sampling method that will be used is convenience sampling so as to suit the needs of participants. The focus of the investigation will be the participants’ perception of the prevalence of injuries and whether they feel adequately prepared to manage the risks associated with playing sports. The main statistical analysis tool that will be used is Microsoft Excel – this is an application which is capable of visualizations that will be used for the illustrative purposes of the study. It will generate summary metrics as well to aid in the making of generalizations.
The main limitations of this study are associated with the broad nature of its scope. Given that the study will restrict itself to select countries from the continents of Europe and Asia it is plausible that it may not cover the entire scope intended by the researcher. Another limitation of this study is that it makes use of a relatively small sample which further restricts its scope.
Theoretical and Conceptual Framework of the Study
In acknowledging the organizational nature of sports teams throughout both Europe and Asia, this study was anchored on the stakeholder theory – the team has several people involved throughout its organization who perform the typical roles of organizational elements outlined in this theory (Kunkel, 2020). The stakeholder theory recognizes that there are primary and secondary stakeholders throughout the organizational continuum – the former are directly involved in value creation as in the case of athletes and other ancillary staff while the latter are involved in the operating environment such as the government and the community (Kunkel, 2020). This theory can be applied in sports risk management because the commercialization of sports allowed it to take on the appearance of an organizational structure (Critelli, 2012; Kunkel, 2020). Therefore, the stakeholder theory is relevant within the context of sports risk management.
The input variables focused on the profile of the participant, their sport of preference, whether they experienced contact or not, and the potential areas of improvement that they had identified. The input variables are evaluated using the researcher’s criteria based on the participants’ perspectives and the information obtained from the review of relevant literature. As the ultimate outcome, the expected result of the researcher is whether risk management in sports teams in Europe is performed more superlatively compared to Asia and to determine potential improvements that can be made based on the participant’s point of view.
1 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
In relation to the problem being investigated, there are several different types of literature available. These include peer reviewed scholarly journal articles, textbooks, magazines, papers, and foreign studies that will contribute towards the credibility and relevance of the study. They will also contribute towards the reliability of the methods and the validity of the findings. The sources to be used within this study are those which have been published within the last 5 years to ensure they are up to date. However, older studies may be included depending on the topic in question. Internet sources from organizations with reliable backgrounds may also be used as relevant literature surrounding this topic.
(1) Assessment of the most common types of injuries in sports
Strains are the most common form of injuries experienced by athletes at all levels of competition. Each moving part in the human body relies on tendons and muscles – it is these which can strain during the course of exercise or play. Strains occur when tendons or muscles are pulled beyond their limits or stretched in a different direction than intended (National Library of Medicine, 2022; Tabben et al., 2021). Tendons can be pulled in excess of their natural range of motion causing them to strain. Alternatively, strains can occur when a burden is placed on a muscle that it is incapable of supporting. Strains can range from the first degree to the third degree – the former heal naturally on their own whereas the most extreme require medical attention (National Library of Medicine, 2022). Among the most common forms of strains are associated with the legs such as hamstring and quadriceps strains.
Sprains are almost as common as strains within sports. They occur when ligaments are pulled beyond their range of motion causing them to tear similarly to tendons and muscles (Lee et al., 2020). However, sprains are usually more serious than strains because ligaments typically take longer to heal when compared to tendons and muscles. Sprains are also more serious because even complete healing still leaves the ligament vulnerable to future injuries as it becomes weaker with repetitive injuries. Sprains almost always require medical attention to immobilize the joint – this prevents it from moving allowing for an accelerated healing process (National Library of Medicine, 2022). Since ligaments are the tissues which connect different bones at the joint, any movement of said joint during the time of injury will impact on the healing process. Among the most common types of sprains are; ankle sprains, wrist and elbow sprains, and knee sprains.
Concussions are another group of injuries which are common within sports. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that between 5% and 10% of all athletes experience a concussion in any given year (Pullen & Safran, 2021). These types of injuries are mostly associated with contact sports – whenever any impact is felt on the head when taking blows, the impact from the shock is felt by the brain. There are several symptoms associated with concussions including; seizures, dizziness, slowed speech, headaches, confusion, loss of memory, unconsciousness, and erratic behavior (National Library of Medicine, 2022; Pullen & Safran, 2021). Concussions usually heal on their own after the individual takes rest for several days although complete recovery is subject to the scale of injury to the brain (National Library of Medicine, 2022). As a result of the difficulty of approximating the damage incurred following a concussion, treatment for this type of injury must be individualized and is usually costly.
Fractures are also common within the sporting world. These are injuries following the disintegration of the integrity of the bo...