Sports as a context in strategy and innovation research: promises, challenges, and broader implications

Abstract

Over the past decade, sports have increasingly been used as a context for research in various fields of management and organisational studies, offering granular insights into performance determinants and organisational dynamics. Despite its promise, using sports data presents challenges, including concerns over generalisability to non-sport contexts, ethical issues related to personal data usage, risks of reinforcing bias, and usefulness in fields such as innovation. This article critically examines these controversies, emphasising the need to balance generalisability, precision, and realism in research design. Building on discussions from the DRUID 2024 Conference, we propose guidelines for leveraging sports contexts to develop theories, inform teaching, and address societal and policy impacts. By treating sports data as a deliberate research choice, we aim to clarify when and how it can meaningfully contribute to advancing knowledge in strategy and innovation.