ABSTRACT
The commissioning of a research handbook in any field is a wonderful opportunity for a point-in-time reflection on the progress and status of a field of study. In this case, the commissioning of a research handbook of sport governance by Routledge has provided the opportunity for, at a macro level, a review of scholarship and progress in sport management and at a micro level, a specific focus on sport governance and its growing body of knowledge and as a critical set of processes shaping organisational life. Sport management as a field has progressed at different rates globally, but in nearly all countries, the theme of professionalisation is consistent, as has been the transition from a volunteer workforce to a professional cadre of staff managing and leading sport organisations. In all countries where professionalisation of sport management has been evident, commercialisation has been a driving factor, which ultimately has shaped governance practice in terms of accountability, transparency, timelines of decision-making, setting strategic direction, risk mitigation and, in general, a greater understanding of the role of the board in leading and directing organisations.
