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Technical University of Munich

Two Event Management publications show how athletes and sport event managers can strengthen human rights

Lehrstuhl-News |

In a special issue of Event Management, two articles have appeared with the participation of Professor Joerg Koenigstorfer. They identify fundamental mechanisms as to whether, when and how human rights situations can be improved or worsened in sports settings. Sports managers are of essential importance because they have contact with all relevant stakeholders: athletes, organizers, sponsors, etc.
Protected human rights promote diversity

Scoping Review

In the article entitled "The State of Play Between Managing Major Sports Events and Human Rights: A Scoping Review", a nine-person, international team of authors critically appraises 130 English-language articles. The results show that politics and political reforms, legal frameworks and organizational measures have decisive influences on when and how the management of events promotes or harms human rights. The rights most often considered in the literature are: equality, human trafficking, sport as a human right, workers' rights and freedom of residence. Human rights activism stimulates change within relevant interest groups through collaboration, naming and shaming, public debates, and media coverage. Committed, transparent and inclusive consideration of human rights at all stages of the organization of sporting events (from bid preparation, bidding, planning and hosting to post-event leverage) can increase the likelihood that the event has a social benefit.

To the study

 

Social Media-Analyse

In the article entitled "Athlete Activism, Human Rights, and the 2020 Olympic Games: A Twitter Analysis of Raven Saunders' Activism", Jörg Königstorfer, Otto Kolbinger and David McGillivray examine the reactions of Twitter users to a specific form of activism for human rights of an athlete: Raven Saunders (Olympic Athlete and silver medalist). The results show that positive reactions from users were twice as common as negative reactions. The often strong negative reactions were sometimes insulting to the athlete. Emotions often accompanied beliefs that were based on dispositional (but not situational) attributions of motives. The IOC (International Olympic Committee), which is important for event management as a regulator of athletes' freedom of expression, was mostly perceived critically, that is, the IOC should (1) listen instead of speaking, (2) set priorities better, (3) increase its competence and (4) the IOC's scheduled investigation is wrong.

To the study

 

Contact

Chair of Sport and Health Management

Prof. Dr. Jörg Königstorfer
Uptown München Campus D
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 Munich

Phone +49.89.289.24559
Fax +49.89.289.24642

info.mgt@mh.tum.de

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