Sport managers’ professional competencies and performance: a prisma-guided systematic review and meta-analysis of global evidence (2020–2025)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v73.117164Keywords:
Sport management, professional competencies , leader-ship, communication, meta-analysis, global sport governanceAbstract
Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the core professional competencies that significantly influence sport managers’ effectiveness across global contexts, with a focus on leadership, communication, and strategic/administrative domains.
Methods: Guided by PRISMA 2020 protocols, a total of 10 peer-reviewed studies published between 2022 and 2025 were selected from Scopus, Web of Science, and related databases. Studies included three systematic reviews, four quantitative cross-sectional studies, and three mixed-methods investigations. The methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to estimate pooled effect sizes.
Results: The overall pooled effect size was moderate to strong (Cohen’s d = 0.69, 95% CI [0.51, 0.87], p < .001), suggesting a significant relationship between competency development and sport manager performance. Subgroup analysis revealed that leadership (d = 0.73) and interpersonal communication (d = 0.71) had stronger effects than strategic/administrative competencies (d = 0.62). Moderate heterogeneity (I² = 59.9%) was observed, reflecting contextual variation across studies. No significant publication bias was found (Egger’s test, p = .218).
Conclusions: This review reinforces competency-based sport management frameworks by emphasizing the rising importance of soft skills in global sport governance. Practical implications include the need to integrate adaptive leadership, stakeholder communication, and digital fluency into sport management curricula and professional development. Future research should employ longitudinal and intervention-based designs to strengthen causal interpretations and expand competency models to meet the evolving demands of sport organizations worldwide.
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