Athlete participation in decision-making in elite sport: a scoping review
The challenge of athlete participation in decision-making in the context of elite sport is a trending topic in both science and society. Hence, this scoping review aims to systematise the heterogeneous international research discourse, analyse the theoretical frameworks employed, and examine the methodological approaches used to address issues of athlete involvement and power in elite sport organisations. Informed by the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews, a systematic literature search was conducted in Web of Science, PsychArticles, PsychInfo, and PubMed. The forty-two peer-reviewed articles included reveal, that participation in decision-making occurs with varying degrees of athlete involvement. Seven discourses were identified and categorised into individual commitment, shared decision-making, and governance in elite sport. The findings also indicate a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches being employed to address athlete participation. The findings provide an innovative foundation for further research on the conceptualisation of athlete participation in decision-making in elite sport.
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| Subjects: | |
|---|---|
| Notations: | management and organisation of sport |
| Published in: | Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2026
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| Volume: | 29 |
| Issue: | 4 |
| Pages: | 721-752 |
| Document types: | article |
| Level: | advanced |