Publisher's Synopsis
Topics of the sport industry in the developed economies and mechanism for their advancements have primarily been the norm of scholarly inquiries, as evidenced in several leading journals in the field of sport management; yet, contemporary and also critical issues identified above have rarely been studied, which would make this special journal issue unique and most importantly, contributing to the development of the sport industry in developing economies. Through the selection of high-quality research manuscripts, this journal issue is aimed to advance theories, seek solutions for contemporary issues encountered in the sport industry of developing economies, and ultimately advance sport business in developing countries. Consistent with the aims and objectives of IJSMS, this special issue has sought contributions that critically examine, debate, and shed light on broad perspectives of sport marketing, sponsorship, and/or business operations in the sport industry of growing economies, and ultimately advance sport business globally. Of the manuscripts submitted to this special issue, seven were selected through the rigorous peer review process and by the standard set forth by the journal. These include studies on using international sport events as part of a destination brand construction strategy in Mexico, assessing competitive balance in the Egyptian Premier League, identifying critical factors affecting the regional strategies for developing and advancing the Chinese sport industry, attracting international spectators to a sport event held in Asia through a case analysis of Formula One Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix, examining sport fans' reaction to resurrected brands of sport organizations in Romania, examining consumer demand for table tennis clubs in the U.S. in an attempt to advocate for reversing the tide of sport globalization from West to East, and examining service quality and social impact perceptions of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Hopefully, scholars and practitioners would find these articles insightful, constructive, and useful; most importantly, it is expected that this IJSMS special issue will help trigger much more scholarly inquiries into critical issues and challenges in the sport industry of growing economies.
