How does corruption affect major sporting organisations?
Corruption has a detrimental impact on the integrity of these organisations. Integrity can take many forms in the sporting world, and organisational integrity is one form which is essential in a successful sporting community. According to Simon Robinson, a professor at Leeds Beckett University, organisational integrity is defined as an organisation’s “ability to sustain its reputation by accurately and reliably representing the identity and values of the organisation”. When corruption takes place, these core values are disregarded, and this tarnishes both the integrity and the reputation of the organisation in the eyes of the public. The consequences of this deterioration of integrity and reputation can be greatly impactful on an organisation. One area in which such losses of credibility can affect a sporting organisation is in its relationships with sponsors and political partners. These associations that the organisation has are driven by their public attraction, which is fuelled by ethicality and integrity. If these elements were lost, then the organisation’s relationships would be damaged.
Pictured Right: Professor Simon Robinson
“Professor Simon Robinson.” Leeds Beckett University, www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/staff/professor-simon-robinson/.
For those who are interested in learning more about the philosophy behind corruption in sports, I highly recommend reading Corruption in Sport: Causes, Consequences, and Reform. Not only does the book provide an in-depth look at the connection between corruption in sports and larger ideas and concepts, but it does so through the lens of multiple real-world examples, such as the case in the IOC seen above.
Why is corruption such a prominent issue in sports?
Considering the drastic consequences of corruption, many may question why it takes place at all. The answer is clear and simple: power. Power and corruption are two terms which are intertwined more often than we think. The first, and perhaps the most obvious, way that power is involved is the money. The greed of the officials or organisations, which drove them to sacrifice their integrity for power in the form of financial benefit, is what incites the conflict in the first place. This alarming rise of money involved in modern sport has been noticed by fans, as shown in a public study by The Guardian, in which “74% agreed that sports today are more concerned with making money than providing entertainment and enjoyment for their fans”. In addition to this, it is the existing power that these organisations have over their respective sporting communities which allows them and their corrupt members to commit such illegalities. What this means is that regardless to what corruption goes on in these organisations, the majority of fans will still continue to be involved due to their love and passion for the sport.