Summary
I am a Reader in Sport Management within the Sport Industry Research Group (SIRG). My research focuses on the economic and social impact of sport, leisure and major events. I specialise in using Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis to measure the value of sport and physical activity.
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About
My academic background is in the discipline areas of economics and geography. I have a PhD in sports economics (The economic importance of sport: a case study of Sheffield) and a BSc in Geography from the University of Sheffield. I also have a PGCert in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
Within the Sport Industry Research Group (SIRG), I lead our research in the area of social impact and Social Return on Investment (SROI). I also make contributions to other core areas of research including sports economics, major events, sports participation and outdoor recreation. I manage and conduct research and consultancy projects for a wide range of international and UK-based organisations, including local and national government, charitable organisations, event organisers, County Sport Partnerships and National Governing Bodies. I also carry out bespoke commissions for private organisations in the sports sector.
Prior to moving full time into SIRC in 2014, I held a Readership in the Academy of Sport and Physical Activity and before that, a Senior Lectureship in the Department for the Natural and Built Environment at Hallam.
I am the Research Excellence Framework (REF) coordinator for Unit of Assessment 24: Sport and Exercise Science, Leisure and Tourism (SHU).
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Teaching
I am a fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).
I have over 15 years' experience teaching in the discipline areas of sport management, economics and geography.
I have taught a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules on Sport Business Management courses. Examples include
- Research methods in Sport and Physical Activity
- Impact of Major Events
- Contemporary Issues and Policy in Sport
- Global Economics of Sport
- Event Management and Viability
I have extensive experience teaching in geography, planning and urban regeneration. Examples of modules include
- Geographies of Sport, Leisure and Tourism
- Research Methods in Human Geography
- Contemporary Debates in Geography
- Economic Regeneration
- Localities, Regions and Economic Change
- Urban Conflict and Change
I have considerable experience of managing large and multiple undergraduate courses simultaneously, with high levels of student satisfaction in the NSS.
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Research
My research focuses on the societal impact of sport. It is multidisciplinary, applied and positioned at the interface between academia and practice. My research is focused on three broad areas, with aspects of applied economics common to all;
- Social impact and Social Return on Investment (SROI) in sport and physical activity
- Economics of sport
- Sport-related urban regeneration
Social impact and Social Return on Investment (SROI) in sport
My current research focuses on evaluating the wider social value of sport to society. I specialise in using Social Return on Investment analysis to measure the non-market social and economic value of sports participation and volunteering.
I have developed an international programme of research focused on measuring and valuing the wider impacts of sport and physical activity on society, including health, subjective wellbeing, crime, education, and social capital. This includes SROI research at the national, regional and local level, within the UK and internationally, for a wide range of organisations including national and local government, sports funding and delivery organisations.
Illustrative examples of my research in this area include;
- Sport Flanders/ADEPS (2020-21) A Sport Satellite Account for Belgium & the Social Return on Investment of Sport in Flanders & Fédération Wallonie – Bruxelles
- UEFA Research Grants Programme (2020-21) The value of volunteering in grassroots football
- NEOM/4 Global (2020) The value of sport in Neom
- Lima Legacy/4 Global (2020) Social Value Calculator for Lima
- England Netball / 4 Global (2020) Social Outcomes Project
- Sport England (2019-20) The social and economic value of sport and physical activity in England 2017/18
- Sport England (2018-19) Sport Outcomes Evidence Review
- Sport Wales (2018) The social and economic value of sport in Wales
- ERASMUS (2017-2019) Benefits of outdoor sport to society (BOSS)
- Sport England (2017) Measuring social value using the National Benchmarking Service (NBS)
- Sport England (2017) Analysis of Active Lives outcomes data
- London Sport (2017) Social return on investment in sport and physical activity for Greater London
- UK Sport (2017) Social value of medal success
- UK Sport (2017) Review of research and evidence on the social impact of major events
- Birmingham City Council (2016-2018) Run Birmingham Evaluation
- 4 Global (2016-2020) Social value calculator
- England Golf Partnership (2016) Social return on investment for golf in England
- Sheffield International Venues (2016) Social return on investment in sport for the Sheffield City Trust group of sports facilities
- Sport England (2015) Sport for development - a measurement framework
- DCMS (2013-2015) A review of the social impacts of engagement with culture and sport
Economics of sport
My research in this area derives from my PhD (2000) on the Economic Importance of Sport. My work focuses on measuring the economic value of the sports sector (Davies, 2002, 2002a, 2004) and the impact of major sports events (Davies et al, 2010, 2013; Ramchandani et al, 2015, 2017, Davies (2016b). In 2014, my publications contributed to a four star rated REF Impact case study: The economic and social impacts of major events and festivals.
Illustrative examples of my research in this area include;
- Special Olympics (2017) Economic Impact of Special Olympics National Summer Games
- Sheffield City Council (2016) Usage and economic impact of the Porter Valley
- Sheffield City Council (2014) Economic analysis of the outdoor economy in Sheffield
- UK Sport (2014-2019): Evaluation of the UK Gold Event Series
Sport and Regeneration
My research on sport-related regeneration originates from my discipline background and interest in geography, combined with my current work in sport management and policy.
My publications in this area focus on three sub areas: the contribution of sports infrastructure to property regeneration (Davies, 2005, 2006, 2008); Olympic legacies (Davies, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016a) and the role of sport and community facilities to urban regeneration (Davies, 2010, 2011a, 2016).
Illustrative examples of my research in this area include
- Sport England (2013) Places, People, Play: Orford Park case study
- NWDA (2010) Sport and regeneration in NW England
- Urban Land Use Research Club (2004) The impact of sports stadia on residential and commercial property markets
For a full list of my research outputs see SHURA
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Publications
Journal articles
Davies, L., Taylor, P., Ramchandani, G., & Christy, E. (2020). Measuring the Social Return on Investment of community sport and leisure facilities. Managing Sport and Leisure. http://doi.org/10.1080/23750472.2020.1794938
Kokolakakis, T., & Davies, L. (2019). Fit as a Fiddle. HCM Handbook 2019.
Davies, L., Taylor, P., Ramchandani, G., & Christy, E. (2019). Social return on investment (SROI) in sport: a model for measuring the value of participation in England. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics. http://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2019.1596967
Eigenschenk, B., Thomann, A., McClure, M., Davies, L., Gregory, M., Dettweiler, U., & Inglés, E. (2019). Benefits of outdoor sports for society. A systematic literature review and reflections on evidence. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16 (6). http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16060937
Davies, L. (2016). A wider role for sport : community sports hubs and urban regeneration. Sport in Society, 19 (10), 1537-1555. http://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2016.1159192
Ramchandani, G., Davies, L., Coleman, R., Shibli, S., & Bingham, J. (2015). Limited or lasting legacy? : the effect of non-mega sport event attendance on participation. European Sport Management Quarterly, 15 (1), 93-110. http://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2014.996583
Bullough, S., Davies, L., & Barrett, D. (2015). The impact of a community free swimming programme for young people (under 19) in England. Sport Management Review, 18 (1), 32-44. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2014.09.001
Davies, L., Coleman, R., & Ramchandani, G. (2013). Evaluating event economic impact : rigour versus reality? International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 4 (1), 31-42. http://doi.org/10.1108/17582951311307494
Davies, L. (2012). Beyond the Games: regeneration legacies and London 2012. Leisure Studies, 31 (3), 307-337. http://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2011.649779
Davies, L. (2011). Using sports infrastructure to deliver economic and social change: Lessons for London beyond 2012. Local Economy, 26 (4), 227-231. http://doi.org/10.1177/0269094211404638
Davies, L. (2010). Sport and economic regeneration: a winning combination? Sport in Society, 13 (10), 1438-1457. http://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2010.520935
Davies, L., Ramchandani, G., & Coleman, R. (2010). Measuring attendance: issues and implications for estimating the impact of free-to-view sports events. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 12 (1), 11-23. http://www.imrpublications.com/journal-landing.aspx?volno=L&no=L
Davies, L.E. (2008). Sport and the local economy: The effects of stadia development on the commercial property market. Local Economy, 23 (1), 31-46. http://doi.org/10.1080/02690940801906718
Davies, L.E. (2008). Sport and the local economy: the role of stadia in regenerating commercial property. Local Economy, 23 (1), 31-46. http://doi.org/10.1080/02690940801906718
Davies, L.E. (2006). Sporting a new role: stadia and the real estate market. Managing leisure: an international journal, 11 (4), 231-244. http://doi.org/10.1080/13606710600893726
Davies, L.E. (2005). Not in my back yard! Sports stadia location and the property market. Area, 37 (3), 268-276. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/
Davies, L.E. (2004). Valuing the voluntary sector: rethinking economic analysis. Leisure studies, 23 (4), 347-364. http://doi.org/10.1080/0261436042000209146
Davies, L.E. (2002). Consumers' expenditure on sport in the UK: Increased spending or under-estimation? Managing leisure: an international journal, 7 (2), 83-102. http://doi.org/10.1080/13606710210137237
Davies, L.E. (2002). Sport in the city: measuring economic significance at the local level. European sport management quarterly, 2 (2), 83-107. http://doi.org/10.1080/16184740208721915
Conference papers
Kokolakakis, T., Davies, L., & Jethmalani, S. (2017). Measuring the impact of sports stadia on property prices: A hedonic analysis of the Etihad Stadium, UK. In 9th ESEA conference on sport economics, Paderborn (Germany).
Peake, R., & Davies, L. (2019). Determining International Parasport Success Factors For Para-Athletics In The UK. In Breitbarth, T., Bodet, G., Luna, Á.F., Naranjo, P.B., & Bielons, G. (Eds.) European Sport Management Conference, Seville, Spain, 3 September 2019 - 6 September 2019 (pp. 691-692). Universidad Europea: https://easm2019.com/BOAEASM2019.pdf
Book chapters
Ramchandani, G., Coleman, R., Davies, L., Shibli, S., & Bingham, J. (2017). Valuing the inspirational impacts of major sports events. In Lundberg, E., Armbrecht, J., Andersson, T.D., & Getz, D. (Eds.) The value of events. (pp. 136-158). Abingdon: Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/The-Value-of-Events/Lundberg-Armbrecht-Andersson-Getz/p/book/9781138678415
Ramchandani, G., Coleman, R., Davies, L., Shibli, S., & Bingham, J. (2017). Valuing the inspirational impacts of major sports events. In The Value of Events. (pp. 124-135). http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315558950
Reports
Kokolakakis, T., Davies, L.A.R.I.S.S.A., Shibli, S., & Ramchandani, G. (2017). Active Lives Adult Survey:Understanding Mental Wellbeing, Individual Developmentand Social and Community Development in the context ofparticipation and volunteering in sport and physical activity. https://sportengland-production-files.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/active-lives-adult-survey-detailed-report-december-2017.pdf
Davies, L., Taylor, P., Ramchandani, G., & Christy, E. (2016). Social return on investment in sport : a participation wide model for England. Department for Culture, Media and Sport. https://www4.shu.ac.uk/_assets/pdf/research/sirc/Final-SIRC-SROI-England-Web-report.pdf
Taylor, P., Davies, L., Wells, P., Gilbertson, J., & Tayleur, W. (2015). A review of the social impacts of culture and sport. Department for Culture, Media and Sport. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/416279/A_review_of_the_Social_Impacts_of_Culture_and_Sport.pdf
Kelly, S., Davies, L., Harrop, D., Mcclimens, A., Peplow, D., & Pollard, N. (2015). Reviewing art therapy research : a constructive critique. Sheffield Hallam University.
Kokolakakis, T., Gregory, M., Davies, L., & Barrett, D. (2014). Everything Grows Outside–Including Jobs and the Economy: Valuing the Contribution of the Outdoor Economy in Sheffield. Summary Report.
Kokolakakis, T., Gregory, M., Davies, L., & Barrett, D. (2014). Everything grows outside - including jobs and the economy. Valuing the contribution of the outdoor economy in Sheffield. http://www.welcometosheffield.co.uk/content/images/fromassets/100_3329_161014125319.pdf
Kokolakakis, T., Shibli, S., & Davies, L. (2014). Child taking part survey: multivariate analysis of the determinants of child participation in arts, sport, heritage, museums and libraries.
Theses / Dissertations
Shibli, S. (2015). Performance analysis in sport and leisure management. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Davies, L.
Liu, K.Y. (2014). A critical evaluation of the Kaohsiung arena Build Operate Transfer project. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Davies, L., Watson, P., & Griffith, A.
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Other activities
External appointments (invited)
- Editorial Advisory Board: Annals of Leisure Research, European Sport Management Quarterly (ESMQ), Managing Sport and Leisure, Frontiers in Active Sport and Living.
- Board member: GO fit LAB Scientific Advisory Board. Economic and social impact expert.
- Co-Chair of the Sport England Sport Outcome Evidence Review steering group.
- Research Associate: Observatory for Sport in Scotland
- Research Advisory Group member: parkrun Research Board.
Other academic activities:- I am the Research Excellence Framework (REF) coordinator for Unit of Assessment 24: Sport and Exercise Science, Leisure and Tourism (SHU).
- I am a member of the Social Value UK /Social Value International
- I am a member of the interdisciplinary Outdoor Recreation Research Group at SHU
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Postgraduate supervision
Joshua Dean. The social impact of sport and crime. PhD by Thesis (FT). September 2022. (Director of Studies).
I welcome enquires from potential applicants interested in doctoral study in the following areas;
• Social impact of sport
• Social Return on Investment
• Sports economics
• Major sports events
• Sport and urban regeneration
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Media
My work has received varying coverage in the media. Some recent examples include:
• England Golf (2017) http://www.englandgolf.org/news.aspx?sitesectionid=38&itemid=12218&search= and http://www.englandgolf.org/news.aspx?sitesectionid=38&itemid=12146&search=and
• http://www.englishgolf-courses.co.uk/golfnews/Golf-has-social-value-of-1.8bn-pounds.html
• Sport Management (2017) http://www.sportsmanagement.co.uk/Sport-features/5815/32137
• CABI (2016) http://www.cabi.org/leisuretourism/news/24947
• Sheffield chamber of commerce (2016): https://www.scci.org.uk/2016/04/the-social-value-of-sport/
• Active Humber (2016) http://www.activehumber.co.uk/news/2016/04/billions-saved-on-health-crime-and-education-as-a-result-of-sport-investment
• Leisure Opportunities2016)
http://www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/detail.cfm?pagetype=detail&subject=news&email=Terry.innov8sportzcic%40Gmail.com&pub=INN&date=160422&codeID=323537
• Cycling industry news (2016) http://www.cyclingindustry.news/sport-participation-worth-44-billion-in-social-return-says-sheffild-hallam-uni/