Professor Geoff Walters
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Overview
Overview
Biography
Geoff began his academic career in as a part-time research officer in the Department of Management at Birkbeck, University of London, whilst undertaking an ESRC funded PhD. Upon completion of his PhD, he moved into a full-time lectureship and has since progressed to Reader in Management.
Geoff's research background is in organisational governance with a focus on the non-profit sport sector in the UK. The sector, like much of the public sector, has been subject to ongoing changes that are part of a broader professionalisation and modernisation agenda. Geoff looks at how these changes impact on the boards of sport organisations. Along with colleague Dr Richard Tacon, Geoff is one of the leading scholars in the UK on the governance of sport organisations, and his research has been published in academic journals, both in the management field and in sport management.
Geoff also believes strongly in the importance of research having relevance. He has worked closely with organisations in the sport sector in the UK to influence board practice, as well as contribute to policy within the sector. He has also provided consultancy work for a wide range of organisations across the sport sector, with his most recent work providing training support on the Diversity in Sports Leadership project funded by Sport England and UK Sport.
Geoff has ten years of experience in academic administration, beginning with the leadership of the postgraduate programmes in the Department of Management, before taking on the deputy Head of Department role, and then the Head of Department. Since 2019 he has been the Executive Dean of the School of Business, Economics and Informatics. In both his roles as Head of Department, and Executive Dean, he has sought to introduce more collaborative forms of working, ensuring strong communication between colleagues, and to enhance the research culture across the School.
Qualifications
- PhD, Birkbeck, University of London, 2007
- MSc Labour Studies, The University of Manchester, 2003
- BSc Management (First Class Honours), Lancaster University, 2002
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Research
Research
Research interests
- Organisational governance
- The governance of professional sport
- Financial regulation of professional sports leagues
Research overview
Geoff’s main research interest is in the area of organisational governance. Since 2011, he has co-led (with Birkbeck colleague Dr Richard Tacon) a programme of research that has sought to understand and improve board-level governance in the non-profit sport sector in the UK. His research is underpinned by the belief that organisational governance needs to be understood as a set of dynamic and evolving processes that need to be examined through close attention to behaviour and talk in order to help bring understanding to the different meanings and perceptions that people construct. Such an approach predominantly requires the use of qualitative research methods. Through sector-wide reports, seminars and workshops, Geoff’s research has influenced policy, raised the level of public debate, and through in-depth case study research, it has contributed directly to improving organisational practice.
Research Centres and Institutes
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Supervision and teaching
Supervision and teaching
Teaching
Teaching modules
- Help To Grow: Management (BUBU071N0)
- Sport Governance (BUMN002H7)
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Publications
Publications
Article
- Evans, Richard and Walters, Geoff and Hamil, Sean (2022) Gambling in professional sport: the enabling role of regulatory legitimacy. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society 22 (5), pp. 1078-1093. ISSN 1472-0701.
- Kitchin, Paul and Paramio-Salcines, J.L. and Darcy, S. and Walters, Geoff (2022) Exploring the accessibility of sport stadia for people with disability: towards the development of a Stadium Accessibility Scale (SAS). Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal 12 (1), pp. 93-116. ISSN 2042-678X.
- McLeod, J. and Jenkin, A. and Walters, Geoff and Irving, Richard (2021) The role and performance of supporter directors: a social exchange theory perspective. Sport Management Review 24 (5), pp. 862-885. ISSN 1441-3523.
- Kitchin, P.J. and Paramio-Salcines, J.L and Walters, Geoff (2020) Managing organizational reputation in response to a public shaming campaign. Sport Management Review 23 (1), pp. 66-80. ISSN 1441-3523.
- Evans, Richard and Walters, Geoff and Tacon, Richard (2019) Assessing the effectiveness of financial regulation in the English Football League – ‘The dog that didn’t bark’. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal 32 (7), pp. 1876-1897. ISSN 0951-3574.
- Panton, Mark and Walters, Geoff (2018) Stakeholder mobilisation and sports stadium regeneration: antecedent factors underpinning the formation of the Our Tottenham community network. European Sport Management Quarterly 19 (1), pp. 102-119. ISSN 1618-4742.
- Panton, Mark and Walters, Geoff (2018) “It’s just a Trojan horse for gentrification”: austerity and stadium-led regeneration. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics 10 (1), pp. 163-183. ISSN 1940-6940.
- Walters, Geoff and Tacon, Richard (2018) The 'codification' of governance in the non-profit sport sector in the UK. European Sport Management Quarterly 18 (4), pp. 482-500. ISSN 1618-4742.
- Tacon, Richard and Walters, Geoff and Cornforth, C. (2017) Accountability in non-profit governance: a process-based study. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 46 (4), pp. 685-704. ISSN 0899-7640.
- Tacon, Richard and Walters, Geoff (2016) Modernisation and governance in UK national governing bodies of sport: how modernisation influences the way board members perceive and enact their roles. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics 8 (3), pp. 363-381. ISSN 1940-6940.
- Walters, Geoff and Panton, Mark (2014) Corporate social responsibility and social partnerships in professional football. Soccer & Society 15 (6), pp. 828-846. ISSN 1466-0970.
- Walters, Geoff and Hamil, Sean (2013) The contests for power and influence over the regulatory space in the English professional football industry, 1980 – 2012. Business History 55 (5), pp. 740-767. ISSN 0007-6791.
- Walters, Geoff and Anagnostopoulos, C. (2012) Implementing corporate social responsibility through social partnerships. Business Ethics: A European Review 21 (4), pp. 417-433. ISSN 0962-8770.
- Bingham, Tim and Walters, Geoff (2012) Financial sustainability within UK charities: community sport trusts and corporate social responsibility partnerships. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations ISSN 0957-8765.
- Walters, Geoff (2011) Bidding for international sport events: how government supports and undermines national governing bodies of sport. Sport in Society 14 (2), pp. 208-222. ISSN 1743-0437.
- Walters, Geoff (2011) The implementation of a stakeholder management strategy during stadium relocation: a case study of Arsenal football club's move to the Emirates Stadium. Managing Leisure 16 (1), pp. 49-64. ISSN 1360-6719.
- Walters, Geoff and Tacon, Richard (2010) Corporate social responsibility in sport: stakeholder management in the UK football industry. Journal of Management & Organization 16 (4), pp. 566-586. ISSN 1833-3672.
- Hamil, Sean and Walters, Geoff Hassan, D. and Hamil, Sean, eds. (2010) Financial performance in English professional football: "an inconvenient truth". Sport in the Global Society – Contemporary Perspectives. Soccer & Society 11 (4), pp. 354-372. ISSN 1466-0970. ISBN 9780415445702.
- Hamil, Sean and Walters, Geoff and Watson, L. Hassan, D. and Hamil, Sean, eds. (2010) The model of governance at FC Barcelona: balancing member democracy, commercial strategy, corporate social responsibility and sporting performance. Sport in the Global Society – Contemporary Perspectives. Soccer & Society 11 (4), pp. 475-504. ISSN 1466-0970. ISBN 9780415445702.
- Chadwick, S. and Walters, Geoff (2009) Sportswear identification, distinctive design and manufacturer logos - issues from the front line. The Marketing Review 9 (1), pp. 63-78. ISSN 1469-347X.
- Walters, Geoff (2009) Corporate social responsibility through sport: the community sports trust model as a CSR delivery agency. Journal of Corporate Citizenship 35, pp. 81-94. ISSN 1470-5001.
- Walters, Geoff and Chadwick, S. (2009) Corporate citizenship in football: delivering strategic benefits through stakeholder engagement. Management Decision 47 (1), pp. 51-66. ISSN 0025-1747.
Book
- Paramio-Salcines, J.L. and Babiak, K. and Walters, Geoff, eds. (2013) The Routledge handbook of sport and corporate social responsibility. Foundations of Sport Management. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9780415783057.
Book Section
- Tacon, Richard and Walters, Geoff (2021) The promises and pitfalls of codification of governance in sport as legitimacy work. In: Geeraert, A. and van Eekeren, F. (eds.) Good Governance in Sport: Critical Reflections. London: Routledge. pp. 221-235. ISBN 9781032001227.
- Walters, Geoff and Tacon, Richard (2014) United Kingdom. In: O’Boyle, I. and Bradbury, T. (eds.) Sport governance: An international case study perspective. Foundations of Sport Management. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9780415820448.
- Paramio-Salcines, J.L. and Babiak, K. and Walters, Geoff (2013) Conclusion: trends, challenges and the future for CSR in sport. In: Paramio-Salcines, J.L. and Babiak, K. and Walters, Geoff (eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Sport and Corporate Social Responsibility. Foundations of Sport Management. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 344-346. ISBN 9780415783057.
- Paramio-Salcines, J.L. and Babiak, K. and Walters, Geoff (2013) Corporate social responsibility within the sport industry: an overview of an emerging academic field. In: Paramio-Salcines, J.L. and Babiak, K. and Walters, Geoff (eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Sport and Corporate Social Responsibility. Foundations of Sport Management. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 1-14. ISBN 9780415783057.
- Tacon, Richard and Walters, Geoff (2013) Stakeholder engagement in European football. In: Paramio-Salcines, J.L. and Babiak, K. and Walters, Geoff (eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Sport and Corporate Social Responsibility. Foundations of Sport Management. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 236-248. ISBN 9780415783057.
- Walters, Geoff and Hamil, Sean (2013) Regulation and the search for a profitable business model: a case study of the English football industry. In: Soderman, S. and Dolles, H. (eds.) Handbook of Research on Sport and Business. Elgar original reference. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. ISBN 9781849800051.
- Walters, Geoff (2012) Managing social responsibility in sport. In: Trenberth, Linda and Hassan, D. (eds.) Managing Sport Business. Foundations of Sport Management. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. ISBN 9780415570299.
- Walters, Geoff and Tacon, Richard (2012) Corporate social responsibility. In: Leberman, S. and Trenberth, Linda (eds.) Sport business management in New Zealand and Australia. Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning. ISBN 9780170217323.
- Walters, Geoff (2011) Managing social responsibility and ethics in sport. In: Trenberth, Linda and Hassan, D. (eds.) Managing Sport Business: An Introduction. Foundations of Sport Management. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 412-426. ISBN 9780415570299.
- Walters, Geoff and Hamil, Sean (2011) Corporate governance and the regulation of sport. In: Trenberth, Linda and Hassan, D. (eds.) Managing Sport Business: An Introduction. Foundations of Sport Management. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 64-78. ISBN 9780415570299.
- Walters, Geoff and Hamil, Sean (2009) Ownership and governance. In: Hamil, Sean and Chadwick, S. (eds.) Managing Football: An International Perspective. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier. pp. 17-36. ISBN 9781856175449.
Monograph
- Evans, Richard and Walters, Geoff and Hamil, Sean (2021) Gambling to achieve success in professional sport: The case of the EFL Championship - a bubble waiting to burst?. London, UK: Birkbeck Sport Business Centre.
- Tacon, Richard and Walters, Geoff (2018) The state of sports governance: are you leading or lagging?. London, UK: Moore Stephens.
- Walters, Geoff and Tacon, Richard and Trenberth, Linda (2011) The role of the board in national governing bodies of sport. London, UK: Birkbeck College, University of London.
- Walters, Geoff and Tacon, Richard (2011) Corporate social responsibility in European football. London, UK: Birkbeck, University of London.
- Walters, Geoff and Trenberth, Linda and Tacon, Richard (2010) Good governance in sport: a survey of UK national governing bodies of sport. London, UK: Birkbeck, University of London.
- Walters, Geoff and Rossi, Giambattista (2009) Labour market migration in European football: key issues and challenges. Conference proceedings from the feet-drain conference hosted by the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre in May 2008. London, UK: Birkbeck Sport Business Centre.
- Walters, Geoff (2008) Bidding for major sporting events: key issues and challenges faced by sports governing bodies in the UK. London, UK: Birkbeck, University of London.
- Michie, J. and Oughton, C. and Walters, Geoff (2006) The state of the game: the corporate governance of football clubs 2006. London, UK: Birkbeck, University of London.
- Holt, M. and Michie, J. and Oughton, C. and Tacon, Richard and Walters, Geoff (2005) The state of the game: the corporate governance of football clubs 2005. London, UK: Birkbeck, University of London.
- Holt, M. and Michie, J. and Oughton, C. and Shailer, L. and Walters, Geoff (2004) The state of the game: the corporate governance of football clubs 2004. London, UK: Birkbeck, University of London.
- Hamil, Sean and Holt, M. and Michie, J. and Oughton, C. and Shailer, L. and Walters, Geoff (2003) The state of the game: the corporate governance of football clubs 2003. London, UK: Birkbeck, University of London.