When my colleague Dr. Mansour Sultan Al-Touqi and I decided to write “Modern Dimensions of Human Resources Management in Sports Organizations” back in 2015, we were driven by a profound realization: the sports industry in the Arab world was undergoing a transformation that demanded new thinking about its most valuable asset—its people. This book represents not just an academic exercise, but a heartfelt response to a pressing need we witnessed firsthand in sports institutions across our region.​

The Spark of an Idea

Throughout my career in sports management academia and research, I encountered a troubling pattern. Sports organizations, despite their passion and potential, were struggling to maximize their human capital. Administrative researchers widely agreed that effective human resources management in sports institutions significantly impacts an organization’s ability to grow, prosper, and improve productivity—especially amid contemporary changes characterized by intense competition. Yet many institutions continued operating with outdated traditional functions, unable to adapt to the modern variables confronting them.​

This observation became the foundation of our work. Dr. Al-Touqi and I recognized that we needed to offer readers—administrators, managers, and employees in sports institutions—a comprehensive exposition of modern dimensions in human resources management. We wanted to trace the journey from traditional personnel functions to contemporary practices aligned with today’s challenges, culminating in a proposed model for developing human resources management in sports institutions.​

A Journey Through Eleven Chapters

The structure of this book reflects our commitment to thoroughness and practical applicability. We began with Chapter One, providing an introduction to human resources management that covers the historical evolution of HR practices, theoretical approaches to studying human resources, and fundamental concepts including definitions, importance, objectives, functions, and activities of HR management. We examined human resources development, its importance, and why organizations need it.​

Chapter Two tackles human resources planning—its concept, importance, objectives, stages, and influencing factors. We detailed the considerations necessary for successful HR planning, knowing that proper planning forms the backbone of effective management. The third chapter addresses job analysis: its concept, importance, objectives, methodologies, stages, success factors, error sources, and associated costs. Understanding what each position requires is fundamental to placing the right person in the right role.​

Employment—the focus of Chapter Four—encompasses recruitment, selection, and appointment processes. We explored who conducts recruitment, its sources, steps, methods, selection criteria, tools, stages, and employment problems. Chapter Five examines performance measurement and evaluation: its indicators, stages, specifications, systems, problems, reasons for failure, and methods for addressing these failures.​

Training occupies Chapter Six, where we discuss its types, training program design, conditions for effective training, evaluation, costs, and training’s relationship with other HR functions. We also analyzed training’s impact on individual performance. Chapter Seven explores motivation through examining drives and incentives—their characteristics, components, types, theories, difficulties hindering their success, success conditions, and factors affecting incentive systems.​

In Chapter Eight, we ventured into contemporary territory: HR management amid modern variables. We examined emerging roles for HR management, its relationship with globalization and information technology, organizational development, and HR functions in light of these variables. Chapter Nine addresses electronic human resources management (e-HRM)—its concept, importance, objectives, requirements, fields, implementation results, and challenges.​

Chapter Ten investigates investment in human resources and intellectual capital: investment nature, determinants, forms, intellectual capital concepts, human capital management, development, and value maximization. Finally, Chapter Eleven presents our proposed model for HR management in sports organizations considering contemporary variables, clarifying how HR management can navigate modern challenges while attracting, selecting, and managing competent, trained, and well-qualified personnel.​

The Personal Challenge

Writing this book tested both of us intellectually and emotionally. The research process demanded we synthesize vast bodies of knowledge from administrative science, organizational behavior, sports management, and emerging fields like information technology and globalization studies. There were countless late nights reviewing literature, debating approaches, and refining our proposed model.​

What sustained us was our shared conviction that human resources represent the true wealth of any nation—serving as both means and end of any developmental effort. The quality of human elements primarily determines the level of progress and growth any country can achieve. In sports organizations particularly, where passion often overshadows systematic management, we saw an urgent need for frameworks that would professionalize administration while maintaining the spirit that makes sports special.​

Impact on Sports Administration

Since publication, the book has found its way into multiple spheres of influence within the sports sector. University programs in sports administration have adopted it as a core textbook, with faculty members reporting that students appreciate its comprehensive yet accessible approach. The eleven-chapter structure allows professors to design semester-long courses that progressively build students’ understanding from foundational concepts to cutting-edge applications like e-HRM.​

Sports club administrators and federation managers have shared feedback about implementing our proposed model. Several organizations in Egypt and the Gulf states have restructured their HR departments based on our framework, moving from traditional personnel administration to strategic human resources management. They report improved employee satisfaction, reduced turnover, and better alignment between organizational objectives and individual goals.​

National sports councils have incorporated sections of our work into professional development programs for sports administrators. The chapter on contemporary variables—covering globalization, information technology, and organizational development—has proven particularly valuable as institutions navigate the digital transformation of sports management. Our discussion of e-HRM anticipated trends that have accelerated dramatically in recent years, especially following global shifts toward remote work and digital coordination.​

Perhaps most importantly, the book has influenced how emerging sports professionals conceptualize their roles. Young administrators now enter the field understanding that managing people in sports organizations requires more than tracking attendance and processing salaries. They recognize that effective HR management involves strategic planning, continuous development, performance optimization, and creating organizational cultures that unleash human potential.​

The Human Element in Sports

What distinguishes sports organizations from other enterprises is the unique intersection of passion and profession, artistry and administration. Athletes and coaches pour their hearts into their craft, yet their efforts must be supported by administrative frameworks that enable rather than constrain excellence. This delicate balance informed every page of our book.​

We emphasized throughout that human resources in sports organizations are not merely employees to be managed but talented individuals whose capabilities, when properly nurtured, become the organization’s competitive advantage. We argued that effective HR management recognizes workers as thinking beings capable of participation, innovation, and self-direction—not passive recipients of orders requiring constant supervision.​

This humanistic approach acknowledges that individuals need more than just instructions; they need purpose, development opportunities, recognition, and environments where they can thrive. Sports organizations that embrace these principles don’t just function more efficiently—they cultivate cultures of excellence that attract top talent and retain institutional knowledge.​

Looking Forward

More than a decade after publication, the principles we outlined remain relevant even as contexts evolve. The COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, dramatically accelerated adoption of electronic HR management systems we discussed in Chapter Nine. Digital recruitment, remote performance evaluation, and online training—concepts that seemed futuristic in 2015—became necessities virtually overnight.​

Similarly, our emphasis on investing in human resources and developing intellectual capital (Chapter Ten) has proven prescient as knowledge economies increasingly dominate global markets. Sports organizations now compete not just for athletes but for data analysts, digital marketers, and technology specialists whose intellectual contributions create sustainable competitive advantages.​

If I were to add a chapter today, it would address artificial intelligence and HR analytics—exploring how machine learning algorithms can enhance recruitment, personalize development plans, and predict performance trajectories while maintaining the human touch essential to sports management. The fundamental principles would remain unchanged: people matter most, and investing in their development yields the highest returns.​

A Personal Reflection

Writing this book with Dr. Al-Touqi strengthened my conviction that academic scholarship must serve practical needs. We didn’t write merely to add another title to our publication lists or secure promotions. We wrote because we witnessed talented people working in sports organizations that lacked systematic approaches to unleashing their potential. We wrote because we believed that better management could transform not just organizations but lives.​

The messages I’ve received over the years—from students who found career direction, administrators who improved their practices, and organizations that enhanced their performance—validate the countless hours we invested in this work. One administrator from a national sports federation wrote that restructuring their HR department based on our model reduced staff turnover by 40% and improved athlete satisfaction scores significantly. A university professor mentioned using our book as the foundation for establishing a new sports management master’s program.​

These impacts extend beyond individual success stories to contribute to the broader elevation of sports administration as a professional field. When sports organizations operate effectively, athletes perform better, communities engage more deeply, and sports fulfill their potential to inspire, unite, and transform societies.​

Concluding Thoughts

The journey from conception to publication taught me valuable lessons about collaboration, persistence, and the responsibility that comes with academic authorship. Dr. Al-Touqi and I didn’t always agree on every detail, but our discussions strengthened the final product. We learned that writing is an iterative process of discovering what we truly want to say.​

To readers who have engaged with our work—whether as students, practitioners, or researchers—I offer my deepest gratitude. Your willingness to consider our ideas, implement our recommendations, and provide feedback has made this endeavor meaningful beyond our initial aspirations. To those encountering this book for the first time, I hope you find in these pages not just information but inspiration to view human resources management as the noble calling it truly is.​

Sports organizations stand at the intersection of human potential and organizational purpose. When we manage people with the care, strategy, and respect they deserve, we don’t just build better institutions—we contribute to human flourishing. That vision animated our writing, and I trust it will animate your reading and practice.​

As we stated in our conclusion: we present this modest effort and work to you, dear reader, whatever your administrative position in any sports organization, large or small. We value your opinion on what can develop human resources management in sports organizations. We pray to God Almighty that we have succeeded in this book and this humble effort in contributing to the advancement of the administrative process and enriching the sports library.​

God is the source of all success.