The Institute of Sport Management acknowledges the principle of sport as a public trust, ethics as a cornerstone of accountability in sport and Sport Managers as the stewards of these ethics. All members are therefore required to agree to abide by the Institute of Sport Management’s Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct and to the general aims and objectives of the Institute of Sport Management.

The Institute of Sport Management’s Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct recognises that the objectives of the Sport Management profession are to work to the highest standards of professionalism, to attain the highest levels of performance and generally to meet the public interest requirement.

These objectives require four basic needs to be met:

a) Credibility
In the sporting community specifically and the whole of society generally, there is a need for credibility in the profession of Sport Managers, the role they perform and their contribution.

b) Professionalism
There is a need for individuals who can be clearly identified by employers, clients and other interested parties as professional persons in the Sport Management field.

c) Quality of Services
There is a need for assurance that all services obtained from a professional Sport Manager are carried out to the highest standards of performance.

d) Confidence
Users of the services of professional Sport Managers should be able to feel confident that there exists a framework of professional ethics which governs the provision of those services.

As a member of the Institute of Sport Management you will provide a commitment to abide by the following regulations:

1.     Members agree to observe the highest standards of ethics, probity and professional conduct at all times. Ethical behaviour is not simply compliance with the prevailing legal requirements, it extends to honesty, equity, integrity and social responsibility in all dealings. It is behaviour that holds up to disclosure and to public scrutiny.

2.     Members agree to give honest and truthful representation of all information in all dealings with their employer, members, affiliates, sponsors and related agencies.

3.     Members agree to condemn the use of performance enhancing drugs and doping practices in sport. The use of performance enhancing drugs and doping practices is contrary to the ethics of sport and potentially harmful to the health of athletes. The only legitimate use of drugs in sport is under the supervision of a physician for a clinically justified purpose.

4.     Members agree to encourage practices which promote equality in sport. Specifically, Members agree to abide by the principals of equality in the workplace. This means that the person most capable of doing the job will be chosen from those who apply, without discrimination based on sex, marital status, age, race, ethnic or ethno-religious identity, disability, homosexuality or transgender identity.

5.     Members must be straightforward, honest and sincere in their approach to professional work. Members must conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the good reputation of their profession and refrain from any conduct which might bring discredit to their profession.

6.     Members must at all times safeguard the interests of their employers or clients provided they do not conflict with the duties and loyalties owed to the community and its laws.

7.     Members must be fair and must not allow prejudice, conflict of interest or bias to override their objectivity. Members must be and should be seen to be free of any interest which might be regarded, whatever its actual effect, as being incompatible with their integrity and objectivity.

8.     Members must respect the confidentiality of information acquired in the course of their work and must not disclose any such information to a third party without specific authority or unless there is a legal or professional duty to disclose it.

9.     Members must perform professional services with due care, competence and diligence. A member has a continuing duty to maintain professional knowledge and skill at a level required to ensure that an employer or client receives the advantage of competent professional service based on up-to-date developments in practice, legislation and techniques. In agreeing to provide professional services it is implied that there is a level of competence necessary to perform professional services and that the knowledge, skill and experience of the professional Sport Manager will be applied with reasonable care and diligence. Professional Sport Managers should therefore refrain from performing any services which they are not competent to carry out unless advice and assistance is obtained to ensure that the services are performed satisfactorily.

10.     Members will abide by this Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct and any amendments issued by the Institute of Sport Management from time to time. Compliance with the Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct is mandatory for all members. Members should, when in doubt as to the propriety of any course of action and if the doubt cannot be resolved by reference to the Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct, seek the guidance of the Institute of Sport Management . This is especially necessary if circumstances arise, for whatever reason, in which difficulties occur in complying with requirements or taking a professionally correct course of action.

11.     Member misconduct will be referred to the Institute of Sport Management Disciplinary Committee for arbitration. The findings and disciplinary decisions will be binding on members. Members must bring to the attention of the Institute of Sport Management any violations of the Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct by any member at the earliest possible time.

The Institute of Sport Management Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct has been developed to provide members with authoritative guidance on minimum acceptable standards of professional conduct. The Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct focuses on essential matters of principle and is not to be taken as a definitive statement on all matters.

As a statement of principal, members should be guided not merely by the terms but also by the spirit of the Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct. The fact that particular conduct does not receive a mention does not prevent it from being unacceptable or discreditable conduct, thus making the Member liable to disciplinary action.