Integrating emotions into legitimacy work: an institutional work perspective on new sport emergence

Research QuestionThe purpose of this study was to explore the role emotions play in new sport emergence.Research MethodsA qualitative case study of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) was undertaken, with content analysis employed to identify emergent themes from an archival database of newspaper articles.Results and FindingsNegative emotions were institutionalized into the discourse surrounding early MMA that hindered its legitimation; in order to legitimize the sport, discursive institutional work was undertaken by pro-MMA stakeholders to address existing negative emotions, and create positive new ones.ImplicationsEmotions play a crucial role in new sport emergence; therefore, institutional work aiming at legitimizing a new sport on cognitive grounds alone might be inadequate for the successful emergence of a new sport, without the specific emotion-focused institutional work to disrupt existing negative emotions, and create new positive emotions for the new sport.