The 2022 FIFA World Cup as a Catalyst for Labor Standards of Sport Professionals? A New Institutional Theory Perspective

Following Qatar’s successful bid to host the World Cup, it underwent pressure primarily as a result of concerns about the status of migrant workers and their role in developing the required infrastructure for this major international competition. Although Qatar has undertaken major legislative reforms concerning its labor regime, criticisms have not diminished, along with a general debate about the minimum set of standards for a successful mega sporting event. The specific interest of this paper lies in highlighting the status and conditions of expatriate workers employed as sport professionals, especially in the private sector (to the degree that a private sector in fact exists in the country). This paper aims to address how the organization of the World Cup impacted the working conditions of coaches as sport professionals in Qatar. The theoretical foundation of this article is based on so-called new institutionalism, merging normative institutionalism – and focusing on norms and values embodied in sport organization - with historical institutionalism, which reflects intact institutional frameworks and rational choice institutionalism. New institutionalism demonstrates a pattern of particular decision-making processes through otherwise informal practices. It is a pioneering study with a view to understanding the extent of reforms within a particular sports ecosystem. The results indicate a discrepancy between government and private-related sport organizations in terms of the predictability of labor relations and income generation. It further identifies limitations in terms of individual professional and personal development within the private sport sector.