Research & Publications

For latest publications and other information see Dr. Alex Fenton’s profile on Google Scholar

Books

• Fenton, A, Griffiths, M, Fletcher, G. Heinze, A., Fletcher, G., Cruz, A. 2025. Strategic Digital Transformation (2nd edition), Routledge – Book website
• Heinze, A., Fletcher, G., Cruz, A., Fenton, A. (2024). Digital and social media marketing: a results-driven approach (3rd edition) Routledge.

Journal Articles

Internationally excellent papers (3*+)

1. Fletcher, G., Fenton, A., Lord, J., & Griffiths, M. (2026). The role of social capital in SMEs for polycrisis management. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 223, 124419.
2. Ahmed, W., Hardey, M., Boardman, R., Kavanagh, E., & Fenton, A. (2025).
   Misogyny, misogynoir and violent online rhetoric against women and girls in sport: The case of Joey Barton. European Sport Management Quarterly, 1–23.
3. Ahmed, W., Önkal, D., Das, R., Krishnan, S., Olan, F., Hardey, M., & Fenton, A. (2024).  “Developing Techniques to Support Technological Solutions to Disinformation by Analyzing Four Conspiracy Networks During COVID-19“. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management
4. Fenton, A., Ahmed, W., Hardey, M., Boardman, R., & Kavanagh, E. (2023). Women’s football subculture of misogyny: The escalation to online gender-based violence. European Sport Management Quarterly. Taylor & Francis. 
5. Fenton, A, Gilhooly, L, Vasilica, C, M (2021). Female Fans and Social Media:micro communities and the formation of social capital, European Sport Management Quarterly
6. Crawford, G , Fenton, A , Chadwick, S and Lawrence, S. (2021). ‘‘All avatars aren’t we’: football and the experience of football-themed digital content during a global pandemic’. International Review for the Sociology of Sport
7. Anagnostopoulos, C, Parganas, P, Fenton, A and Chadwick, SM (2018), ‘Branding in pictures : using Instagram as a brand management tool in professional team sport organisations’ , European Sport Management Quarterly

Recognised internationally (2*+)

1. Kilvington, D., Ahmed, W., Fenton, A., & Webster, C. (2026). Using social network analysis to study hate speech in English football during the White Lives Matter banner controversy. IIM Kozhikode Society & Management Review.
2. Chadwick, S, Fenton, A , Dron, RM  and Ahmed, W. (2021),‘Social media conversations about high engagement sports team brands’ , IIM Kozhikode Society & Management Review
3. Hardey, M., Wasim, A., Fenton, A., Koral, C. Enlightened Participation: SME Perspectives about Net Zero on Social Media using the Action Case Approach (2023) . IIM Kozhikode Society & Management Review
4. Fenton A, Cooper-Ryan AM, Hardey M & Ahmed W (2022). Football Fandom as a Platform for Digital Health Promotion and Behaviour Change: A Mobile App Case Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (14) (Open Access, IF 4.614)
5. Ahmed, W., Fenton, A., Hardey, M., & Das, R. (2022). Binge Watching and the Role of Social Media Virality towards promoting Netflix’s Squid Game. IIM Kozhikode Society & Management Review
6. Ryan, WG, Fenton, A , Ahmed, W and Scarf, PA  2019, ‘Recognizing Events 4.0 : the digital maturity of events’ , International Journal of Event and Festival Management
7. Fenton, A, Keegan, B, Parry, K (2021) – Understanding sporting social media brand communities, place and social capital – a netnography of football fans – Communication and Sport

Other published journals

1. Pimblett, C., Fenton, A., & Rowe, L. (2026). Capturing change: A quasi-longitudinal qualitative approach to motivation and engagement in workplace e-learning. Emerald Publishing.
2. Chadwick, S., Ahmed, W., Hardey, M., & Fenton, A. (2025).
   Global fan activism in sports: Digital collective action and the case of #EmptyOldTrafford.
   International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 1–21.
3. Pimblett, C., Rowe, L., & Fenton, A. Enhancing workplace e-learning with branching scenarios: An action case study. International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, 1–19.
4. Fenton, A, McLean,R, Quan-Haas, A,Procter, C (2023) – Social media, S-Commerce and social capital: A netnography of football fans and organizations – International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation
5. Fenton, A, Parry, K, Chadwick, S, Ahmed, W. (2023) – Understanding SMEs and entrepreneurship using netnography and social network analysis – International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation
6. Allen, E, Fenton, A, Parry, K (2021). Computerised gymnastics judging scoring system implementation – an exploration of stakeholders’ perceptions. Science of Gymnastics Journal.   
7. Hasan, N., Bao, Y., Miah, SJ.,& Fenton, A., (2021), Factors Influencing the Young Physicians’ Intention to Use of Internet of Things (IoT) Services in the Healthcare, Information Development. 
8. Fenton, A  and Procter, CT 2018, ‘Studying social media communities : blending methods with netnography‘ , SAGE Research Methods Cases
9. Heinze, A, Griffiths, M, Fenton, A and Fletcher, G 2018, ‘Knowledge exchange partnership leads to digital transformation at Hydro-X Water Treatment, Ltd’ , Global Business and Organizational Excellence, 37 (4) , pp. 6-13.

Case studies Fenton, A, Heinze, A (2020) ‘Fan Fit Case Study’ – Case Centre Heinze, A, Fenton, A,  (2019) ‘Public Desire Case Study’ – Case Centre Fenton, A  and Turner, J 2017, ‘Case study : good practice in enterprise and entrepreneurship education – University of Salford – Building bright ideas and innovating future business : delivering meaningful enterprise skills training at the University of Salford’ , The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) .

Thesis

Fenton, A 2018, The field behind the screen : social capital and the social media communications of a football club brand , PhD thesis, University of Salford.

Press and policy

Contributions to  local and national press including:

• BBC website and Radio Shropshire (2024) & BBC Radio Merseyside (2026) – Misogyny, social media and sport interview
• BBC Sport, 2021 – Ronaldo, Social Media and the transfer window (TV Appearance)
• UK Parliament accepted evidence from #FanFit project  – National Plan for Sport and Recreation Committee’s inquiry
• Can Virtual Reality Help Sports Fans Experience Game Day In A Post COVID-19 World? – CBS Local, 2020
• Coronavirus and long term lockdown – How HR need to be proactive and not panic, HR News, 2020
• How to Learn Online – Innovate my School, 2020
• Rip Off Britain – Online Reviews – BBC 1, 2019
• Social media Tax – would it work? – University of Salford, 2018
• Salford outranks London as UK’s top city for startup growth – Manchester Evening News, 2017
• How giant digital adverts could soon be in our cities – BBC, 2017
• Football fitness app could see fans competing against their idols – Manchester Evening News, 2016
• Our appetite for apps doesn’t make them a must for businesses – Guardian, 2016
• The powerhouse of the North – The Independent, 2015

Book chapters

Fenton, A & Parry, K.D, & Chadwick, S &  Guimarães, G & Aeron,V 2022. “Digital Innovation in Sport – Barriers and Opportunities for Branded Fitness Apps for Fans,” Studies on Entrepreneurship, Structural Change and Industrial Dynamics, in: Vanessa Ratten (ed.), Entrepreneurial Innovation, pages 25-42, Springer. Miah, A and Fenton, A. 2021. Routledge Handbook of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Esports in the Olympic and Paralympic Games: The business case for integration, Routledge Fenton, A. 2020. You’re on Mute – Zoom to 3D Fenton, A and Mohamad, MRA. 2020. ‘Social media’ , in: Digital and social media marketing : a results-driven approach , Routledge Fenton, A , Cooper-Ryan, AM and Vasilica, CM 2019, ‘Smartphone fitness apps and football fans : a case study of Fan Fit’ , in: Football as Medicine: Prescribing Football for Global Health Promotion , Critical Research in Football , Routledge. Robinson, N, Fenton, A & Dale, C. 2019. Video killed the radio star: A review of social commerce music platforms in facilitating product dissemination. From record and rewind, to upload and distribute.In Boardman, R, Blazques, M, Henninger, C.E. & Ryding, D (Ed), Social Commerce: Consumer Behaviour in Online Environments. London: Palgrave Pivot Fenton, A and Heleu, B, 2018. Social Media and football, in Routledge Handbook of Football Management, Routledge

Conferences and keynotes

Chair – AI in Education Conference, London 2024 Founder and co-chair of world’s first netnography conference Netnocon23 Fenton, A et al. 2020. Case of Joe Wicks and Social Network Analysis, British Academy of Management webinar Fenton, A, Smith, M, 2019, Netnography and Social Network Analysis workshop, Social Media and Society Conference, Toronto, Canada Fenton, A, 2018, Digital Sport and Fan Engagement (Keynote), Coppead Business School, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Fenton, A, 2016, Building international relationships through social media marketing: A netnography of football communities , in: Contemporary Issues in International Marketing. Fenton, A 2015, Social capital, brand and football : tales from the digital field – extended abstract for : UKAIS & British Academy of Management E-business and E-government SIG , in: UKAIS & British Academy of Management E-business and E-government SIG, 03/12/15 – 04/12/15, Newcastle University.

Fenton, A 2015, Digital media, football fans and communications : a case study of Salford City FC, a ‘digital football club’ , in: Academy of Marketing Conference 2015, 7-9 July 2015, University of Limerick Ireland.

Fenton, A 2011, Beyond the closed e-portfolio: Designing for the digital curation of professional identities for lifelong learning , in: Education in a Changing Environment (ECE) 6th International Conference : Creativity and Engagement in Higher Education, 6 – 8 July 2011, The University of Salford, Greater Manchester, UK.

Conversation Articles

• • February 27, 2020 – Tyson Fury defeated Deontay Wilder in the social media fight as well as in the ring
  • September 11, 2018  – ‘Hyperdigitalised’ sports fans are connecting with their heroes like never before
  • February 5, 2018 – Super Bowl: how bots, brands and the alt-right highjacked the event on social media, Simon Chadwick, and Alex Fenton, University of Salford. Bots, brand jackers, big shots, as well as traditional businesses all bossed the Super Bowl social media space.

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  January 10, 2018 – Sport and social media’s rocky relationship is safe … for now, Alex Fenton, University of Salford – Footballers and other sports stars are the giants of social media, amassing millions of followers. But does it provide value for money and will the relationship last?

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  February 17, 2017 – How Blackburn Rovers fans could use Man Utd to help dislodge their unpopular Indian owners, Alex Fenton, University of Salford

  Can social media and a high profile clash with Manchester United help disgruntled Blackburn Rovers fans lodge a protest that will resonate in India where the club’s unpopular owners reside?

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  July 1, 2016 – Euro 2016 sponsors being ambushed on social media by ‘unofficial’ brands – Simon Chadwick, and Alex Fenton, University of Salford – It costs multiple millions to sponsor a global sports event. Why bother when non-sponsors cleverly associate themselves for next to nothing?

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  January 16, 2015 – Google deals out ‘tough love’ as it ends security updates for a billion Android users

  Aleksej Heinze, University of Salford and Alex Fenton, University of Salford Google’s announcement that it will not provide security updates for older versions of its Android mobile operating system

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  September 15, 2014 – Man Utd’s tablet ban is shrewd business that others may copy

  Alex Fenton, and David Randles, University of Salford

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  July 24, 2014 – Blackburn Rovers kit launch ruffles feathers as #birdysdate goes viral

  David Randles, and Alex Fenton, University of Salford

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White papers

• Calarasu, E.-M., Fenton, A., McMullan, C., Miah, A., 2018. Virtual Reality and Sports Fans. University of Salford and DigitalSport.co
• Fenton, A., Freitas, F., Guimarães, G., Gamorim, J., 2018. ESports and Fan Engagement : Brazil vs England. University of Salford and COPPEAD Graduate School Brazil
• Fenton, A., Kreps, D., 2017. Fitness Apps : For the fit and the unfit. University of Salford