Abstract

Purpose: The present study investigates how sustainable sports leadership influences participation motivation through an internal logistics pathway of team orientation. Rather than assuming a direct leadership–motivation relationship, the study conceptualizes motivation as a distributed outcome delivered through team-based organizational processes. Research design, data and methodology: Using survey data collected from athletes participating in organized sports teams, this study applies a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to examine the supply-chain-like flow of leadership influence. Sustainable leadership is modeled as an upstream source, team orientation as a central distribution channel, and participation motivation as a downstream outcome within the team system. Results: The empirical results show that sustainable leadership positively affects team orientation, which in turn significantly enhances participation motivation. The indirect pathway through team orientation demonstrates stronger explanatory power than the direct leadership–motivation link, indicating that motivational resources are transmitted through internal team logistics rather than direct managerial control. Conclusions: By framing leadership influence as a logistics and distribution process, the current study contributes to distribution-oriented sports management research. The findings suggest that participation motivation behaves as a resource that must be efficiently routed through team structures, highlighting the managerial importance of designing effective internal pathways to sustain athlete engagement.