Sport entrepreneurship dynamics: insights from professional football and beyond

Abstract

The burgeoning sport industry plays a pivotal role in the global economy, necessitating the importance of gaining a deeper understanding of its entrepreneurial dimensions. This doctoral dissertation specifically delves into the dynamics of sport entrepreneurship, placing a primary focus on the realm of professional football. It seeks to address a fundamental question: How is sport entrepreneurship employed by the sport industry to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities?

This research is motivated by the need to bridge knowledge gaps and complexities at the sport-entrepreneurship intersection. Sport entrepreneurship serves as a dynamic catalyst influencing both the sport and business domains, offering fertile ground for exploration.

To ensure a thorough exploration, a diverse methodological toolkit is employed, including theoretical, quantitative, and qualitative approaches such as multiple-case studies, correlation analyses, expert interviews, logit model analysis, systematic literature reviews, and bibliometric analyses. This comprehensive approach ensures meticulous data collection, analysis, and synthesis throughout the study.

Comprising five articles, the dissertation uncovers the adaptive strategies employed by international football clubs amid the COVID-19 crisis and explores the relationship between managing a sport career and conducting an entrepreneurial initiative. It unravels the intricate relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and organizational performance in professional football. Additionally, the research identifies pivotal success factors in the second career transitions of football players, accentuating the value of sport entrepreneurship. The research concludes with an integrated model that provides a forward-looking perspective on sport entrepreneurship dynamics.

This dissertation highlights the profound impact of sport entrepreneurship on the sport industry. The revealed dynamics of sport entrepreneurship interconnect various facets of the sport domain, forming a narrative of exploration, adaptation, and growth.