This thesis aims to answer the question of how prior experience as a top athlete influences the risk handling strategies as a sports entrepreneur. In this way, the purpose of the study is to fill the gap in the field of entrepreneurial risk research by developing the first conceptual framework for entrepreneurial risk handling. This framework can be used as a guideline for aspiring entrepreneurs that face high-risk environments as well as for future studies in this field.
To answer the research question, the research adopts a multiple case study approach to emerge different risk handling strategies that have been developed among the athlete's sports careers and being applied nowadays in the career as a sports entrepreneur. By conducting semi-structured interviews and applying inductive qualitative research, the sample of the study consists of ten sports entrepreneurs with different experienced risk types. The research will progress as by the following: The next section presents the theoretical framework that covers the existing literature about the interplay between sports entrepreneurship, prior experience, success and risk-taking.
Then, the main empirical results and analyses are presented in relation to the theoretical framework. Besides, the paper concludes by providing further meaning and context for the main findings. Finally, future theoretical and practical implications are suggested, as well as limitations of the study are outlined. The study ends by providing implications for practice and future researchers and closes with conclusions.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Framework
2.1 Sport Entrepreneurship
2.2 Prior Experience
2.3 Risk
2.3.1 Risk and Entrepreneurship
2.3.2 Risk-Taking and Entrepreneurship
2.3.3 Risk-Taking and Sports Entrepreneurship
2.3.4 Risk-Taking and Entrepreneurial Success
2.3.5 Risk-Handling
3. Research Methodology
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Sampling Approach
3.3 Sampling Selection
3.4 Data Collection and Analysis
3.4.1 Interview Conduction
3.4.2 Data Analysis
3.4.3 Interview-Guide Structure
3.5 Methodology Limitations
4. Findings
4.1 Prior Experience
4.1.1 Types of experienced Sports Risk-types
4.1.2 Sports Risk-handling Strategies
4.2 Sports Entrepreneurship
4.2.1 Entrepreneurial Motivation
4.2.2 Types of Entrepreneurial Risk-types
4.2.3 Entrepreneurial Risk-handling Strategies
5. Discussion
6. Conclusion
6.1 Implications for Research
6.2 Implications for Practice
6.3 Limitations
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis investigates how prior experience as a professional athlete shapes the entrepreneurial risk-handling strategies of former top athletes, aiming to develop a conceptual framework that can support aspiring entrepreneurs in high-risk environments.
- The influence of athletic career experience on entrepreneurial decision-making.
- Identification of distinct risk-handling strategies developed in sports and applied in businesses.
- The relationship between sports-based risk tolerance and entrepreneurial success.
- Development of a conceptual model for managing uncertainty in new ventures.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1.2 Sports Risk-handling Strategies
The cases revealed different risk handling strategies that they had developed and applied in their previous career experiences as top athletes. Based on the gathered data, it was possible to identify four second-order themes as recurring objects of risk-handling strategies in at least two or more cases, as visualized in Table 3. One strategy that is frequently appearing in the data and therefore represents the first second-order theme can be summarized as splitted risk-handling. A ski racer, for example, used this strategy in an important world cup race and explains it as follows: “You are at the top of the steep ski slope, which represents a significant risk. To handle this huge risk, you have to divide the whole run into many small risky sections and then work your way from one risky section to the next. The advantage is that you can focus only on the risk of one small segment, which then no longer seems so big”.
With the risk-filtering second order theme the authors identified a strong mentality strength, where the athletes are able to filter out negative thoughts related to risk. Thus, a state is reached which contains almost no uncertainties. This was described by the respondents as important in order to be able to perform well. Another second-order theme that has emerged from the data is rationally self-confident risk-handling. Interestingly, this risk handling strategy was expressed in some way by almost all interviewed athletes. Confidence in personal competence thus seems to be an effective way of handling risky situations.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the research problem regarding entrepreneurial risk and introduces the rationale for studying sports entrepreneurs as a source for understanding risk-handling strategies.
2. Theoretical Framework: Reviews literature on sport entrepreneurship, prior experience, risk-taking, and risk-handling, establishing the academic foundation for the study.
3. Research Methodology: Details the qualitative, exploratory, multiple case study approach using semi-structured interviews with ten former professional athletes.
4. Findings: Presents the empirical data on the types of risks encountered and the specific risk-handling strategies developed by athletes and applied in their entrepreneurial ventures.
5. Discussion: Analyzes the empirical results in relation to the initial research question and existing academic literature, emphasizing the transferability of athletic experience to the business world.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes the study’s contributions, confirming that prior athletic experience significantly shapes entrepreneurial risk-handling, and provides implications for future research and practice.
Keywords
Entrepreneurship, sport entrepreneurship, professional athlete, second career, sports, risk-taking, risk-handling, qualitative research, case study, risk management, mental strength, athletic performance, business venturing, conceptual framework, risk tolerance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research explores how the risk-related experiences gained during a professional athletic career influence the risk-handling strategies of these individuals when they become entrepreneurs.
Which thematic fields are central to the study?
The central thematic fields include sports entrepreneurship, risk identification (physical, financial, and failure risks), and the application of mental strategies like risk-filtering or goal-oriented handling in business.
What is the primary research question?
The study specifically aims to answer how prior experience as a top athlete influences the risk-handling strategies implemented by a sports entrepreneur.
What methodology was employed?
The authors utilized an exploratory, qualitative multiple case study design, based on ten in-depth, semi-structured interviews with former professional athletes who are now active entrepreneurs.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body integrates the literature review with empirical findings, detailing the risk types and handling strategies found in both athletic and entrepreneurial career contexts.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include sports entrepreneurship, professional athlete, second career, risk-taking, risk-handling, and mental strength in business.
How is the "splitted risk-handling" strategy defined by interviewees?
It involves breaking down a large, intimidating risk or problem into multiple smaller, manageable segments to reduce psychological pressure and improve focus.
What is the significance of the conceptual framework presented?
The framework illustrates how athletic experiences (such as "rationally self-confident risk-handling") serve as a foundational set of skills that help entrepreneurs handle uncertainty in their professional ventures.
- Citation du texte
- Lukas Meißner (Auteur), 2021, Learning from Sports Entrepreneurs. Development of a Conceptual Framework for Entrepreneurial Risk-handling, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1301210
