Being an elite athlete was once just a hobby. Something you did on the side, while studying or working. In many sports, it is today changed into a professionalized industry, where the athletes are not just athletes seeking to win, but also employees, who depend on their sport to pay for their cost of living. This thesis investigates which attitudes and motivations of elite professional handball players in Denmark have towards employment in general and employers specifically, and what makes some employers more attractive than others. The research topic is relevant not just for employers seeking to optimize their staff, but also for academics to understand a particular industry and profession, where the roots are in recreation rather than labour.
What the research found is that while playing handball is a job or them, this has limited impact in their professional lives. In their daily motivation it is handball, not money, that motivates the majority of them, and for all of them it is important that their skills and performances are recognized. For the majority of the players, recognition is especially significant as it gives meaning to a job, which often includes sacrificing family time
for the job. One area where the players have been touched by professionalization, however, is a willingness to place themselves before the employer, as they will remain loyal only as long as they are satisfied. What determines satisfaction and
what makes an employer attractive is largely based on what the
club can offer the player from a sporting perspective, however the club must live up to the players’ wishes for salary and family considerations to be considered. However, another very significant factor for motivation and the attitude towards the employer is that the club lives up to the promises it makes, as players will react very negatively if they are broken.
The findings should be relevant to employers within the handball industry, as the research has identified what things is part of determining motivation and presented an argument for why this is particularly important in professional sports. The findings also point to a need for further research into areas of motivational theory, where the findings and existing models do not match entirely.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- Problem identification and research question
- Focus and relevance of research
- Methodological Considerations
- Research Philosophy
- Research Design
- Literature search
- Interviewing experts
- Focus groups/Interviews
- Interview Methodology
- Thematizing
- Designing
- Interviewing
- Transcribing
- Analyzing
- Verifying
- Reporting
- Delimitation
- Theoretical direction
- Employee identity
- Employer attractiveness
- Employee retention
- Danish professional handball
- Findings
- Research results
- A search of the literature
- Interviewing experts in the subject
- Conducting interviews – summaries of meaning condensations
- Analysis
- Reflections on the interview process and the findings
- Player 1
- Theoretical analysis
- Part conclusion
- Player 2
- Theoretical analysis
- Part conclusion
- Player 3
- Theoretical analysis
- Part conclusion
- Player 4
- Theoretical analysis
- Part conclusion
- Player 5
- Theoretical analysis
- Part conclusion
- Player 6
- Theoretical analysis
- Part conclusion
- Conclusion
- Discussion
- Comparison to expert interviews
- Comparison to literature search
- Closing points
- The players' attitudes and motivations towards employment
- The players' attitudes and motivations towards employers
- What make some employers more attractive than others
- Managerial Implications
- Theoretical Implications
- Directions for Future Research
- Bibliography
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis investigates the attitudes and motivations of elite professional handball players in Denmark towards employment and employers, and explores factors influencing their choice of employer. The research aims to understand the professional identity and motivations of these athletes as they transition from a recreational background to a professional career. The findings are relevant for employers seeking to optimize their staff, as well as for academics studying this specific industry and profession.
- The professional identity of elite handball players and how it shapes their attitudes towards work.
- The key factors that motivate professional handball players, including intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.
- The characteristics that make employers more attractive to professional handball players.
- The importance of recognizing and valuing the skills and performances of these athletes.
- The impact of professionalization on the relationship between handball players and their employers.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The thesis begins with an introduction that outlines the problem identification and research question, highlighting the shift from recreational to professional handball in Denmark. It then dives into the methodological considerations, including the research philosophy, design, and methodology employed for data collection and analysis. The theoretical direction explores key concepts such as employee identity, employer attractiveness, and employee retention. The research findings are presented, encompassing a review of relevant literature, expert interviews, and detailed analysis of interviews with individual handball players. The conclusion summarizes the findings and discusses their implications for employers and future research.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The thesis focuses on the key concepts of professional identity, motivation, employer attractiveness, and employee retention within the context of professional handball in Denmark. The research explores the intersection of sport and labor, investigating the attitudes and motivations of elite athletes as they transition to a professional career. Key terms include: professional handball, employee identity, employer attractiveness, motivation, employee retention, Danish handball industry.
- Citar trabajo
- Henrik H. Lønne (Autor), 2014, Athlete or employee. A study of professional handball players, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/309980
