From the Field to the Firm: The impact of an individual- and team sports background on decision-making in new ventures

Sammanfattning

Sports have been shown to influence and shape humans in many ways. However, how sports background influences decision-making in early stage entrepreneurial ventures has not been examined closely. Hence, this thesis addressed this gap and explored how sports backgrounds influence decision-making in early-stage ventures. More specifically, it delved into how experience as an elite team sports athlete versus as an elite individual sports athlete shapes entrepreneurial decisions. This research employed a qualitative methodology, utilizing semi-structured interviews to gather insights from eight athlete-turned-entrepreneurs: four with a background in team sports and four with a background in individual sports. The findings were derived from initial highlighted quotes, which were then grouped into 1st-order themes, subsequently into 2nd-order themes, and ultimately into aggregate dimensions. The aggregate dimensions help to explain how the different sports backgrounds influence decision-making in ventures. The three dimensions: risk perception, external input and adaptability varied between the two groups of entrepreneurs. Team sports athletes were found to be more risk averse due to their higher feeling of responsibility for others and their lower perceived control over the outcomes of their decisions compared to the individual athletes. Furthermore, individual sports athletes tended to make decisions independently while team sport athletes opted for more collaborative decision-making. Finally, individual athletes displayed an inclination towards effectuation as a decision-making process whereas team sports athletes opted for causation.