Sports and Business in a Swedish Football Club A case study on Örebro SK

Sammanfattning

One must not forget that we are working with people, we cannot simply purchase a more powerful engine. The quote from an employee in our case organization emphasizes the human aspect in football operations, cautioning against the belief that acquiring superior resources guarantees better performance. This sentiment resonates in the context of football's evolving landscape, where the traditional focus on sports excellence contends with the growing commercialization of the sport. This shift poses challenges for sports organizations aiming to balance on-field success with financial stability. Our study delves into this intersection, building on previous research and addressing a gap by examining how a club, particularly one facing financial constraints, navigate crises resulting from unsuccessful recruitment strategies and relegation. As football organizations transition into a more commercialized and professional realm, the study of institutional logics becomes crucial. Previous research, exemplified by Carlsson-Wall et al. (2016), identifies the coexistence and conflict between sports logic, emphasizing on-field success, and business logic, emphasizing financial stability. Our study has explored this interplay in the specific context of ÖSK Football, focusing on decision-making processes during challenging periods. We found the prioritization of the sports logic to cause financial distress whereby the organization unconditionally prioritizes the business logic.