Understanding coach dismissals in European professional football: A new institutional perspective. Issue 2 (11th May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nissen, Rasmus
• Is Part Of: Sport, business and management. Volume 5:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 89
• Page End: 106
• Publication Date: 2015-05-11
• Subjects: Isomorphism -- Legitimacy -- Institutional logics -- Coach dismissals -- Danish professional football -- Sociological new institutional theory; Sports -- Management -- Periodicals; Sports -- Economic aspects -- Periodicals; 796.06905
• DOI: 10.1108/SBM-10-2013-0034
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2042-678X

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: – The purpose of this paper is to outline a theoretical framework that can be used to understand coach dismissals in professional football. Design/methodology/approach: – In order to embed the suggested framework empirically and thereby strengthen the argumentation, a total of 90 management accounts from 18 Danish professional football clubs have been analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach. The accounts cover a period of five consecutive seasons. Findings: – The analysis shows that dismissing the coach is a frequent occurrence in Danish clubs. This finding is included in the discussion, in which it is suggested that a coach dismissal may be the outcome of mimetic, coercive or normative isomorphism. Research limitations/implications: – The applied methodology makes it difficult to assess whether coach dismissals actually stem from institutional forces. A more extensive research design and methodological setup is required in order to elaborate the proposed framework. Practical implications: – By focussing on the dynamics of club-stakeholder relationships, the proposed framework can be seen as an attempt to clarify key features of the decision-making process surrounding coach dismissals in European professional football. Furthermore, the framework suggests that in order for a club to stay attractive to its stakeholders, and thereby increase its chances of securing future financial support, club directors should pay attention to their external environment. Originality/value: – In contrast to existing research, this study does not aim at assessing whether a coach dismissal pays off in terms of wins on the pitch. Instead, a qualitative approach has been selected in order to offer a framework that aims at providing an in-depth understanding of coach dismissals in professional football.