Examining the perspectives of sports managers and coaches related to the employment of female handball players as employees
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14267/VEZTUD.2025.02.05Keywords:
handball, professional sport, thematic analysis, portfolio analysis, athlete value typification, human factors, careerAbstract
The main objective of the study is to identify the „key issues” in the employment of athletes in the sport of handball. The methodological framework of the research is based on primary sources and a qualitative approach, including thematic analysis. The findings from the five expert interviews allow us to get a comprehensive, realistic picture of the career-related processes in professional women’s handball (i.e., selection) from the athlete’s and from the sports company’s side. Otherwise, they highlight why professional women’s handball players can be considered a special workforce. The results cluster around four main themes: peculiarities of managing players, handball players, sports professional aspects, and other influencing factors. In addition, the research defines the local milieu and the value typification model of the athlete types associated with each theme, which are compared with the roles that can be identified along the behavioural dimensions.
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