Ledarskapets roll i svensk elitfotboll — Att hantera spänningen mellan ekonomiska och sportsliga mål

Abstract

Swedish elite football clubs operate in a complex environment, competing sportingly on the pitch while also competing economically off the field. The need for capitalizing has contributed to a tension between financial stability and sporting ambition. This study explores how leaders in Swedish elite football clubs handle the tension between financial and sporting goals. The study uses goal ambiguity as a theoretical foundation which helps to understand how diverging expectations and logics contribute to constraints on leadership practice. In addition to goal ambiguity, the study employs sports management research, institutional theory and theories of measurement and legitimacy. The study employs qualitative research design and is based on semi-structured interviews with senior leaders in Swedish elitefootball clubs. The results show that goal ambiguity becomes a core component in leadership within Swedish elite football clubs, where conflicting demands and legitimacy coexists. Leaders within Swedish elite football clubs employ measurements, KPIs and other strategic governance models to establish legitimacy and clarity. The study simultaneously shows that economic reasoning has become a more prominent role today than it did a decade ago, while sporting goals take up less weight in a decision-making situation - despite the pressure from external and internal stakeholders.