Athlete or employee. A study of professional handball players

Master's Thesis from the year 2014 in the subject Sport - Miscellaneous Copenhagen Business School language: English abstract: Being an elite athlete was once just a hobby. Something you did on the side while studying or working. In many sports it is today changed into a professionalized industry where the athletes are not just athletes seeking to win but also employees who depend on their sport to pay for their cost of living. This thesis investigates which attitudes and motivations of elite professional handball players in Denmark have towards employment in general and employers specifically and what makes some employers more attractive than others. The research topic is relevant not just for employers seeking to optimize their staff but also for academics to understand a particular industry and profession where the roots are in recreation rather than labour. What the research found is that while playing handball is a job or them this has limited impact in their professional lives. In their daily motivation it is handball not money that motivates the majority of them and for all of them it is important that their skills and performances are recognized. For the majority of the players recognition is especially significant as it gives meaning to a job which often includes sacrificing family timefor the job. One area where the players have been touched by professionalization however is a willingness to place themselves before the employer as they will remain loyal only as long as they are satisfied. What determines satisfaction andwhat makes an employer attractive is largely based on what theclub can offer the player from a sporting perspective however the club must live up to the players' wishes for salary and family considerations to be considered. However another very significant factor for motivation and the attitude towards the employer is that the club lives up to the promises it makes as players will react very negatively if they