AbstractsEconomics

Research Questions: Following questions will be looked at from a management perspective in the researched elite hockey clubs: (1) How has the commercialization affected the areas of responsibility? In regards to areas of responsibility: (a) How has the commercialization affected the decision making? (b) How has the commercialization affected the information and communication? (c) How has the commercialization affected the motivation? In addition, we need to find out the overall structure of the clubs and the managers’ view on commercialization in non-profit organizations. Therefore we need to add two more research questions: (2) In what respect is the organizational structure experienced in a different way today? and (3) How has the commercialization changed Swedish hockey clubs? Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to create an understanding about how managers in Swedish elite hockey clubs experience the assumed adjustments in organizational structure and areas of responsibility when turning into more commercial organizations. Method: With an interpretive hermeneutic approach used in the sense of a qualitative study, we explain how the managers of five hockey clubs within Elitserien experience the adjustments when turning into more commercial organizations. The qualitative study consisted of a number of personal and phone interviews in order to collect the empirical data. Results: The main implication of the commercialization of Swedish hockey is that it has created conflicts in the daily operations, caused by the contradictions between commercial and non-profit activities. In addition, the organizational structure has in general become more professional with an increasing amount of distinct areas of responsibility.