Sports, Identity & Financials - Navigating and Managing Multiple Institutional Logics in a Swedish Elite Football Club

Abstract: This qualitative study investigates how managers in a Swedish elite football club handle and make sense of multiple institutional logics by drawing upon the theories of institutional logics and framing. A single case study was conducted in which 12 individuals in various roles at the case football club participated in in-depth interviews. The findings show the existence of three main institutional logics or frames, namely, a sports, business, and identity logic. The coexistence of these three logics at the case football club resulted in different tactics to manage this plurality of frames: frame blending, frame shifting, as well as frame compartmentalization, and frame denial. There was a multitude of frame tactics deployed depending on the individual and the context. It was also found that frame tactics could depend on identity work, emotions, as well as that those tactics could be deployed in a dynamic way. For instance, a frame compartmentalization from the sports logic in light of a blending of the business and identity logic tactic. This thesis helps practitioners to identify which possible frame tactics to deploy in case of dealing with multiple institutional logics, independent of industry or sector.