To Örebro University

Aim and research questions:

In 2017, an ERASMUS+ project was launched in order to improve the match between obtained skills through sport management education and demand in the labour marketin nine European countries: Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic, Norway, Germany, France, Spain, Greece and Lithuania. This research is a follow-up of a previous AEHSIS(Aligning a European Higher Education Structure in Sport Sciences) study done in 2004 where only six countries participated (AEHESIS, 2006). Findings from Norway are the subject for this presentation. One focus of the research project aims at answering the following question: Which trends will affect the future competencies of sport managersand which competences are preferred in future?

Literature Review:

Few previous studies show the relationship between competences acquired in sport management education (Dunkel, Wohlfart & Wendeborn, 2018) and what is preferred by the labour market (Schlesinger, Studer & Nagel, 2015,2016). A recent study analyzed the context specific competencies from a sport management alumni perspective (Fahrner &Schüttoff, 2019). We have focused on competencies required by those having sport management positions in the different sectors as explained by Schlesinger, Studer andNagel (2016). These competences are: social competence, methodological competence, subject specific competence and self-competence.

Research design, methodology and data analysis:

A combination of quantitative surveyand qualitative interview data were used. In early January 2018, 63 persons working assport managers answered a questionnaire sent out by e-mail. The response rate was 72per cent (63 of 88). The respondents came from four sectors in the sport industry: 1)non-profit and professional sport clubs 2) a city or municipality (public sector), 3)regional and national sport organizations, and 4) private enterprises. 68 per cent of therespondents were male and 32 per cent female. Age varied from 25 to 69 years. Importance-Performance analysis (Martilla & James, 1977) was used to identify competences important in the future. On bases of the results from this survey, interviews with ten experts (key informants) followed in the beginning of 2019. None of the experts has been involved in the previous survey. Several of the experts had own experience from several sectors, and that is why they were chosen for interview. Six were females and four men. The interviews lasted on average one hour, and they were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The interview transcripts were analyzed in four steps. The last step was to compare the findings from the survey with the findings from the qualitative data. All authors participated in the data analysis.

Results/findings and discussion:

Similar to the previous AEHSIS study, the trends of commercialization, digitalization and internationalization were confirmed as the most significant factors for change. Almost 90 per cent of the respondents claimed that commercialization would affect their future work and especially the costs for sports for children. Commercialization, which is defined to be mean that sport has become a comodity, will lead to more cooperation with sponsors, increased sums for media rights and selling/buying of athletes. This will again influence that taking part in sport becomes more expensive. Competences that will be needed for sport managers are creative work, B2B, B2C, marketing and entrepreneurship. More than half of the respondents thought internationalization of sport would have an effect and result in more professionalized sport clubs and international requirements. Internationalization refers to the increasing importance of international cooperation, international relations, agreements, alliances, etc. Only people in small local clubs did not agree to this development. Information technology will have impact on work tasks, competences as well as future positions, 97 per cent answered. All respondents highlighted the importance of a new digital age within the sport industry. High demands for specialists on social media, (digital) marketing, information technology and communication are the result.

Conclusion, Contribution and Implication:

The competences, which are preferred by sport managers in the future, are more various and specific than previously, because the sport industry has changed due to commercialization, internationalization and digitalization. The various sectors have different needs. For the sport clubs the most preferred competences are financial management, leading volunteers, event management and political knowledge. For the sport organizations digital communication, organizational knowledge, political knowledge, leadership skill and financial management top the list. The public sector demands networking, applying knowledge in practice, political knowledge, cooperation across different sectors and teamwork, organizational skills and oral communication. The private sector asks for digital marketing and communication, B2B, networking, capacityto learn and strategic planning and development. Already for the academic year, 2019-2020 changes have been done. A course in "Sportand media" has been included for all sport management students at bachelor level. The head of sport management will recommend that this course will include digital media, social media and digital content. A comprehensive sport-marketing seminar is includedat master level and more courses are planned to be taught online from 2020.