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Can commercially relevant, practical, measurable and consistent variables from successful European professional football clubs be transferred to develop a viable business model for the effective management of professional football in Africa?
This study followed a mixed-method design. The data collection also involved gathering both quantitative numeric information (three-year financial records of leagues and clubs in Europe and Africa) as well as qualitative text information (semi-structured interviews and professional football expert research document analysis). The procedure for both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis was conducted rigorously. The study began with a detailed financial analysis of leagues and clubs in Europe and Africa in order to generalise results to a population and then focuses, in the second phase, on detailed qualitative, semi-structured interviews to collect detailed views from professional football experts.
Why is the African professional football business model not commercially viable? From the collective results obtained it became clear that the answer to this important study question is both complex and multi-layered. Triangulation protocol was used determine reliability and consistency
of the results.
The overall results indicated that the African professional football business model contains similar variables to the European professional football business model and the Generic business model. These variables are 1) Value proposition, 2) Target consumer, 3) Infrastructure capabilities, 4) Financial aspects, and other key factors. This key conclusion confirmed that the identified variables are indeed appropriate to use as a basis for designing a new African professional football business model, and that the African professional football leagues and clubs that incorporate these variables into their professional football business model stand to be more commercially successful than those that do not. The value of the new suggested African Professional Football Business Model is that only those African professional football leagues and clubs that are actively involved in putting in place well-aligned, coordinated and integrated professional football business models that ar functional and performance-orientated will produce high financial and economic value that can contribute to economic development, job creation, and the total transformation of professional football on the African continent. The researcher advices that it must, however, be noted that the economic contexts of Europe and Africa differ substantially, and this needs to be factored into a commercially viable African professional football business model.
The study concludes with recommendations. It is recommended that based on its success in Europe, African professional football leagues and clubs use this newly developed African Professional Football Business Model as a basis for the effective management of professional football in Africa.
It is important for these leagues and clubs to note that while these variables are similar to those of Europe, the African context is unique and different and needs to be considered.
CHAPTER ONE: ORIENTATION, PROBLEM STATEMENT, AIM AND OBJECTIVES AND RESEARCH OF THE STUDY .
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 RESEARCH PROBLEM AND RESEARCH QUESTION
1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES
1.4 ACADEMIC VALUE AND CONTRIBUTION OF THE STUDY
1.5 SYNOPSIS OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
1.7 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS USED IN THE STUDY
1.8 THESIS OUTLINE .
1.9 CHAPTER CONCLUSION
CHAPTER TWO: THE BUSINESS OF PROFESSIONAL SPORT
2.1 INTRODUCTION .
2.2 THE CONCEPT OF PROFESSIONAL SPORT
2.3 THE PARADIGM SHIFT FROM AMATEUR TO PROFESSIONAL SPORT
2.4 TRENDS IN THE GLOBAL SPORT INDUSTRY
2.5 GENERIC BUSINESS MODELS AND SPORT BUSINESS MODELS
2.6 SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPORT BUSINESS MODELS AND A GENERIC BUSINESS MODEL
2.7 CHAPTER CONCLUSION
CHAPTER THREE: THE BUSINESS OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL
3.1 INTRODUCTION .
3.2 DRIVERS OF GENERIC AND SPORT BUSINESS MODELS
3.3 PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS MODELS OF FOOTBALL
3.4 PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL BUSINESS MODEL IN EUROPE
3.5 PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL BUSINESS MODEL IN AFRICA
3.6 INTERPRETATION OF AFRICAN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL MODELS
3.7 COMPARING EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL MODELS ..
3.8 CHAPTER CONCLUSION
CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY .
4.3 RESEARCH APPROACH
4.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .
4.5 DATA COLLECTION
4.6 DATA ANALYSIS
4.7 INTEGRATING QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA .
4.8 RESEARCH ETHICS
4.9 CHAPTER CONCLUSION
CHAPTER FIVE: ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION
5.3 INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
5.4 CHAPTER CONCLUSION
CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER
RESEARCH
6.1 INTRODUCTION
6.2 REVISITING THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS POSED FOR THE STUDY
6.3 CONCLUSIONS
6.4 RECOMMENDATIONS
6.3 IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
6.4 FINAL STUDY CONCLUSION
7. REFERENCES
