Player consultants in Germany's professional football - a sociological mixed methods project
Player consultants occupy important mediator functions between players and clubs, and, hence, influence many economic and organisational aspects of the professional football market. Until now, however, it is completely unclear how consulants' networks are shaped and what strategies underline their actions. To explore this relationships we apply a sequential mixed methods design. By employing quantitative network analysis methods we identify the general market topology and reveal central actors. On this basis, we can classify different types of consultants. In expert interviews we ask representatives of each class about their strategies and motivations. By doing so, we can observe mechanisms that underly the empirical networks and classes.
Duration:
04 October 2016 - 01 December 2017
Research Team:
Dr. Raphael Heiberger (Head of project)
Tom Töpfer
Player consultants occupy important mediator functions between players and clubs, and, hence, influence many economic and organisational aspects of the professional football market. Until now, however, it is completely unclear how consulants' networks are shaped and what strategies underline their actions. To explore this relationships we apply a sequential mixed methods design. By employing quantitative network analysis methods we identify the general market topology and reveal central actors. On this basis, we can classify different types of consultants. In expert interviews we ask representatives of each class about their strategies and motivations. By doing so, we can observe mechanisms that underly the empirical networks and classes.
Duration:
04 October 2016 - 01 December 2017
Research Team:
Dr. Raphael Heiberger (Head of project)
Tom Töpfer
Question
- Role of player consultants in German professional football
- Strategies and motivations of consultants
Research progress
- Gathering network data between players, consultants and clubs
- Expert interviews with central actors
Goals
- Exploring mediator function of consultants
- Strategy and motivation of actors
Methods
- Social network analysis
- Expert interviews
Duration:04 October 2016 - 01 December 2017
Research Team:Dr. Raphael Heiberger (Head of project)
Tom Töpfer
Project Type:Personal project
