Exploring the motivations and needs of primary stakeholders in promoting economic responsibility for women’s sport: A Stakeholder theory perspective on the National League

Despite Finland’s progress in gender equality, women’s football continues to encounter economic and structural challenges. This master’s thesis explores how the Finnish Women’s National League can strengthen economic responsibility by identifying and addressing the needs and motivations of its key s...

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Päätekijä: Farahani, Atiye
Muut tekijät: Jyväskylän yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu, Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics, Jyväskylän yliopisto, University of Jyväskylä
Aineistotyyppi: Pro gradu
Kieli:eng
Julkaistu: 2025
Aiheet:
Linkit: https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/103834
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author Farahani, Atiye
author2 Jyväskylän yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä
author_facet Farahani, Atiye Jyväskylän yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä Farahani, Atiye Jyväskylän yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä
author_sort Farahani, Atiye
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description Despite Finland’s progress in gender equality, women’s football continues to encounter economic and structural challenges. This master’s thesis explores how the Finnish Women’s National League can strengthen economic responsibility by identifying and addressing the needs and motivations of its key stakeholders—players, coaches, managers, and a sponsor—through the lens of stakeholder theory. A qualitative research design was applied, using ten semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to uncover stakeholder experiences and perceptions related to economic responsibility. Findings reveal that longstanding structural constraints limit stakeholder contributions. Players emphasize passion and ambition yet face economic insecurity, under-funded foundations, and limited visibility. Coaches report inadequate facilities, piecemeal funding, and the need for fair recognition. Managers describe fragile income structures, resource shortages, and difficulties boosting fan engagement while striving for competitive fairness. The sponsor highlights a “visibility–payoff paradox,” aspiring toward full professionalization and motivated by both brand impact and social equity. Cross-group synthesis underscores a shared demand for transparent governance, sustainable funding mechanisms, and enhanced professionalization, along with targeted marketing (e.g., femvertising) and capacity-building programmes to improve resource allocation and stakeholder collaboration. Based on the results, the following measures are recommended to improve transparent governance and ensure long-term viability and gender equity: establishing a professionalization fund, promoting femvertising, enhancing capacity-building, prioritizing player welfare, and adopting hybrid ROI–equity sponsorship models to better align stakeholders.
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spellingShingle Farahani, Atiye Exploring the motivations and needs of primary stakeholders in promoting economic responsibility for women’s sport: A Stakeholder theory perspective on the National League Specialisation in Economics and Business Administration
title Exploring the motivations and needs of primary stakeholders in promoting economic responsibility for women’s sport: A Stakeholder theory perspective on the National League
title_full Exploring the motivations and needs of primary stakeholders in promoting economic responsibility for women’s sport: A Stakeholder theory perspective on the National League
title_fullStr Exploring the motivations and needs of primary stakeholders in promoting economic responsibility for women’s sport: A Stakeholder theory perspective on the National League Exploring the motivations and needs of primary stakeholders in promoting economic responsibility for women’s sport: A Stakeholder theory perspective on the National League
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the motivations and needs of primary stakeholders in promoting economic responsibility for women’s sport: A Stakeholder theory perspective on the National League Exploring the motivations and needs of primary stakeholders in promoting economic responsibility for women’s sport: A Stakeholder theory perspective on the National League
title_short Exploring the motivations and needs of primary stakeholders in promoting economic responsibility for women’s sport: A Stakeholder theory perspective on the National League
title_sort exploring the motivations and needs of primary stakeholders in promoting economic responsibility for women s sport a stakeholder theory perspective on the national league
title_txtP Exploring the motivations and needs of primary stakeholders in promoting economic responsibility for women’s sport: A Stakeholder theory perspective on the National League
topic Specialisation in Economics and Business Administration
topic_facet Specialisation in Economics and Business Administration
url https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/103834 http://www.urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202506225607
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