Papers by Christoph Breuer
International journal of health economics and management, Mar 27, 2024
The relationship between income and physical activity has been extensively studied. This paper ut... more The relationship between income and physical activity has been extensively studied. This paper utilizes the introduction of the minimum wage in Germany in 2015 as a quasiexperiment to determine the causal effect of minimum wages on the frequency of physical activity participation. Employing survey data from the German SocioEconomic Panel between 2013 and 2017, regression-adjusted difference-indifference models combined with matching techniques are estimated. Our findings reveal a notable negative effect immediately after the minimum wage implementation on physical activity frequency. Given that the introduction of the minimum wage did not increase monthly gross income but reduced working hours, it appears that affected individuals exhibit preferences and engage in utility maximization that do not emphasize healthy behaviors. This effect is particularly pronounced among older females in white-collar occupations.
International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, Jul 2, 2020
Elite sports are associated with values such as fair competition, striving to become better and c... more Elite sports are associated with values such as fair competition, striving to become better and challenging oneself. These are considered as social benefits. However, integrity issues relating to misuse of doping or corruption challenge this. This paper examines the determinants of public perception of elite sport by means of a survey. Logistic regression modelling assesses the effects of trust, athletes as role models, perceived costs and benefits on public perception of elite sports. The results reveal that perceived benefits have a positive effect on all public perception measures whereas perceived costs, trust in key actors of the elite sport system and viewing athletes as role models have only an effect on selected perception measures. Sports managers should emphasise on perceived benefits in their communication strategy and use athletes as role models in their communication strategies to strengthen a positive perception of elite sports.
European Sport Management Quarterly, Apr 28, 2023
Managing sport and leisure, May 23, 2023
Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, Feb 23, 2018
In many areas of sport management, individual behavior is not only driven by individual character... more In many areas of sport management, individual behavior is not only driven by individual characteristics but also by higher level contextual factors. For instance, voluntary engagement in nonprofit sports clubs is influenced by organizational characteristics. Such multilevel structures should not only be considered theoretically, as in ecological systems theory, but they also require appropriate statistical treatment. This study aims to demonstrate the usefulness of multilevel modeling using the case of voluntary roles (administrative, coach, referee) in nonprofit sports clubs. Survey data from German sports clubs (n = 228) and their members (n = 636) were collected and merged. The results of multilevel models show that organizational capacity is significantly associated with taking up different voluntary roles. However, the effects are lower and fewer organizational-level variables are significant compared with conventional regression analyses which neglect the hierarchical data structure. Hence, adequate statistical treatment is necessary for deriving accurate managerial implications.
Journal of Sport Management, 2021
Coaches play a vital role in providing sports programs. Investing in formal coach education can s... more Coaches play a vital role in providing sports programs. Investing in formal coach education can serve to increase coaches' human capital, which in turn, has a positive effect on their coaching practice. The present study investigates factors influencing coaches' intention to get training for their coaching activity on an individual and organizational level. Nationwide online surveys were conducted in Germany on both nonprofit sports clubs and coaches being active within these clubs. Data were analyzed using multilevel regression analysis on a sample of n = 2,384 coaches in n = 1,274 clubs. Results show that especially the expiring validity of the coaching license, aspects of personal development, and low transaction costs are crucial factors for the intention to obtain a qualification. The results lead to several implications for theory and practice. Clubs could enhance the qualification intention and, thereby, the quality of sports programs by appointing a contact person who informs about qualification possibilities.
Soccer & Society, Nov 22, 2021
Sport, business and management, Aug 30, 2018
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the determinants of success of elite athletes by... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the determinants of success of elite athletes by applying the concept of career success to a sporting context. The concept of career success includes extrinsic (i.e. tangible) career accomplishments like medals as well as intrinsic factors referring to subjective judgements about career attainments. Thereby, a holistic perspective is taken which has not been studied extensively before. Design/methodology/approach Based on previous literature, a theoretical model was derived outlining how human capital, motivation, organisational characteristics and socio-demographics affect both intrinsic and extrinsic career success. To measure the impact of these factors, primary (n=1,249) and secondary data of elite athletes were collected. Regression analyses indicated that all factors included in the theoretical model were associated with extrinsic and intrinsic success. Findings Institutional support was an important driver for intrinsic career success while financial support affected extrinsic career success. There was no significant influence of extrinsic career success on intrinsic career success. Practical implications These findings imply that policy makers should offer enhanced dual career options, such as mentoring programmes, aspects like sport-psychological support and nutrition counselling, and long-term, stable financial support for athletes to maximise career success. Originality/value This paper applies the construct of career success to sports. A focus on the athletes’ intrinsic career success is placed as this area has been neglected in past research.
European Sport Management Quarterly, Jul 2, 2020
Research question: This study examines the effect of board gender diversity and a critical mass o... more Research question: This study examines the effect of board gender diversity and a critical mass of women on the board on organizational problems of non-profit sport clubs. It relies on theories from social categorization and information/decisionmaking perspectives and on critical mass theory. Research methods: Four waves of data from a German sport club panel (2009-2015; n = 6504) are used which allow analyzing causal effects with lagged variables. Gender diversity was measured with the share of women on the board, the Blau index, and the number of women on the board. The perceived severity of human resource, financial, facility, and development problems represent the dependent variables. Results and findings: The results of regression analyses show that board gender diversity significantly reduces human resource and financial problems. Human resource problems are even smallest in clubs with an overbalanced board (≥60% women), while facility problems are perceived as bigger in such clubs. The results provided evidence for critical masses of one or at least three women for reducing human resource problems and of at least four women for perceiving bigger facility problems. Development problems are not impacted by board gender diversity or critical masses. Implications: The findings for human resource and financial problems support the information/decision-making perspective, suggesting that board gender diversity benefits the organization because of diversity in resource access, human and social capital, and improved quality of decision-making. Thus, increasing gender diversity of the board can be a way to reduce problems in these areas.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 15, 2021
Die Probleme der Vereine wurden, wie auch in den vergangenen Wellen, zum jeweiligen Befragungszei... more Die Probleme der Vereine wurden, wie auch in den vergangenen Wellen, zum jeweiligen Befragungszeitpunkt abgefragt, d.h. die Einschätzungen der Vereine beziehen sich hier auf die Lage während der Corona-Pandemie. Diese Hinweise sollten bei der Interpretation der Ergebnisse beachtet werden. Die auf Basis der Befragung gewonnenen Erkenntnisse werden nachfolgend zusammengefasst.
European Sport Management Quarterly, Aug 14, 2021
Research question: Many elite athletes pursue higher education or professional employment alongsi... more Research question: Many elite athletes pursue higher education or professional employment alongside their sport career. Formal mentoring relationships help athletes to balance the demands of a dual career. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the interrelationship between mentoring, values conveyed in mentoring, and the satisfaction with sporting and non-sporting career goals from a mentee and mentor perspective. This research contributes to the existing literature by examining how mentoring can help athletes attain their dual career goals from a holistic perspective. Research method: Elite athletes (i.e. competing in international competitions; n = 105) and business professionals who function as mentors (n = 101) are surveyed regarding their satisfaction with the mentoring relationship and career goals. Logistic regression analyses assessed the proposed interrelationships. Results and Findings: The career development function and conveying performance are positively associated with mentees' multiple sporting and non-sporting career goals. Greater investment into mentees' career development and the conveyance of performance and trust is positively associated with mentors' satisfaction (i.e. supporting the mentee and achieving personal career benefits). Implications: Conveying performance as value is crucial for increased positive outcomes for mentees, such as easy integration into the workplace and society. A mentor investing more time and consideration into the mentoring relationship increases the mentor and mentee's satisfaction. A mentoring relationship founded on trust is precious for the mentor.
International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Jun 2, 2016
Coaches are critical to elite sport achievements because they represent the link between sport po... more Coaches are critical to elite sport achievements because they represent the link between sport policies and athletes. Yet, labor migration of elite sport coaches challenges the competitiveness of the sport system of the sending country and brain drain is a concern for policy-makers. Previous research on labor migration in sport has focused on athletes in professional team sports. Based on the push–pull framework, this study seeks to explore the factors affecting labor migration of elite sport coaches in less commercialized sports. Semi-structured interviews with nine elite sport coaches employed in Germany were conducted. The following migration factors emerged from the analysis: job-related factors (salary, workload, financial planning security, pressure, politics within the sport federation, and recognition of the coaching job in society); social factors (family support, and children’s education); competitive factors (training environment, and sport equipment); and seeking new experiences (new culture/language, and challenging task). Networks were found to be critical to the reception of job offers. A combination of various push and pull factors from several levels (i.e., individual, household, organizational, and national level) is at work when examining potential coach migration. Policy- makers should consider these factors when they strive to create a more attractive working environment for coaches.
Journal of Sport Management, Jul 1, 2020
Given the increasing importance of athlete well-being in the sport policy debate, this study inve... more Given the increasing importance of athlete well-being in the sport policy debate, this study investigated the effects of socioeconomic factors on elite athletes’ well-being in less commercialized sports and provides comparisons with residents of similar age (18–30 years). This study used survey data from athletes who are supported by the German Sports Aid Foundation (n = 709) and from the German Socio-Economic Panel, containing comparable variables for residents (n = 2,455). Subjective well-being was measured with life satisfaction as a whole and satisfaction with important domains in life, including health, income, leisure time, and family life. The athletes scored lower on all well-being measures compared with young residents. The regression analyses revealed significant differences between athletes and young residents with regard to the effects of age, income, education, and sport hours on different well-being dimensions, suggesting that more needs to be done that the athletes’ investments into sport and education yield well-being benefits.
Wicker P, Coates D, Breuer C. Utilizing a Short-term Fitness Program to Address Time Constraints ... more Wicker P, Coates D, Breuer C. Utilizing a Short-term Fitness Program to Address Time Constraints among Fitness Participants . International Journal of Sports Science . 2016;6(3):100-105.Time constraints are a major barrier to participation in physical activity. The purpose of this study is to examine (1) how participants in a short fitness program (two 30-minute sessions per week over a four-week period) change the time allocated to other weekly activities and (2) what factors explain the differences in time allocation. A quasi-experimental design was chosen including a physical entry test and a pre survey, a four-week training intervention, and a physical exit test with a post survey. The program was provided by over 300 German fitness clubs. The voluntary and free of charge program was completed by 10,095 test persons. The results of the t-tests show that participants allocated significantly less time on work, homework, caring, education and learning, repairs, social contacts, and...
International Journal of Sport Finance
This study investigates the impact of restricted crowds caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on the ma... more This study investigates the impact of restricted crowds caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on the margin of victory of games in the NBA. Using 12,500 game-level observations from 11 NBA seasons from 2010/11 to 2020/21, the study first shows that during the COVID-19 season of 2020/21, games had a greater average margin of victory than any of the prior seasons. Regression results reveal that games played in front of restricted crowds were more likely to be won by a margin of 15, 20, or 25 points than games played in front of non-restricted crowds. The results indicate similar effects for games played in an empty arena or in front of a small crowd. Implications for the NBA and other major team sports leagues are discussed.
German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research, 2021
Spielmanipulation stellt heutzutage eine der größten Bedrohungen für die Integrität des Sports da... more Spielmanipulation stellt heutzutage eine der größten Bedrohungen für die Integrität des Sports dar, da sie zu einem Vertrauensverlust in die Fairness des Wettbewerbs führt. Als Reaktion auf Vorfälle in der Vergangenheit kommen im deutschen Sport deshalb zunehmend Bemühungen auf, Präventionsmaßnahmen zu entwickeln und durchzuführen. Der wissenschaftliche Stand zu den Präventionsmethoden von Spielmanipulation in Deutschland ist allerdings noch rudimentär. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist daher, eine Bestandsaufnahme der im deutschen Fußballsport vorhandenen Präventionsmaßnahmen und durchführenden Institutionen zu machen. Zudem sollten ebendiese Maßnahmen und Institutionen mit Hilfe eines Online-Fragebogens von den daran teilnehmenden Personen (Spieler, Trainer*innen/Funktionär*innen sowie Schiedsrichter*innen der Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga und A‑Jugend-Bundesliga) bewertet werden. Die Ergebnisse der Bestandsaufnahme zeigen, dass sich der deutsche Fußballsport bereits sehr fortschri...
International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2021
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Papers by Christoph Breuer