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The arena of the professional body : Sport, autonomy and ambition in professional service firms

Costas, Jana ; Blagoev, Blagoy and Kärreman, Dan LU (2016) In Scandinavian Journal of Management 32(1). p.10-19
Abstract

This paper explores the interplay of sport, the professional body and the self in professional service firms. We draw on qualitative data collected at two large international management consulting firms to show how individuals use sport to construct and enact themselves as autonomous and ambitious professionals, as well as to escape from frustrations arising in their everyday work life. We develop how this turn to sport can be viewed as an attempt to deal with the conflicting discourses of autonomy and ambition prevalent in professional service firms. In so doing, the paper seeks to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the significance of the professional body for understanding the management and control regimes of professional... (More)

This paper explores the interplay of sport, the professional body and the self in professional service firms. We draw on qualitative data collected at two large international management consulting firms to show how individuals use sport to construct and enact themselves as autonomous and ambitious professionals, as well as to escape from frustrations arising in their everyday work life. We develop how this turn to sport can be viewed as an attempt to deal with the conflicting discourses of autonomy and ambition prevalent in professional service firms. In so doing, the paper seeks to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the significance of the professional body for understanding the management and control regimes of professional service firms.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Ambition, Autonomy, Professional body, Professional self, Sport
in
Scandinavian Journal of Management
volume
32
issue
1
pages
10 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:84958596277
ISSN
0956-5221
DOI
10.1016/j.scaman.2015.10.003
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
ecb08881-9a86-4e49-a3cc-e32bb1d7d075
date added to LUP
2016-08-30 14:05:02
date last changed
2022-02-06 22:37:29
@article{ecb08881-9a86-4e49-a3cc-e32bb1d7d075,
  abstract     = {{<p>This paper explores the interplay of sport, the professional body and the self in professional service firms. We draw on qualitative data collected at two large international management consulting firms to show how individuals use sport to construct and enact themselves as autonomous and ambitious professionals, as well as to escape from frustrations arising in their everyday work life. We develop how this turn to sport can be viewed as an attempt to deal with the conflicting discourses of autonomy and ambition prevalent in professional service firms. In so doing, the paper seeks to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the significance of the professional body for understanding the management and control regimes of professional service firms.</p>}},
  author       = {{Costas, Jana and Blagoev, Blagoy and Kärreman, Dan}},
  issn         = {{0956-5221}},
  keywords     = {{Ambition; Autonomy; Professional body; Professional self; Sport}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{10--19}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Management}},
  title        = {{The arena of the professional body : Sport, autonomy and ambition in professional service firms}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scaman.2015.10.003}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.scaman.2015.10.003}},
  volume       = {{32}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}