Influence of Outlook towards Work on Entrepreneurial Potential of Professional Sport Coaches in South Africa

Abstract

Abstract One of the ways to effectively address unemployment and revitalise the economy is through the rediscovery of the entrepreneur who takes risks, breaks new ground and innovates. Entrepreneurship therefore needs to be embedded into the basic fabric of society. Sport in South Africa has moved from being amateur-focused to being professional-focused, resulting in an increase in the number of professional sport coaches in the sport industry. Furthermore, heightened competition for coaching positions has intensified the volatility of coaches’ jobs as well as their job security. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to explore the influence of outlook towards work on the entrepreneurial potential of professional sport coaches in South Africa. A quantitative research approach was adopted for the study. This involved the administration of questionnaires to 200 professional sport coaches. Frequencies and percentages were used to report on the data. In addition, a one-way between-groups analysis of variance was conducted to investigate the impact of level of outlook towards work on entrepreneurial potential. The results indicated that sport coaches with high levels of motivation, aptitude and attitudes towards work have higher levels of entrepreneurial potential. Sport coaches who possess a positive attitude towards work, are knowledgeable about entrepreneurship and are motivated to excel may be more likely to achieve long term success than those who do not possess these qualities. Therefore, sport coaches who have these qualities should take advantage of this and embark on entrepreneurial ventures to escape the uncertainty associated with sport coaching.