Running’ with the Devil: A Study on Athletes’ Compensation and Turnover Intention

Background. Athletes’ performance in sporting events is influenced by several factors. One of them is how fair the compensation system is implemented. The proper compensation will motivate the athlete to perform better. Otherwise, it will be a loss for the team. Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of compensation on the sports achievements of South Sulawesi athletes at PON XIX 2016 in West Java, Indonesia. Methods. This research employed a qualitative stance with semi-structured interviews with 100 athletes as respondents who participated in the PON XIX 2016 event. Results. This paper’s findings suggest that there are several major themes that emerged in regard to this particular topic, they are 1) unfair treatment; 2) cognitive dissonance, and 3) turnover intention. Conclusion. To conclude, this study was strengthening the importance of the proper compensation system implementation in order to have such effective talent management within an organization. This research brings theoretical and practical implications. For theoretical implications, this research fills the gaps in the present research. Moreover, for practical implications, it is expected that the decision-makers in sports committees or sports organizations should be able to maintain their athletes by providing them fair compensation.