Chapter 2

Management Principles Applied to

Sport Management

Definition and History• Goal of sport managers

– To get workers to do what the manager wants in an efficient and cost-effective manner

• Management theory evolved through two phases– Scientific management – Human relations movement

• Today: Use of organizational behavior– Study and application of the human side of

management and organizations

Definition and History: Scientific Management

• Taylorism• Workers should not be doing the

same job different ways, but instead in the “one best way” (most efficient way)

• Manager can get workers to perform job the “best way” by enticing them with economic rewards

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Definition and History: Human Relations

• Hawthorne studies: Social factors in the workplace were important, and job satisfaction and output depended more on cooperation and a feeling of worth.

• Mary Parker Follett: Effective, motivational management existed in partnership and cooperation.

Functional Areas

• Sport managers must perform in a number of functional areas and execute various activities in fulfilling the demands of their jobs.

• Areas include planning, organizing, leading, and evaluating.

• This list is not comprehensive because organizations are constantly evolving.

Functional Areas: Planning

• Defining organizational goals and determining the appropriate means by which to achieve these desired goals

• Setting course of action for the sport organization• Organizational plans should change and evolve

– Should not be viewed as set in stone• Managers must participate in both short-term and

long-term planning

Functional Areas: Organizing• Putting plans into action

– Manager determines what types of jobs need to be performed and who will be responsible for doing these jobs

• Develop an organizational chart• Develop position descriptions• Develop position qualifications• Staffing

– Orientation, training, and development of staff members

Functional Areas: Leading• “Action” part of the management process• Delegation:

– Involves assigning responsibility and accountability for results to employees

• Managers must manage any differences or changes that may take place in organization

• Managers handle conflicts, work problems, or communication difficulties; stimulate creativity; and motivate employees

Functional Areas: Evaluating

• Measuring and ensuring progress toward organizational objectives

• Progress is accomplished by the employees effectively carrying out their duties

• Establish reporting systems, develop performance standards, compare employee performance to set standards, and design reward systems

Key Skills: People Skills

• Sport management industry is a “people-intensive” industry

• Interaction with unique clientele

• Must be able to treat all people fairly, ethically, and with respect

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Key Skills: Communication• Knowing how to say something to another person

is equally as important as knowing what to say to another person.

• Answering each question professionally and courteously wins a lifelong fan.

• Sport managers must be able to treat all people fairly, ethically, and with respect.

• Sport managers are often asked to give speeches.• Sport managers must be able to write in many

different styles.

Key Skills: Managing Diversity• Diversity

– Differences between individuals, including age, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, education, and social background

• Women and minorities still underrepresented in managerial positions in the sport industry – More women, people of color, and people with

disabilities are needed at managerial level in the sport industry

• Employment process: – Recruitment, screening, selection, retention,

promotion, and ending employment

Key Skills: Managing Technology• Usage of technology in the sport industry

– For example: customer data collection and advanced ticket systems

• Usage of technology in the workplace – For example: videoconferencing and multimedia

presentations • Computerized ticketing systems such as M-ticketing,

PACIOLAN, and PROLOGUE• Online surveys used for data collection• MLB Media Tracker and Fan Tracker

Key Skills: Decision Making• Need to have a comprehensive understanding of the

opportunity or problem, and engage in a decision-making process that will lead to an effective decision

• Participative decision making – Employees or members of the organization

participate in the actual decision-making process• Group decision making should be used when:

– more ideas need to be generated, there is a great deal of information to share, alternative perspectives are needed, and the fairness of the decision is highly valued

Key Skills: Organizational Politics

• Use of power or some other resource outside of the formal definition of a person’s job to get a preferred outcome

• Four types of political tactics used – Coalitions– Outside experts – Links/networks – Controlling information

Key Skills: Organizational Politics (cont.)

• Sport organizations have formal (e.g., athletic director) and informal (e.g., coach) leaders.

• Learning who the informal leaders are in an organization can help new sport managers understand politics of a sport organization.

Key Skills: Managing Change• Managers should appreciate employees’ resistance

to change.– Plan for resistance, involve employees, and

provide additional training and communications• Managers should select priorities for change.• Managers should deliver early tangible results. • Managers should publicize successes to build

momentum and support.• Managers must make sure top management

sponsors are fully committed to implementation.

Key Skills: Motivation• Critical for everyone to be on same page when it

comes to working to accomplish organizational goals and objectives

• Many theories: – Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Herzberg’s two

factor ideas, Vroom’s expectancy theory, and Adam’s equity theory

• Katzell and Thompson: – Appropriate motives and values; attractive and

consistent jobs; defined work goals; appropriate resources and supportive environments; performance reinforced; harmony

Key Skills: Taking Initiative• Initiative enables you to learn about a

different aspect of sport organization you are working with

• Allows you to meet and interact with people outside of office you work in, thus increasing your network

• Shows your employer your commitment to working in sport industry

Current Issues• Diversity

– Perform self-study to evaluate effectiveness of recruitment and employment of diverse individuals

• Managing technology – Understand how expanding technology will

improve customer relations and service• International sport management

– Be aware that domestic models of sport governance cannot be unilaterally imposed on other cultures

• New management theories – Empowerment and emotional intelligence