Managing people in sport organisations: A strategic human resource management perspective

1. Managing people insport organisations:A strategic humanresourcemanagementperspective Chapter 1

2. Learning objectives • Identify the unique challenge of managing people in sport organisations • Understand the general concept of human resource management and how it has evolved historically from personnel management • Identify key human resource issues that affect sport organisations • Explain how the human resource management perspective affects HR policies and practices • Describe how effective human resource management contributes to the sustainability of sport organisations

3. Uniqueness of sport organisations • The sport industry’s distinctiveness is characterized by the inimitability of sport & its ability to engender irrational passions and emotional attachments, despite the often variable quality of the product • Sport’s uniqueness is further exemplified by features of intangibility, heterogeneity and inseparability of production and consumption

4. Managing people in sport organizations • The distinguishing characteristics of sport combine to create a unique management environment for sport organisations • The effective management of people who are working and volunteering for the organisation is the critical. • In the same way that getting the best out of the players is the hallmark of a good coach, getting the best out of employees and volunteers is the hallmark of a good manager.

5. Human resource management considerations • shaped by the environment in which the sport organisation is located • government policy and legislation can support, regulate or dictate activities in the public sector,. • Non-profit and voluntary organisations face volunteer management challenges. • Professional and commercial sport organisations must meet customer expectations and stakeholder demands

7. Contemporary sport organizations • Sport organizations face increased globalization, commercialization and greater accountability • Changes include: • government funding & restructured sport delivery systems • Moves to professional status (eg Rugby Union, Triathlon) • Development of global brand equity (eg Manchester United, AC Milan) • increasing transnational movement of athletes and coaches (eg, IMG, Octagon). • growth and increasing sophistication of chain organisations (eg Fitness First which operates in 15 countries)

8. Changes to staffing • growing numbers of paid staff have been appointed in roles traditionally held by volunteers • increasingly employees are selected for their technical or professional expertise in managing a business irrespective of their knowledge of the sport • board members are recruited for their business acumen and not just their sporting prowess

9. The people management challenge • Attracting, developing, and retaining talented people can provide a sport organisation with the resources it needs to prosper, grow and ultimately, gain competitive advantage. • The right coach, manager, CEO or player can transform the fortunes of a sport organisation from bottom of the pile to a league or world champion.

10. Competitive advantage through human resources • The ‘best mix’ of people will allow the sport organisation to meet its strategic objectives now and into the future. • This can be achieved through strategic: Planning Recruitment Retention Reward and recognition Training and development

11. Human resource management • policies, practices, procedures, and systems that influence the behaviour, attitudes, values and performance of people who work for the organisation. • HRM ensures generic strategic decisions are implemented effectively by coordinating the people related aspects

12. The HRM system … • can be shaped by many factors including: • the type of organisation (eg public or private sector), • the external environment in which the organisation operates (eg the nature of the labour market) • the choices made by the organisation about how work is organised (eg the extent to which rewards are equally shared within the organisation). As a result of these factors and choices there will be different human resource configurations within different sport organisations

13. Evolution of HRM • The first formal personnel practices were implemented during the late Victorian period in the UK • These were basically welfare workers with a concern for the well being of the worker coupled with recognition that improved welfare for workers would also enhance the performance of the business

14. Scientific management • Associated with Fredrick Taylor around the time of WWI • Based on efficient standardised production techniques with a division of labour so that jobs became simple and could be easily learned by relatively unskilled workers • adopted in industrial countries around the world and laid the foundation for all job design for the remainder of the Century • personnel specialists became involved with the analysis, design, evaluation and classification of jobs and the use of this information in the administration of wages

15. Human relations movement • The next major movement to influence the practice of personnel management • associated with the motivation theories of Elton Mayo • focused on the importance of building the social identification of workers with each other in and with the organisation as a way of stimulating higher levels of motivation and productivity

16. 3 key developments from the 1960s onwards • the emergence of a role concerned with organisational efficiency • the emergence of a role dealing with employment law • achieving the best fit between resources and organisational needs This 3 dimensions signaled the emergence of HRM

17. Stakeholder Interests -Shareholders -Management -Employee Groups -Government -Community - Unions HRM Policy choices -Employee influence -Human resources flow -Reward systems -Work systems HRM Outcomes -Commitment -Competence -Congruence -Cost effectiveness Long-term consequences -Individual well-being -Organisational effectiveness -Societal well-being Situational factors -Workforce characteristics -Business strategy and conditions -Management philosophy -Labour Market -Unions -Task technology -Laws and societal values Figure 1.2 The Harvard Model (Source Beer et al 1984)

18. Summary • sport organisations face a number of challenges to effectively managing employees and volunteers • human resource management and strategic human resource management concepts and approaches provide a framework for people management • effective human resource management is essential for the sustainability of sport organisations