Assignment:
Outcomes of the course:
The learning activities, assignments, and exams in this course assess your mastery of the following learning outcomes:
• To survey current literature in the field of Sports Management.
• To identify main themes and issues and apply course concepts learned in previous coursework.
• To be more interested in the cases and readings that contribute to the discipline and demonstrate how these readings may enhance Sports Management professionals.
• Be able to critically think about, comprehend, and apply Sports Management principles, theories through reflecting on peer-reviewed articles and case studies.
Article 1: Protecting the House of Under Armour (Summary & Critique)
Article 2: Cartel behavior: Amateurism in college sports Intercollegiate Sports (Summary & Critique for Week)
Article 3: How Curt Flood Changed Baseball Professional Sports (Summary & Critique for Week 5 )
Article 4: Revenue Sharing is making an impact
Case Study 1: Tradition vs. Trend: A case study of team response to the secondary market Secondary Markets (Case Study )
Case Study 2: Is sport becoming too commercialised? The Houston Astros public relations crisis Communication and Public Relations
Choose and read the prescribed number of articles from each section. Then prepare, type in double-space, 12-pt., Times New Roman font an Executive Summary and Critique for each article you select. Article presentation guidelines are found in Step 5 and case study presentation guidelines are found in Step 6. Article and case studies presentations are different so pay close attention to steps five and six.
5. Presentation of Articles:
A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Each of your articles should start with an Executive Summary. At the top of the first page of each executive summary, type the words in all caps "EXECUTIVE SUMMARY." Then double space and type the name of the article. The executive summary is a synopsis of the article - no opinions in this section. The length of executive summary will vary from article to article, but normally it can be accomplished in approximately one to two typewritten pages.
B. CRITIQUE: Each executive summary should be followed by a critique. At the top of the first page of each critique, type in all caps "CRITIQUE." Then double space and type the title of the article. The critique is a critical analysis of the article. This is the appropriate section for your professional opinion; for you to apply what you have learned from your Sports Management courses as well as from any management and business experience you may have. Again, the length will vary from article to article, but most critiques can be accomplished in approximately two to three typewritten pages. So, your summary and critique should range between a minimum of three and a maximum of five pages.
6. Presentation of Case Studies (NFL Secondary Ticket Market & Houston Astros Public Relations Crisis):
The Case Study Method
WHY CASE STUDIES ARE USED
The role of case studies in business education is to teach conceptual skills. Conceptual skills increase in importance as you move from junior to more senior management roles. It is estimated that a first line supervisor mainly needs technical skills but will need to have at least 12% of his or her skills mix as conceptual skills. A senior manager will in contrast need 40% of his or her skills mix in conceptual skills, about 43% in human and interpersonal skills, and the rest in technical skills.
A case study approach presents you with actual business situations, allowing you to examine them, apply your theory to explain corporate actions, and make assessments of alternatives. You may be asked to critically analyze a situation where a manager had to make a decision affecting the corporation in marketing, financial management, law, production, or management. This approach gives you some insight into how business really operates.
The following general guidelines may be used in preparation for written case analyses:
There may be several feasible courses of action regarding the solution to any case. It is more important to concern yourself with the process of problem definition and isolation, analysis and evaluation of alternatives, and the choice of one or more recommendations than to simply try to find a single answer. Very often, the right answer is the one that you can propose, explain, defend, and put into practice.
The Process of Analyzing a Case
A. Read and study the case thoroughly and efficiently.
Read the case once for familiarity, noting issues that come to the forefront. Read it again. Get all the facts, making notes about symptoms of problems, root problems, unresolved issues, and roles of key players. Watch for issues beneath the surface.
B. Identify the problem(s).
Get a feel for the overall environment by putting yourself in the position of one of the key players. Seek out the pertinent issues and problems.
C. Analyze and evaluate alternatives.
Once the problems and issues are isolated, work at gaining a fuller understanding of causes. In what area of the unit do the problems exist? Why do the problems exist? What caused them? Examine and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the unit's processes (communication, financial statements, sales reports, etc.). Check out the effectiveness of managerial competencies. Are the unit's objectives and strategies compatible with its skills and resources?
D. Formulate a solid evaluation of the case.
Examine various alternatives. Weigh the pros and cons of each. Are they feasible? Decide which is most valid.
E. Make recommendations.
Draw up your set of recommendations on what must be done and prepare an agenda of corrective actions. What recommendations would you make to the manager of this unit?
What specific functions and activities does the unit have to perform in order to solve its problems? Are the recommendations workable? Affordable? A good rule of thumb to follow is to avoid recommending anything you would not do yourself if you were in management's shoes. Give reasons for your recommendations.