Analysis of Psychological Strategies in the Football Business Report

This report delves into the psychological strategies employed in the football business, examining various leadership styles and their impact on team cohesion and success. The research employs a literature review to analyze existing studies, articles, and books on leadership theories, psychological approaches, and their applications within the football industry. The report emphasizes the significance of transformational leadership in enhancing victory rates and retaining skilled players, highlighting the need for leaders to develop mental toughness and receive effective training. It explores the importance of team dynamics, coaching methods, and the overall influence of psychological factors on performance, offering valuable insights into fostering a winning environment within the football business. The study concludes by identifying the best leadership strategy for football business, providing recommendations for leadership development and acknowledging limitations for future research.

Running head: PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGIES IN FOOTBALL BUSINESS
Analysing the Psychological Strategies in Football Business
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

2PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGIES IN FOOTBALL BUSINESS
Abstract
When it comes to leadership strategies in the football business, for the beginning of the
mentioned sports a good number of strategies have been implemented by the leaders in order to
win the tournaments and obtain success. Considering the meaning and popularity of football, as
well as the number and figures that indicate increase in football business, the purpose of this
dissertation is to find the most successful psychological strategies for leadership in football
business.
In this research the literature review will be used as a secondary data collection method. For
literature review various research articles, books and other resources on psychological
perspective of leadership, theories of leadership and implication of leadership in football
business have been studied. For literature review based qualitative data analysis the thematic data
analysis has been used.
In this research it has been concluded that transformational leadership technique has the potential
to enhance the victory rate of football in the sports industry along with retaining skilled and
experience players in the team. It is highly crucial for the leaders who are involved with any
sports including football to enhance their mental toughness. Leaders should also be provided
with effective training in order to ensure effective implementation of transformational leadership.
All the players should be made aware of their importance in the team.

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Table of Content
Chapter1: Introduction.....................................................................................................................5
1.1 Background:...........................................................................................................................5
1.2 Aims and objectives:..............................................................................................................8
Chapter2: Literature review.............................................................................................................8
2.1 General review of literatures.................................................................................................8
2.2 Leadership definition according to books............................................................................11
2.3 Leadership theories, strategies and styles from articles.......................................................12
2.4 Reviewed Articles on Sports, Football Leadership Strategies, Management......................13
Chapter3: Methodology:................................................................................................................20
3.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................20
3.2 Research philosophy............................................................................................................20
3.3 Research Approach..............................................................................................................21
3.4 Research design...................................................................................................................21
3.5 Secondary Data collection process......................................................................................22
3.6 Resource sampling...............................................................................................................22
3.7 Data analysis techniques......................................................................................................23
3.6 Ethical Consideration and validation...................................................................................24
Chapter4: Data analysis and thematic discussion..........................................................................24
4.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................24

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4.2 Theories of Leadership........................................................................................................25
4.3 Psychological and interactional approaches in leadership...................................................28
4.4 Leadership strategies in football business...........................................................................31
4.5 Best leadership strategy in football business.......................................................................32
4.6 Summary..............................................................................................................................33
Chapter4: Conclusion and recommendation..................................................................................35
4.1 Conclusion:..........................................................................................................................35
4.2 Recommendation for leadership in football business..........................................................36
4.3 Limitation of this research and Future research..................................................................37
Reference:......................................................................................................................................38

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Chapter1: Introduction
1.1 Background:
Football is one of the most well known and popular sports around the world, which is
even known with different names in different counties. The name football came from the UK,
however in USA this sport is known as Soccer. The interest in sport event and outdoor game is
not a new thing (Chelladurai, 2007). The origins of sports activity can be found from the early
age of almost every major civilization throughout the world. It can be also found that the earliest
form of sport and their rules are very different from the current sports practice and the modern
sports rules (Cardenas, 2015). The contemporary history of the world's favorite game spans more
than 100 years with its beginning in 1863 in England, when rugby football and association
football branched off on their different courses and the Football Association in England was
formed becoming the sport's first governing body (FIFA, 2018). In a short time, football
becomes popular in every sector of society. The global expansion of football took place in a time
when cultural, political and economic domination of the British Empire had no parallel in the
world, hence Britain’s dominant position in trade and military technology allowed for direct rule
over its many colonies while exerting indirect control on a significant number of free countries
across the globe (Cardenas, 2015). Football, then, became Britain’s most illustrious product of
export that soon conquered the world by virtue of its immense popularity and appeal.
For much of the world, football has long served as a form of ritual combat onto which
neighborhood’s, tribes and even nations could project their most passionate enmities (Karon,
2004). Today, however, it has a different meaning to the world. Wisnik (cited in Campos, 2010)
states that football became more popular than the other sports because, apart from the game, its

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rules and formation, it provokes the feelings of drama, excitement, happiness and even anger in
people. Campos agree that that range of structural gratuity, that margin of unproductively that is
intrinsic to the rhythm of the game, that pre-modern residue included in the competition allowed
the identification of football with life itself, and in the end turned football into a hospitable field
for the polemical and nonverbal dialogue between populations of the entire world. Furthermore,
football is a general language that happens between cultures that become intertwined.
The beneficial impact of football on culture is proven by the increased number of people
traveling around the world with the main purpose of experiencing the football at its finest. A
great example can be presented last summer in Russia, the host of World Cup 2018, where fans
from all over the world have descended, with over 2.3 million tickets sold (Shergold, 2018). In
addition, the main football organisations agree that football can enhance the world peace.
Furthermore, over the past decade, the Union of European Football Associations, has founded a
number of Open Fun Football Schools bringing together children from rival communities across
ethnic trouble spots in the Balkans, Middle East and Caucasus regions (Milanovic, 2005).FIFA
itself has also taken the initiative in seeking to improve inter-societal and inter-governmental
relations through the organization of football fixtures between rival sides (Hough, 2008).The
founder of the football World Cup, Jules Rimet, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize award
in 1956 and firmly believed that ‘Football could reinforce the ideals of a permanent and real
peace’. The relationship between football and peace has always polarized opinion. The potential
of international sport has consistently been accepted by sporting bodies and gradually come to be
acknowledged by political international organizations but remains largely ignored academically
and refuted in the media (Hough,2008).

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1.2 Problem statement
The role of football manager is not only to lead the team or manage the efficiency but
also to control the cooperation, coordination and integration within the team that can lead to
ultimate success. However, from many incidents reported in news papers and case analysis, it
has been found like many kinds of sports, in football the lack of coaching, management and
leadership skills are weakening the growth of the sport at regional, local, state, national to global
level (Charbonneau, Barling and Kelloway 2001). Determining the good coach Leadership styles
could be the one factor for having best team cohesion and observing the team success. However,
understanding of team cohesion at global football teams and football clubs, most specifically in
UK and other international public institutions male football team coaches at grass root level can
help to focus on the beneficial way that can lead to ultimate improvement of management quality
in football business at global level (Vincer and Loughead 2010). Due to lack of detecting the
good leadership style, majority of the country’s coach face a problem of disturbed team
cohesion. Even if the coaches have technically disciplined players, they are not successful at
most tournaments as expected and they are unable to secure consistent success.

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To tackle this problem the coaches need to choose one of the styles of leadership which
can be the best fit for their players to realize the predetermined objectives. In line with this,
Coaches need to be flexible in order to influence an athlete’s perception of control. For example,
the adoption of a collaborative style, if used appropriately, could facilitate confidence to achieve
shared goals and allow the coach to provide contingent reinforcement and informative feedback.
Ensuring effective social support to the athlete also serves as an important source of confidence
in terms of his or her perception of the resources available to cope with the various demands of
competitive sport. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to investigate the challenges, status
and prospects of leadership styles and team cohesion of Ethiopian higher public institutions male
football teams.
1.3 Aims and objectives:
As per the discussion of existing problematic situation, finding the most appropriate
leadership and management strategies as well as effective implementation method are very
essential. Finding psychological strategies for the effective coaching, leadership and
management could also help to find approach to hold the integrity of a football team.
Considering the meaning and popularity of football, as well as the number and figures that
indicate increase in football business, the aim of this dissertation is to find the most successful
psychological strategies for leadership in football business.
• To define leadership
• To examine psychological approaches in leadership
• To discuss leadership strategies in football business
• To conclude the best leadership strategy

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1.4 Significance of this research
The attainments of the aforementioned objectives were important for the investigation of
team success and for future adjustment/right approach of the team journey and determination of
their success. This is through determining/quantifying the relationship between the current status
of leadership styles and team cohesion in male football players of global football teams and their
coaching institutions, the study is expected to generate pertinent information for different
stakeholders. Sport administrators, including coaches also require information on the
contributions of leadership styles for team cohesion made by different researcher. It is believed
that information which will be generated through this study will help coaches to justify whether
or not further interventions are needed. Through, the identification of appropriate leadership
strategies a football manager will be not only able to lead the team or manage the efficiency but
also can control the cooperation, coordination and integration within the team that can lead to
ultimate success. At the same time, many training programs and vocational course could be
developed on leadership strategies to improve the ability of coaching, leading and managing of
the candidates (Murray 2006). It can be also stated that through the findings the overall coaching,
management and leadership styles could be uplifted , which will contribute in growing the
football biusiness at regional, local, state, national to global level.
Chapter2: Literature review
2.1 General review of literatures
According to Northouse (2016) leadership is a process whereby an individual influences
a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. However, it can be said that leadership is a
term that is hard to defined. According to Western (2013) Leadership is defined as contested

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term with multiple meanings and diverse practical applications. On the other hand,Veldsmanet
al. (2016) define leadership as a strategic competency of a nation or a company which is able to
provide sustainable good future. McNutt (2015) describes leadership as a process that is based on
relationship between leader and followers who share the same values and want to achieve mutual
goal. On the other hand, Western (2013) states that leadership is hard to explain because and
individual is expressing their emotional experience while describing leadership hence perception
of the leadership depends on individuals point of view. Moreover, Western (2013) claims that
leadership is transformed into social role but firstly, it is created in individual’s mind and then
accepted as collective identity. Therefore, leadership can be negative or positive depending
solely on leader’s intentions (Singh et al., 2016). Veldsmanet al.(2016) agree that as the society
needs changes the leadership strategies need to transform to meet their needs. Moreover,
Kellerman (2014) states that leader must understand the circumstances and context before taking
the leadership role. It is necessary that in order to lead a group of people, one must have skills
related to setting and ensuring that given direction is followed (Vanvactor, 2013). In spite of the
fact that leadership the simplest definition of leadership is the role fulfilled by a person who
guides or directs a group, it can also be used to describe the ability employed by someone who
motivates others to follow his/her direction for a common goal (Johnson, 2013) hence leaders
need to have certain skill which, if applied correctly, will increase leader effectiveness.
According to Owen (2014) leaders needs to have 7 types of skills: mind-set, career skills, people
skills, moment of true skills, daily skills, organizational skills, ethnical and behavioural skills.
Many definitions of leadership strategies in football business have been found.
Leadership is also framed as a role fulfilled by guiding or organising group of people. In some
literatures the “Contextual expertise” is also considered as a major tool of the leadership that

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consists of the knowledge a leader should take into account, prior to engaging in the leadership
process. Leadership is also defined as the process by which leaders and followers develop
relationship and work together toward a goal within an environmental context shaped by cultural
values and norms (Beauchamp et al. 2005). In some definitions leadership process is also
explained as a process whereby an individual influences a goal or aim of individuals to achieve.
Leadership skills however ranged from the negative and toxic to the positive and virtuous,
representing both the peaks and the valleys of leadership. It has been also pointed out that a
leader should have skills related to setting and ensuring that given direction is followed where
the leadership skill can be a critical strategic capability of nations, societies, communities and
organisations, making them sustainably for future (Dwyer and Fischer 1990). The leadership
capabilities is also found in the overheating crucible of a reframed/reframing world that is in the
throes of fundamental and radical transformation. The leadership skill is also contested with the
terms of multiple meanings and diverse practical applications. Some researcher supported that
the leadership skill can be created in mind while transferred into social role for collective
benefits (Hall, Scott and Borsz 2008). Some theorist define that the leadership skills deal with
people, and indications that people-related challenges, such as dealing with player egos and
managing groups of support staff may cause challenges to managers, have been discussed by
researchers (Vella, Oades and Crowe, 2013).
Leadership also need to be distinguished from power and authority, although in most
cases, successful leader has power and authority this terms do not define leadership and cannot
be used interchangeably (Vanvactor, 2013).In addition, leadershipcan invoke images of power
and authority considering that leaders represent role models which lead to followers accepting
their behaviour and implementing it as their own (Vanvactor, 2013). Therefore, power and

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authority are attributes of leadership that are granted to the leader by a group of followers and
approved by another source of power if there exist one, hence considering that these qualities are
assigned, they do not necessarily imply an ability to lead (Johnson, 2013).
Figure 1: Leadership Definitions
Source: (Northouse, 2016)
Many authors agree (Owen, 2014; Vanvactor, 2013; Johnson, 2013) that successful
leaders have developed certain skills better than others, however Northouse (2016) claims that
there are two types of leadership: trait and process leadership. Trait leadership explains that
certain individuals have special innate characteristics or qualities that differentiate them from
non-leaders hence leadership is meant for selected people and restricted to those with inborn
talent. On the other hand, definition of process leadership states that leadership is a phenomenon