SPT 600: Decision-Making Styles in Sports: NCAA and NFL Corruption

This report examines decision-making approaches used by the NCAA and NFL in addressing corruption within their organizations. It highlights the different forms of corruption, such as bribery and embezzlement, and analyzes the decision-making styles employed by each organization. The NCAA utilizes a conceptual style with a participatory approach, emphasizing collaboration and diverse perspectives, while the NFL relies on an analytical style, driven by data and factual information. The report evaluates the effectiveness of each approach, concluding that the NCAA has achieved better results in reducing corruption due to its inclusive decision-making processes and implementation of suggested alternatives. The analysis references specific instances and measures taken by both organizations, providing a comprehensive comparison of their strategies in combating corruption. Desklib offers this report as a study resource, along with a wealth of past papers and solved assignments for students.

Running head: DECISION MAKING IN SPORTS INDUSTRY 1
Decision making in sports industry
Institution
Student
Date

DECISION MAKING IN SPORTS INDUSTRY 2
Decision making in sports industry
Select a common problem or issue and identify at least two organizations that have dealt
with the problem or issue you selected.
Over the last years sports organizations have been caught participating in corruption in one way
or another (Maennig, 2006). These include paying associates and young athletes to attend to
certain colleges, performance enhancing drugs, bribery, graft, payouts and so forth. Corruption in
sport organizations is not a new occurrence; nonetheless, it seems that swift transformations in
the industry, most particularly the commercialization of sports as well as a consequential
incursion of revenues appear to have aggravated the issue. In 2018, NCAA (National Collegiate
Athletic Association) for instance was alleged of giving payouts whereby proletarian athletes
were charged of being given and accepting bribes and other favors to play at big-time colleges
led by big-time coaches (Peck, 2017). NFL (National Football League) has also been caught up
with corruption cases particularly embezzlement of funds along other sports malpractices
(Marvez, 2016).
Explain the nature of the issue and describe the decision-making style used by each
organization.
The issue of corruption in sports organizations (in all its forms and degrees) is a worldwide
trend which has, and continues to jeopardize the integrity of these firms, causing a major
challenge for sport managers. Over the past decades corruption cases have been manifested in
various forms resulting in multitude of consequences. For example, NCAA has been involved in
a number of scandals of fraud, duplicity, and bribery in which players have been given funds in
order to commit to a particular college. The student-players who were given tens of thousands of
USD have desecrated NCAA declaration wherein taking bribes and other financial payouts
would consider them not entitled to play. These under-the-table monetary offers have been
referred to as the biggest “underground recruiting operation (Truszkowska, 2018).” Since
NCAA is more concerned with long-term results, managers are applying conceptual style of
decision-making in order to solve the issue of corruption. Leaders in NACC gather its teams
together and other key personnel and present the issue of corruption and in the process give all

DECISION MAKING IN SPORTS INDUSTRY 3
key information they have acquired in their research. Every member is given ample time to
brainstorm different alternatives of handling the corruption menace and other discussed issues
affecting the organization (Wilson, 2014). NFL on the other hand is still trying harder to combat
the corruption menace which has been tainting their public image for years. Corruption in this
organization has reached epic proportions and it is so deep and thoroughgoing. NFL has forfeited
its trustworthiness concerning any issue of within an area code of ethics and morals. The
organization’s sense of civic accountability has shrunken to nearly nothing, and its public sense
of right and wrong is largely vestigial (PIERCE, 2016 ). Leaders in this organization mainly
employ analytic decision making style where they depend on data, direct information, and facts
to support their decisions (Davenport, 2014). Much of their information is gathered from either
within or outside the organization from parties such as fans and sponsors.
Evaluate the approach of each organization
National Collegiate Athletic Association applies participatory decision-making approach in their
conceptual styles of leadership. Managers in this organization apply participatory approach
because contributions of all affected parties are needed (Bowden & McCauley, 2016). This
approach is an effective one in dealing with the issues of corruption since every person gets an
opportunity to give their views and sentiments. Due to its effectiveness, NACC has been able to
reduce the rate of corruption with a higher rate (Wolfers, 2006). NFL mainly applies a practical
decision-making approach to fight against corruption and resolve other issues staggering their
operations. In this approach, managers try to generate as many possible alternatives as possible
within a given timeline. Candidly, the effectiveness of practical decision-making approach in
NFL cannot be significantly determined since the organization continues to writhe in absolute
corruption.
Explain which organization had the best results and why
Over the past few months, the rate of corruption in NCAA has been noted to have reduced
drastically. At the beginning of the year 2018, Mark Emmert (NCAA President) articulated that
rigorous measures have been put into place to ensure a 100% decline in the levels of corruption
in NCAA. He also assured hasty changes and reforms in men’s basketball after revelations that

DECISION MAKING IN SPORTS INDUSTRY 4
coaches in prestigious programs had given student-athlete some money to steer them to
particular schools. For example, after two Adidas workers and a would-be agent were deemed
guilty of corruption charges in connection with the underground recruiting operation scheme, apt
punishments were administered. This, as stated beforehand is not the case in NFL. Decision-
making approaches and techniques used by NCAA can be attributed to this decrease (Pfleegor,
2013). Every party in this organization who is affected either directly or indirectly by corruption
scandals is given a chance to help in combating this challenge. For example, their views on how
the issue of corruption can be dealt with are taken into consideration by the top management.
NCAA has been implementing so many alternatives suggested by the decision-makers including
changing rules and as a result, the rate of corruption is dropping day-by-day. This organization
has clearly defined the problem and afterwards generated a number of alternative courses of
actions, and this has contributed immensely in the journey of combating corruption.

DECISION MAKING IN SPORTS INDUSTRY 5
References
Bowden, R., & McCauley, K. (2016). Leadership Styles of College and University Athletic Directors and
the Presence of NCAA Transgender Policy. Journal of Educational Issues , 1/23.
Davenport, T. H. (2014). Analytics in Sports:The New Science of Winning. International Institutes of
Analytics, 1/28.
Maennig, W. (2006). Corruption in International Sports and Sport Management: Forms, Tendencies,
Extent and Countermeasures. European Sport Management Quarterly , 187-225.
Marvez, A. (2016, October 20). Notable scandals that have hit the NFL over the years. Retrieved from
Fox Sports: https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/gallery/deflategate-notable-nfl-scandals-
bountygate-bullygate-ray-rice-ray-lewis-012315
Peck, A. (2017, September 27). Bribery scandal rocks college sports and it’s mostly of the NCAA’s making.
Retrieved from THINKPROGRESS: https://thinkprogress.org/ncaa-bribery-c87fcd46390b/
Pfleegor, A. G. (2013). An etho-conventional decision-making model for sport managers. LSU Digital
Commons, 1/230.
PIERCE, C. P. (2016 , May 31). Can the NFL escape the depths of its own corruption? Retrieved from
Sports Illustrated: https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/05/31/nfl-concussion-congress-roger-goodell
Truszkowska, A. (2018, March 12). The NCAA’s Corruption and Consequences. Retrieved from The
Trailblazer: https://phhstrailblazer.org/sports/2018/03/12/the-ncaas-corruption-and-
consequences/
Wilson, C. H. (2014). Peace Under Pressure: Portraits of Christian Leadership in College Basketball
Coaches. University of Tennessee, Knoxville Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange,
1/379.
Wolfers, J. (2006). Point Shaving: Corruption in NCAA Basketball. EXPOSING CHEATING AND
CORRUPTION†, 1/5.