Nicole Adams
Case Study-Coach Knight: A Will to Win Sport Management 568
Introduction
Texas Tech, whom hired Bobby Knight as the head coach of the men’s basketball program after Indiana University terminated his contract, needs to advise a plan for management which addresses the aspects of organizational culture, change, power, and conflict; in order to refrain from making the same management decisions as Indiana University. An effective management plan should guide Texas Tech’s actions as aligned with their mission statement and stakeholders interests. Texas Tech needs to implement a management plan because Knight acquired a
reputation; not only by the players, but by assistant coaches, university staff, news writers, and other relevant stakeholders, of being a coercive and intimidating man. Knight’s services as a coach were highly valued at Indiana University to the point where he received ―complete control over every aspect of the basketball program‖ (Snook et al, 2005, p. 1) leading to major conflict. ―Will to Win‖ provides insight into Knight’s actions as a basketball coach, and provides the context for discussing a framework in which Texas Tech can develop an effective management plan.
Framework [Discussion]
As sport managers of Texas Tech, the following framework should be implemented to advice a management plan: (a) use organizational culture as a social control system, (b) establish a process in which change will be carried out, (c) use referent power along side the rational influence strategy, and (d) use a combination of compromising and integration conflict strategies to increase management effectiveness. Texas Tech could avoid behaviors deemed inappropriate by coach Knight during his lucrative career if management advises a plan effectively and efficiently.
Organization culture is shared across an entire organization and provides the context in which members of the organization shape their behaviors and deem behaviors as appropriate. Texas Tech should use organizational culture as a means of social control. Organizational culture in the form of a social control system is the develop ― of patterns of beliefs and expectations shared by an organization’s members, and those beliefs and expectations produce norms that powerfully shape the behavior of individuals and groups‖ (O’Reilly, 2001, p. 12). Since human beings interpret experiences and guide their actions based off organizational culture, Texas Tech should implement a social control system that places strict sanctions on Knight’s actions through a shared agreement involving a ―zero-tolerance‖ policy (similar to Indiana University’s) of what constitutes appropriate behavior. Thus, demonstrating a ―zero-tolerance‖ policy from the start of employment. Knight will perceive this agreement as a sense of autonomy, as he will have some control over day-to-day operations similar to those of Indiana University. Knight will learn the basic values, norms, and expectations of behavior from the social control system enforced by Texas Tech’s organizational culture and strict sanctions, otherwise be faces with terminated in the future.
While at Indiana University, Knight’s sanctions consisted of jail sentences, public/university reprimands, ejections/suspensions, fines, special policies, and eventual termination (Snook et al, 2005, p. 11, 12). Texas Tech needs to establish a sequence of more severe sanctions as the inappropriate behaviors increase in severity and document such incidence before a proper termination can take place.
Change
Employees resist change at all levels within the organization, this is why Texas Tech must be conscientious of thoughts and reactions to change, and create a process in which change
will be carried out. The process of change needs to be explicitly communicated with Knight to ensure he and the organization share the same interests in change and collaborate on the efforts of change. The process of change should start with: (a) outlining the need for change (Welch & McCarville, 2003, p. 30) as social issue (meaning the athletic department, student body, and faculty and staff do not agree with Knight’s controversial behavior in the past). (b) Relate
change to efforts of a common goal/objective (Welch & McCarville, 2003, p. 30)—the university and Knight want to develop a highly successful program, however, with out a change in Knights coaching style negative confrontations and university sanctions may take place due to Bobby Knights past aggression and coercive coaching style, thus affecting the teams overall
performance. (c) Outline departmental staff’s roles in creating change (Welch & McCarville, 2003, p. 30)—Texas Tech’s athletic department needs to support Knight had his efforts to change. With this being said, the athletic department needs to be consistently enforcing policies of change and enforcing the proper sanctions that correlate to the violation. (d) Promote
successful efforts of dealing with change (Welch & McCarville, 2003, p. 30)—such as having Texas Tech slipping messages into coaching staffs’ mailboxes after learning about completion of lectures, trainings, seminars, clinics and workshops. (e) Offer suggestions on how behaviors might be altered to facilitate the desired change (Welch and McCarville, 2003, p. 30)—Texas Tech can offer suggestions through the establishing regular performance appraisals that educate coach Knight and the university staff on effective power and strategy styles associated with the overall university and aims of basketball program as a whole.
As the university as a whole, the athletic department, and the faculty and staff see the positive results of change, Knight will gain a sense of belonging into the basketball program at
Texas Tex and stakeholders will see Knight as a necessary asset to the team. With Texas Tech’s careful planning and consistent execution, change can occur in due time.
Power
Indiana University was at a stalemate with Knight due to the fact the university gave Knight complete control of the basketball program (Snook et al, 2005, p.1). Knight had the ultimate power, and the only way for Indiana University to deal with this conflict was release him of his duties. Texas Tech can learn from the management decisions of Indiana University by managing with referent power and using the rational influence strategy. Referent power, as exerted by the university arises when the Knight identifies with the Texas Tech. ―In an
organization, power is derived from the opportunities inherent in the person’s position, as well as from personal and interpersonal attributes (Somech & Drach-Zahavy, 2002, pg. 168).‖ Thus, Texas Tech can limit Knight’s power by decreasing the inherent opportunities within his position of head basketball coach. Decreasing Knight’s inherent opportunities can be done through the use of rational influence strategy. Rational influence strategy is the application of bargaining and use of logic to exert reason. The objective is to offer a course of action (which complies with Texas Tech’s requests) that will maximize the expected value of outcomes important to Knight. (Somech & Drach-Zaharvy, 2002, p. 168).
Power is a complex concept defined as ― the potential of one person to cause another person to act in accordance with the agent’s wishes‖ (Somech & Drach-Zahavy, 2002, p. 168). Under this basic definition of power Texas Tech can use referent power and the rational influence strategy to exert an influence over coach Knight as a means to acquire specific
outcomes. The use of a particular management philosophy depends on the functions and context in which an individual belongs to the university. For Texas Tech that means their management
strategies need to address positive change and improve the tarnished reputation of Bobby Knight as a basketball coach within their organization.
Conflict
Use ―a combination of conflict management styles to increase management
effectiveness‖ (Munduate et al, 1999, p.). Texas Tech should use a compromising strategy along with an integration strategy because change is a slow process. Texas Tech needs to be patient with Knight and his efforts to ―change.‖ However, Texas Tech does not want to comprise to the point of losing their established referent power and rational influence over Knight. The ―zero-tolerance‖ policy should be implemented from the beginning of Knight’s employment, however, there should be progressively stricter sanctions associated with each violation.
Conclusion
It is important to gain an understanding of the challenges sport managers’ face when
associated with universities, and individuals like Bobby Knight. Management staff at Texas Tech can avoid making the same decisions in as Indiana University in regards to Bobby Knight and the conflicts between stakeholders at their respective university by implementing a management plan that address the key components of organizational culture as a social control system,
establishing a process in which change will be carried out, the use of referent power and rational influence strategies, and different strategies for handling conflict; as addressed in the framework.
References
Munduate, L., Ganaza, J., Peiro, J.M., & Euwema, M. (1999). Patterns of styles in conflict management and effectiveness. The International Journal of Conflict Management,
10(1), 5-24.
O’Reilly, C. (2001). Corporations, culture, and commitment: Motivation and social control in organizations. California Management Review, 31(4), 9-25.
Snook, S. A., Perlow, L.A., & Delacey, B. J. (2005). Coach Knight: Will to Win. Harvard Business School. – 406043-PDF-ENG
Welch, R. & McCarville, R.E. (2003). Discovering conditions for staff acceptance of
