Subject category:
Strategy and General Management
Published by:
Cranfield School of Management
Length: 14 pages
Data source: Field research
Abstract
This is the first of a two-case series (304-176-1 and 304-177-1). This series looks at the Football Association (FA), a venerable institution charged with two huge tasks: the management of a glamorous and sometimes fractious national sport, and the leveraging for profit of some of that sport''s most valuable brand names, including the FA Cup, Teams England and Wembley. The series does not look at football as a game for athletic role models, as a pattern of interlocked brands, as a global business, as a battleground for various stakeholders, or as a social environment for theatre and tribal passions. All of these views are important, legitimate, and fascinating, but here they form only the background to the difficult work of an organisation in the middle of the park - as inventor of the game, regulator, administrator, funding body, grass roots nurturer and possessor of three of the biggest brands in the game. The cases look at the transitions in the FA that took place between 1999 and 2003 under the steering of the then Chief Executive Adam Crozier. It also sets the stage for the newly appointed Chief Executive Mark Palios. So this study is about leadership and cultural change. The main leadership challenge covered by the case is this: The main aim of the FA is to nurture the grass roots, aspiring footballers, and the national squad. Yet how does the chief executive of the FA strike a balance between two sets of often contradictory aims - running the national game in a fair and appropriate way as regulator, and maximising the commercial take from the brands the organisation owns? Part (A) covers issues of change and leadership as embodied in the management style of Adam Crozier and his successor Mark Palios. Part (B) deals with revenue sources, particularly from TV rights; there is also some general observations from within the FA about the potential of the new Wembley stadium. It is highly recommended that the two cases are studied in sequence as they form a continuous unfolding narrative. After studying this series, participants will have a better grasp and structured understanding of: (1) cultural change and strategic direction; (2) the importance of leadership style; (3) the conflict between custodianship and commerce; (4) analysing stakeholder groups; and (5) planning new revenue streams.
Location:
Industry:
Size:
303 employees, GBP200 million revenue
Other setting(s):
1999-2004
About
Abstract
This is the first of a two-case series (304-176-1 and 304-177-1). This series looks at the Football Association (FA), a venerable institution charged with two huge tasks: the management of a glamorous and sometimes fractious national sport, and the leveraging for profit of some of that sport''s most valuable brand names, including the FA Cup, Teams England and Wembley. The series does not look at football as a game for athletic role models, as a pattern of interlocked brands, as a global business, as a battleground for various stakeholders, or as a social environment for theatre and tribal passions. All of these views are important, legitimate, and fascinating, but here they form only the background to the difficult work of an organisation in the middle of the park - as inventor of the game, regulator, administrator, funding body, grass roots nurturer and possessor of three of the biggest brands in the game. The cases look at the transitions in the FA that took place between 1999 and 2003 under the steering of the then Chief Executive Adam Crozier. It also sets the stage for the newly appointed Chief Executive Mark Palios. So this study is about leadership and cultural change. The main leadership challenge covered by the case is this: The main aim of the FA is to nurture the grass roots, aspiring footballers, and the national squad. Yet how does the chief executive of the FA strike a balance between two sets of often contradictory aims - running the national game in a fair and appropriate way as regulator, and maximising the commercial take from the brands the organisation owns? Part (A) covers issues of change and leadership as embodied in the management style of Adam Crozier and his successor Mark Palios. Part (B) deals with revenue sources, particularly from TV rights; there is also some general observations from within the FA about the potential of the new Wembley stadium. It is highly recommended that the two cases are studied in sequence as they form a continuous unfolding narrative. After studying this series, participants will have a better grasp and structured understanding of: (1) cultural change and strategic direction; (2) the importance of leadership style; (3) the conflict between custodianship and commerce; (4) analysing stakeholder groups; and (5) planning new revenue streams.
Settings
Location:
Industry:
Size:
303 employees, GBP200 million revenue
Other setting(s):
1999-2004