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BUSINESS MANAGEMENT & ATHLETIC COACHES.
Term Paper ID:18788
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Compares managers in workplace & coaches in sports. Leadership, flexability, communication, motivation.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Compares managers in workplace & coaches in sports. Leadership, flexability, communication, motivation.
Paper Introduction:
There is clearly a correlation between what it takes to be an effective manager of people in a work environment and that of a coach in an athletic environment. Many writers in both the business and sports fields have made note of this parallel between management and coaching. For example, Dr. T. F. Gautschi, business consultant and professor at Bryant College in Rhode Island, has pointed out that there is a similarity between the skills that are involved in management and those which are required for effective coaching. In Gautschi's opinion, managers can think of their role as being like that of coaches, and for this reason "sports analogies have direct applications to the business world" (Gautschi, 1987, p. 160). Likewise, Homer Rice, athletic director at Georgia Tech College, has claimed that coaching is "more related to the business area" than it is to
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7 ). Both of these mensucceeded as coaches because they were able to motivate their playersthrough cooperation and teamwork rather than by threats. If a worker is not in good shape, his or her work may suffer as aresult. (1987). 59).According to Maslow, once the lower needs of security and shelter arefulfilled, people are no longer motivated strictly by a desire for monetarygain. It is interesting tonote that this concept relates directly to Maslow's hierarchy of needs.Thus, the Theory X manager would think that employees are only motivated bysecurity and physical needs. In this regard, it is interesting to note that music hasthe mysterious power to both relax and stimulate at the same time ("Music,"1985, p. 82). (1984). 1 years of Notre Dame football. Former ITTchairman and president Harold Geneen has noted that leadership skills areessential in any endeavor in which people need to be guided toward meetingspecific goals. It is also the means by which rewardsor punishments are made. 82+. Suchstrength and stamina are needed by workers in the world of business as muchas they are needed by athletes in the world of sports. In terms ofmanagement, leadership is a vital element in the planning, organizing, andcontrolling of company goals (Kotter, 1988, pp. S. In this way, it can be shown thatboth coaches and managers can learn a great deal from one another. 736. In order to do that, the manager must be able tocommunicate those goals to the workers and to properly motivate them towant to strive toward those goals. The work environment is an importantfactor in coaching success as well. Silberner, J. The leadership factor. (1988, October). Thus, as noted by teacher and coach Alexander S.Frazier, athletes will be better motivated if their coach has both apositive attitude and the ability to "adapt to unexpected situations"(Frazier, 1986, p. Gautschi, business consultant and professor at BryantCollege in Rhode Island, has pointed out that there is a similarity betweenthe skills that are involved in management and those which are required foreffective coaching. Effective communicationis never a one-way street. 14-2 . Marketing has also shown the importance of teamwork in getting salesmade. Motivating for success. The Theory Y manager is a good leader because he or she has a greaterdegree of flexibility than the Theory X manager does. Evans, E. Business Horizons, pp. Both of these comments show thatthere is at least some degree of cross-over between the managerial andcoaching fields. In addition, as pointed out by nutritionexpert Robert Haas, proper diet is vital in helping athletes to perform attheir peak levels (Silberner, 1988, p. Mind-bending music.Health, pp. Kovach at George Mason University has pointedout that flexibility, as well as the Theory Y approach in general, areextremely important for today's manager. Nevertheless,physical health still plays an important role in giving business employeesgreater endurance as well as greater resistance to stress. Geneen, H., & Moscow, A. . 49). Clary, J. Thus, inthe business world, in addition to management being important ininfluencing productivity, "perhaps equally important is providing an officeenvironment that is comfortable and supportive of the work that must bedone" (Kroin, 1988, pp. In addition to the obviousimportance that physical health has in the athletic profession, it can beseen that health and diet also play an important role in business successas well. Marketing has shownthat salespeople are motivated when they are given adequate incentives andperks for their work. 65). The Office, pp. Frazier, A. Schoor, G. This is yet another factor which carries over into both themanagement and coaching professions. 18-26. 48-49. P. This is particularly true in terms of team sports in which theteam as a whole must work together as a cohesive unit in order to wingames. A comfortable, clean, neat, organized officesetting makes employees happier, motivates them to work harder, and makesthem want to stay with the company longer (Nelton, 199 , p. Workerswill work for a while for monetary incentives or under the threat ofpunishment. (1988, February 15). 7 ). No athlete has ever succeeded without first establishinga training routine for exercise. . Also, like a good manager, it may be noted that "agood coach is a confident decision maker" (Woods, 1985, p. Thus, inMatuszak's words, "playing dictator was never John's style" (Matuszak &Delsohn, 1987, p. Rather, they are then best motivated by such things as recognition,praise, and the feeling that they are contributing something meaningful tothe overall team effort. Thus, he has indicated that motivatingone's self as well as motivating a team of players both require thedevelopment of self-esteem (Kelley, 1987, p. 69). One of the most important skills that a leader must have in anyprofession is the ability to motivate other people. Garden City: Doubleday. How nice guys can finish first.Personal Selling Power, pp. New York: Rosen. Fuellhart, R. Scofield, M., & Teich, M. Gautschi, T. In order to truly motivate both players and workersto do their best, it is necessary to deal with them as the human beingsthat they are. 16 ). It has been found that failures in both thebusiness and sports professions are often attributable to failures incommunication. Many writers in both the business and sports fieldshave made note of this parallel between management and coaching. Forexample, Tom Brown in Industry Week has claimed: "Most companies, matrixedor not, have contracts that can be completed only by the teaming ofemployee talents. 13). Research in the field of management has shown that there are twobasic types of managers. Business today is a game of basketball - not golf!"(Brown, 1988, p. (1987, September/October). However, this approach tomanagement has been found to be very ineffective in the long run. 21-22). (1987). This is true inall professions, including business and athletics. Many writers in the area of business haveemphasized the vitality of teamwork in the motivation of workers. Mademoiselle, pp. Coachesmust also be able to motivate their players to do their best in order tomake sure that games are won. Thus, ifa person does not have adequate food or shelter, those needs will beprimary motivators until they are fulfilled. 736). Matuszak, J., & Delsohn, S. According to the memoirs of Raiders player John Matuszak, Madden wasalways open and honest in dealing with the members of his team. Music: In tune with your mood? News & World Report, p. Cruisin' with the Tooz. 69-7 . Both aerobicsand the use of headphones while jogging have shown that music makes"exercise seem easier" (Flamm, 1985, p. 16 ).Likewise, Homer Rice, athletic director at Georgia Tech College, hasclaimed that coaching is "more related to the business area" than it is tophysical education (Clary, 1982, p. John Madden, forexample, was the coach for the Oakland Raiders until his retirement in1979. Furthermore, Holtz recognizes the importance ofmotivating players on a higher level, as taught by Abraham Maslow and asseen in the Theory Y approach. The sports writer, Cordner Nelson, has also claimed that the coach's mainresponsibilities are in guiding and controlling the team's players.Therefore, it can again be seen that a good coach must be a good leader,capable of "getting along with people and persuading them to follow orders"(Nelson, 199 , p. Therefore, after meeting one'ssecurity and physical needs, a person moves up to being motivated by socialneeds, such as belonging and acceptance; followed by ego needs, such asachievement, status, and appreciation; and finally self-actualizationneeds, in which the person is primarily motivated by a desire to fulfillhis or her fullest potential as a human being (Kovach, 1987, p. In the world ofbusiness management, this flexible Theory Y approach has been found to bevery useful in increasing productivity among employees. 16). setting goals, striving to meet those goals and meetingadversity with a positive attitude are key elements to achieving success"(Evans, 199 , p. Once those basic needs arefulfilled, however, the person begins to be motivated by other needs whichare higher on Maslow's hierarchical list. Therefore, thebusiness manager, as well as the athletic coach, can benefit from anincreased understanding of the role played by exercise and nutrition interms of maintaining motivation among workers. Health and diet are obviously very important elements in terms ofathletic success. Kelley, B. Of course, the average office worker does not need to be asconcerned with physical strength as the athlete does. Thus, "successful sales managers recognize that to get, keep,and increase sales they must involve people at all levels of theorganization in a dedication to quality performance" (Fuellhart, 1991, p.56). Nelton, S. Nelson, C. This is the only way in which the manager or coach will be able tounderstand the unique needs of their respective employees and to therebyattain the successful levels of leadership found in the Theory Y approach.Communication is related to motivation because it is the means by whichcompany or team goals are expressed. Both of these football coaches have shown that motivation bymeans of Theory Y is the most effective means for encouraging players to dotheir best on the field. Industry Week, p.13. These factors areessential to effective coaching as well. 19). In fact, this evidence shows that these related skills can beused interchangeably to benefit people in both their personal andprofessional lives. This shows the importance of a manager today havinggreater flexibility and a broader range of talents than the manager of thepast. Maskal, B.S. Thus, the TheoryY approach to management has been found to be a far more effective meansfor motivating employees than the Theory X approach. (1987, December). 76). (1988, July 18). Woods, K.M. Motivation is withouta doubt the single most important element for finding success in both themanagement and coaching fields. (1988, August 1). 222). 19). Forexample, Dr. T. NewYork: Franklin Watts. (199 , September). (1988, March). Athletes and business employees both have similarneeds despite the differences in their professions. 82-83). Managing. However, on a higher level, salespeople are evenmore strongly motivated when they feel a sense of pride in the work theyare doing. Moskal in Industry Week, an effective manager for moderntimes must be something of a "generalist" as well as having specific skills(Moskal, 1988, p. Lou Holtz is well aware of the correlation which exists betweenhis own profession as a coach and that of the successful business manager.Thus, he once claimed: "Whether you're in the sports arena or the salesarena . In Kovach's words: "What isneeded is a management style that is flexible, that takes into account thetypes of employees being supervised, recognizing their differing abilitiesand diverse motivational needs" (Kovach, 1987, p. Sales & Marketing, pp. (1987, March 9). One theory for thisphenomenon is the fact that music gives the athlete something else to focusattention on besides tiredness and pain (Flamm, 1985, p. 2 ). Although Madden was capable of becoming angry fromtime to time when the situation warranted it, for the most part he soughtto motivate his players by instilling in them a sense of comraderly andteam pride. This type offlexibility is clearly important in the modern field of management. The Theory Y manager, on the other hand,realizes the importance of such factors as praise and recognition in theproper motivation of workers. 49). There is clearly a correlation between what it takes to be aneffective manager of people in a work environment and that of a coach in anathletic environment. Flamm, M. Asnoted by Brian S. English Journal,pp. References Brown, T. 69-76. Threats and financialincentives can only go so far in the sports profession, as well as in thebusiness professions. Chicago: Contemporary Books. 38). (1985). In thishierarchy of needs, physiological and security needs come first. 118). In the world ofsports coaching, similar skills are required to motivate athletes to dotheir best on the field. As noted by Jack Clary, the roleof the coach is primarily that of organizing and supervising the players ofthe team (Clary, 1982, p. The other type of manager, who follows the "Theory Y" school ofthinking, is more human-oriented in approach. Rewarding service createsmore sales. Similarly, sports writer Karl MorrowWoods has pointed out that the effective coach in the athletic environmentmust have strong leadership skills, be an effective communicator, andpossess "the ability to motivate athletes to perform their best" (Woods,1985, p. By understanding andaddressing these needs, both the business manager and the athletic coachcan learn to be better motivators and to thereby take their respectiveteams to new heights of success. Kovach, K. New York:William Morrow. Both coach andmanager can utilize this knowledge in order to better motivate theirpeople. Teamwork is very important in the world of coaching,as well. (199 ). Thus, in both the management and coaching fields, teamwork is avital motivational tool. Vogue, p. Success in both professions is based onteamwork. Thus, insights into a variety of fields, including the naturalsciences, social science, marketing, communication, and the humanities,show that there is a definite correlation between the skills required foreffective management and those which are required for effective athleticcoaching. Once the person has gotten a job with theorganization, the lower needs of obtaining money have already been met.Although all people are interested in receiving monetary raises throughouttheir careers, it has been found that the higher needs of self-fulfillmentand self-esteem are much more effective as motivators than is money alone. JohnMadden was clearly a Theory Y as opposed to a Theory X manager. Austin: Copperfield.----------------------- 15 This is equally true in both thework environment and the athletic environment. The fact that management and coaching have so much incommon shows that both professions can learn a great deal from one another. For example, Dr. Gautschi has pointedout that although the specific needs of the individual worker or player areimportant in both the business and sports fields, at the same time "eachplayer's performance is also influenced by factors such as how the team isdoing, team momentum, team pride, and not wanting to let the team down"(Gautschi, 1987, p. 36-4 . The Theory X manager thinks that people will onlywork if they are motivated by rewards and punishments. Before joining the staff at theUniversity of Notre Dame in 1986, Holtz had already proven his capabilityas a coach at various other schools. Thus, leadership "is the ability to inspire other peopleto work together as a team, whether in business, in politics, in war, or onthe football field" (Geneen & Moscow, 1984, p. The model employee. New York: The FreePress. A. Further insights on the importance of motivation in both managementand coaching can be found in the field of marketing. It is obvious to any observer that both the business managerand the athletic coach are leaders of their respective teams. Teaching-coaching. For example, neatness in the lockerroom, on the field, and in the coach's office, is important in reducingdistractions and thereby getting work done in an efficient manner. 82-83. (1985, February). Recent research has shown that music is a powerful motivational tool inboth professions. Kroin, M.E. 24). The sports success book: The athlete's guide tosports achievement. In modern times, the TheoryY type of manager has been proven to be more effective in terms ofmotivation than the oldfashioned Theory X type manager. Kotter, J. Can sports stars really motivate yoursales force? Another aspect of the humanities whichrelates to both business management and athletic coaching is that of music. 32). In this regard,Theory Y managers are motivational because they help to instill "acooperative feeling of teamwork within their organizations" (Geneen &Moscow, 1984, p. This shows a clear relationship between theleadership skills of the coach and those of the effective business manager. 128). In this regard, having positive environmentalsurroundings has been found to be very important in maintaining motivationamong business employees. 32-34. In fact, communication may be the most important factor inkeeping any kind of organization or team together. F. In order to be a good communicator, a manageror coach must also be able to listen to what the workers or athletes aresaying. 58-65. For example,in terms of natural science, physical health and diet can both be seen asvitally important factors for success. The importance of this type of managerial approach to coaching can beseen in the examples of two successful coaches, John Madden of the OaklandRaiders and Lou Holtz at the University of Notre Dame. F. Tomorrow's best; Where are they now?Industry Week, pp. As inthe business office, the work space of the coach must be comfortable andgeared toward the work at hand. In order to motivate, both the business manager and the athleticcoach must be able to communicate. The theory behind this is that the tempo of music helps toslow down a person's breathing rate, thereby contributing to a sense ofrelaxation (Scofield & Teich, 1987, p. In all of his successes as a coach,Holtz has always motivated his players by making them feel special and bygiving them a sense of importance within the team as a whole. In Gautschi's opinion, managers can think of theirrole as being like that of coaches, and for this reason "sports analogieshave direct applications to the business world" (Gautschi, 1987, p. Good health for a song: How music cankeep you in tune. What motivates employees?Workers and supervisors give different answers. In the area of coaching, for example, music can be helpfulin giving athletes endurance during their exercise programs. Today, it isunderstood that people are more productive when they have a sense offreedom and autonomy in their jobs (Nelton, 1988, p. (1987, February). (1985, September). Once the basic needs of life are met, people tendto seek self-esteem and self-fulfillment in their careers. The three areas in which there is perhaps the greatest amount ofoverlap between the coaching and management professions are leadership,communication, and motivation. Insights into the correlations between management and coaching canalso be found in the natural sciences and in the humanities. A good manager in the work environment, forexample, must be able to lead the workers as a whole toward the company'sorganizational goals. In this regard,money is seen as the primary reward and the threat of being demoted orfired is seen as being the primary punishment. 22). However, they will eventually get tired of being pushed aroundin this way and their motivation and productivity will lag. In the humanities, it is apparent that both the manager and coach canprofit from a greater understanding of how artistic stimulants, such asmusic or environmental conditions, can be used as motivational tools inimproving performance. In both business and sports, success hingesaround the skills of clear communication. In a similar manner, Alexander S.Frazier has pointed out that effective communication is an essentialcomponent in coaching success (Frazier, 1986, p. Music isimportant in the business work environment as well, because it helps tosoothe stress. Can Robert Haas help make you abetter athlete? Personal Selling Power, p. This approach to coaching has also been used with greatsuccess by Notre Dame's Lou Holtz. In this regard, the psychologistAbraham Maslow has pointed out that all people, regardless of theirspecific work skills, are motivated by a hierarchy of needs. (1991, January/February). On a more specific level, it is possible to draw insightsfrom the natural and social sciences, the humanities, and the marketing andcommunications fields, in order to further clarify the correlations whichexist between coaching and managing. Careers in sports. As noted byone commentator, Holtz's special talent as a football coach can be seen inhis ability to keep his team united through thick and thin (Schoor, 1987,p. Design News, p.16 . One type of manager, known as a "Theory X"manager, follows the traditional authoritarian model for running abusiness. The relationship betweencommunication and motivation in managing people at work has been noted bySharon Nelton in Nation's Business. The ever-changing focus of officedesign and its effect on employee productivity. Therefore, the channels of communication must be kept openthroughout the organization, whether that organization is a businessenterprise or a sports team. Likewise, Kenneth A. Physical health and properdiet contribute to giving a person greater strength and stamina. (1988). Examples of how managerial skills have been proven useful in the field ofsports coaching can be seen in the success stories of both John Madden andLou Holtz. Managers must be able to motivate theirworkers to do their best in order to insure company productivity. 82). According to Nelton, "many managersfind they can get across valuable motivating information at the same timethey are employing some of the other techniques, such as showingrecognition" (Nelton, 1988, p. Numerous insights from the social sciencescan be drawn in order to clarify the importance of motivation in both themanagerial and coaching professions. U.S. Careers in pro sports. 56+. (1982). 69). Pick your sport. Nations'Business, pp. 7 ). (1986, January).
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