baseball, basketball, and football - sahrmasahrma.org/sessions/mark lengnick-hall - baseball...
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Baseball, Basketball, and Football
What Sports Can Teach Us About Strategic HRM
2015 SAHRMA Symposium
Mark L. Lengnick-Hall
Professor of Management
University of Texas at San Antonio
“Sports are like life simplified. The rules are enforced instantly and on the spot. Winners are declared. In the stadium there’s delightful relief from the real-world trial of sifting enemies from allies: if they’re wearing your team’s uniforms, they’re the good guys.”
Henry Abbott
Objectives
• Explain how different sports apply to different strategic human resource management situations.
•Understand the practical application of sports research to strategic human resource management.
• Show how sports can be used to explain strategic HR management to managers and employees.
Sports as a Model for Business
• The need to compete externally
• The need to cooperate internally
• The need to manage human resources strategically
•Generic structure
Why Baseball, Basketball, & Football?
•Profoundly different dynamics
• Exemplify 3 organizational patterns common in business
• Each represents a model—coherent set of relationships that captures the essence of an organizational form
Different Types of Interdependence
•Pooled Interdependence• Little or no interaction
•Sequential Interdependence•Parts interact in series: ABCD
•Reciprocal Interdependence• Each part interacts with every other A B
The Baseball Business Model
Dimension Baseball
Dominant Interdependence Pooled
Density Low
Basic Unit Individual
Key Coordinating Mechanism Design of Sport
Core Management Competence Tactical
Developmental Focus Individual
The Baseball HR Model
HR Consideration Baseball
Importance of individual–organization “fit” Low
Developmental flexibility (from outside vs. from within) High
Importance of managerial continuity Low
Logic for unit-based performance incentives Low
Need for managerial coordination Low
Need for member coordination Low
“A football team is a lot like a machine. If one part doesn’t work, one player pulling against you and not doing his job, the whole machine fails.”
George Allen
The Football Business Model
Dimension Football
Dominant Interdependence Sequential
Density Moderate
Basic Unit Group
Key Coordinating Mechanism Planning & Hierarchy
Core Management Competence Strategic
Developmental Focus Individual & Group
The Football HR Model
HR Consideration Football
Importance of individual–organization “fit” Moderate to High
Developmental flexibility (from outside vs. from within)
Low to Moderate
Importance of managerial continuity Moderate to High
Logic for unit-based performance incentives Moderate to High
Need for managerial coordination High
Need for member coordination Moderate
The Basketball Business Model
Dimension Basketball
Dominant Interdependence Reciprocal
Density High
Basic Unit Team
Key Coordinating Mechanism Mutual Adjustment
Core Management Competence Integrative
Developmental Focus Individual & Team
The Basketball HR Model
HR Consideration Basketball
Importance of individual–organization “fit” High
Developmental flexibility (from outside vs. from within)
Moderate
Importance of managerial continuity Moderate
Logic for unit-based performance incentives High
Need for managerial coordination Low to Moderate
Need for member coordination High
Summary
1. Identify your organization’s primary business model: baseball, football, or basketball.• Recognize differences within your organization (e.g., R&D vs.
manufacturing).
• You can have all three models within your organization.
2. Fit your HR to the business model.