International Sport Management - Current Trends and Future Developments

International Sport Management-Current Trends and Future Developments

Mary Holt

Southern New Hampshire University

        American Professional Sport Business Leaders are exploring different ways to expand into the global markets to expand the American sporting event experience internationally. The National Basketball Association has taken great interest in global expansion. In recent months there has been heavy discussion about a European expansion where teams could potentially be relocated in Europe. The discussions followed an NBA game played in London. In order for the NBA to find any success in the expansion understanding a new culture is critical to the success and efficiency of the proposed expansion.

According to the book International Sport Management, Gerard Hofstede developed a model to approach national culture in early 1980’s, that business use for in depth cultural analysis. Hofstede’s model is made up of four major dimensions: individualism, masculinity, power distance, and uncertainty-avoidance. Exploring the four major dimensions of the Hofstede Model will give the insight necessary to understand the culture in Great Britain.

According to the article, Evaluating the Key Dimensions of National Culture in the UK, individualism and collectivism measures the strength of the ties people have to others within the community, where a high score dictates a lack of interpersonal connection. According to the analysis, the UK society tends to have a high valuation of people’s time and their need for freedom. It also has an enjoyment of challenges, and an expectation of rewards for hard work. The British are highly individualist and private people. Children are taught from an early age to think for themselves and find out what their unique purpose life is and how they can use that purpose to contribute to society.

Masculinity and Femininity determines to how much a society sticks with, and value, traditional male and female roles. The highest scores are found in countries where men are expected to be tough, to be the provider, to be assertive, and to be strong.  The UK people have a well defined distinction between men’s work and women’s work, a woman can do anything a man can do, and powerful and successful women are admired an respected. Equal opportunities are provided to men and women in the UK and the country expects that a worker shall be respected for their body of work and opinion of an employee is not determined by gender.

Power distance measures the degree of inequality that exists, and is accepted, among people with and without power. A high score means a society accepts an unequal distribution of power and people understand their function in their society or business hierarchy. The UK’s low score indicated that business power is an even playing field. Supervisors and employees are considered almost as equals, therefore, accountability is evenly distributed. Teamwork is considered a valuable business tool in the UK, and drives the decision making process to help benefit all the workers with the job frame.

Uncertainty avoidance evaluates the degree of anxiety society members feel when in uncertain situations. High scores indicate nations governed by rules and order that seek the truth in situations. The UK’s low score indicated they have an informal business attitude, meaning; they invest more attention to the essence rather than the make up of the business. In work the UK does not plan with much detail. The overall goal will be very clear, but the details of the road to achieving the goal will be a fluid and flexible process.

In comparison the United States also scored very high in the individualism category, the difference being between the US and UK falls in the understanding of power. In the United States, a fairly low score in power distance in combination with one of the highest scores in individualism means that within American organizations hierarchy is established for convenience. The society is loosely-knit in which the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families only and should not rely on authorities for support. In the business world, the above statement can be interpreted as Americans in the business world are not shy, display resiliency, and initiative.

The United States scores high in the masculinity/feminine section of the model. The difference between the United States and the UK in this category is Americans have drive for individual success at all costs and the British have the same mentality are just more discreet. In the United States, the goal is to be the best and to be the winner. There is a high expectation of success. In the uncertainty avoidance category the US scored below average, which means the US, has a fair degree of acceptance for new ideas and innovation, which leads to successful business in the States.