Experience of Skilled Employees and Management Challenges: A study of Football Players Management

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Problem Statement3

Thesis Statement4

Purpose of the Study4

Aims and Objectives5

Hypothesis5

Research Questions6

Literature Review6

Methodology8

Expected Results8

Possible Limitations8

References9

Experience of Skilled Employees and Management Challenges: A study of Football Players Management

Introduction

The football world is a perfect example of how skilled employees can become a challenge for management. Players are worshipped like gods by their fans, and the media all over the world. Players have endorsement deals with various companies, get a per match fees, some are even awarded bonuses per goal or clean sheet and are often provided housing and luxuries on behalf of the club as part of their signing deal (The Independent, 2011, pp. 2). A player can earn up to a million pounds a year through his endorsement deals and the club, an amount that average people will probably never see in their bank statement. With transfer fees ranging from a couple hundred thousand pounds up to eighty million pounds, the current record, it is no surprise that team managers succumb to the pressure of pleasing their highly paid stars and fail to perform as a team.

Problem Statement

The most obvious reason that managers are unable to cement their position in the club is that most managers are unable, or not trained, in proper management techniques. Even those with adequate training admit that it is extremely difficult to control an employee that earns twice as much as you do (Budd & Bhave, 2009, pp. 51-71). It becomes even harder if the player becomes a media favorite and is constantly in the news for his outstanding performance or a brawl in the pub. Over the years, the Premier League has seen an influx of quality players from all over the world and has proven to be one of the most watched leagues. Unfortunately, with the endless arrival of new 'star' players, many team managers have been sacked because they were unable to achieve results with the quality players the club spent so much money on (Butler, 2000, pp. 44). Managers were unable to get results primarily because they did not have the required skills to tackle such skilled employees. Managing egoistic heavily paid and fan favorite athletes is no easy task and requires experience, knowledge and skills.

Thesis Statement

“A club manager must master management techniques if he wishes to cement his position in the club, if he wants to retain quality players and if want to get results in his respective league.”

Purpose of the Study

The research study will primarily be descriptive and exploratory. It will cover specific scenarios where a club employed high profile players and sacked the manager, presumably because they were unable to provide results. The primary focus of the study will revolve around Chelsea Football Club. It will also use examples of other teams in the same league and others that have faced similar managerial conflicts. The study will highlight how and where the managers lacked in their skills and techniques to control the squad and extract ...