System and Cultural Approaches and Their Relation to the NCAA

By Victoria Fields

Article Overview- The NCAA believes in and is committed inclusion and gender equity among its

student-athletes, coaches and administrators.

- The NCAA market requires players to spend more time in their sports, than

studying for classes, while also choosing not to pay them.

- The NCAA provides a list of core values that they expect the organization and

every member to follow.

- The NCAA includes a variety of systems that aid the organization in being

successful and dependent upon each system.

What is the NCAA?- “The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a membership-driven

organization dedicated to safeguarding the well-being of student-athletes and

equipping them with the skills to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom

and throughout life” (NCAA, 2017).

- The organization includes three divisions (Division I, II and III) and over 1,000 schools across the

country (NCAA, 2017)

The System Metaphor and System Concepts- “The systems metaphor views organizations not as self

-contained and self-sufficient machines, but as complex

organisms that must interact with their environment to

survive” (Organizational Communication, 2014).

- At the most basic level, a system is an assemblage of parts or

components.

- “In an organizational system these components are the people and

departments that make up the organization” (Organizational

Communication, 2014).

Hierarchical Ordering - System components are arranged in complex ways that

involve subsystems and supersystems.

- For example, the NCAA is composed of a number of subsystems that include

the athletic department, athletic ticket office, office of the university

president and academic offices.

- In addition, the NCAA is apart of a larger supersystem - the college sports

industry.

- This supersystem includes: television networks (CBS, TBS, TNT, ESPN

and Tru TV) and professional sports (NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB and etc.)

Interdependence - The function of one component of a system relies on other components of the

system.

- In order for the NCAA to be a successful organization, the athletic

departments and academic offices must rely on each other regularly.

- For example, the athletic departments need the academic offices to help

student-athletes earn a 2.0 or higher and the academic offices need the

athletic departments to ensure that the student-athletes are playing well,

because they generate revenue for the university.

Permeability- System components have permeable boundaries that allow information and

materials to flow in and out.

- Permeability refers both to the system as a whole -- which must be open to its

environment -- and to the components within the system.

- As mentioned previously, the NCAA is open to the components within their organization, however,

they are also open to their environment.

- An important factor in the NCAA’s success is their environment, which includes their fan

base.

- The organization has consistently provided excellent and high class talent for fans to

watch and in return, the NCAA has received billions of dollars in revenue for it.

System Properties that apply to the NCAA

- Properties that emerge from the interaction of components

and processes.

- Holism

- Equifinality

- Negative entropy

Holism- A system is more than the sum of its parts; more and different problem solving

ideas will emerge through interaction.

- A perfect example is through the coach and player relationship within the NCAA, specifically the

basketball program at the University of North Carolina (UNC).

- Head Coach Roy WIlliams, his coaching staff and his players have all worked together to

become a successful sports club.

- UNC has earned 5 NCAA Championships, as well as the most #1 seeds in NCAA

history (2017).

- Nonetheless, this success was based upon the interaction they all had with each other.

- Whether it was from prior experience, collective team discussions, or skillset, their

interaction has had a profound impact on the organization as well as the NCAA.

Equifinality- A system can reach the same final state from differing initial

conditions and by a variety of paths.

- As seen at the NCAA tournament.

- E.g., teams, seeded by rank, proceed through a single game elimination bracket beginning

with a first round consisting of 64 teams, to a "Sweet Sixteen", to an “Elite 8” and for the last

weekend of the tournament, a Final Four and Championship.

- This means that any of the 64 teams, regardless of rank can win the NCAA championship, and they

reach that final stage by changing up their game plans to fit the situation at hand.

Negative Entropy - Entropy is the tendency of closed systems to run down.

- Negative entropy is possible because of the flow of information and materials between

the environment and the system.

- Another reason behind the NCAA’s success is its ability to remain open to its

environment by providing the talent its fanbases enjoy.

- In addition, the teams within the NCAA consume outside information from their

environment, such as listening to fans and using technology to improve their players

performances.

Cultural Metaphor- Organizational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values, and

beliefs, which governs how people behave in organizations. These

shared values have a strong influence on the people in the

organization and dictate how they dress, act, and perform their jobs.

NCAA Core Values

The organization - through its member institutions, conferences and national office

staff - shares a belief in and commitment to:

● The collegiate model of athletics in which students participate as an avocation, balancing their

academic, social and athletics experiences.

● The highest levels of integrity and sportsmanship.

● The pursuit of excellence in both academics and athletics.

● The supporting role that intercollegiate athletics plays in the higher education mission and in

enhancing the sense of community and strengthening the identity of member institutions.

NCAA Core Values● An inclusive culture that fosters equitable participation for student-athletes and career opportunities

for coaches and administrators from diverse backgrounds.

● Respect for institutional autonomy and philosophical differences.

● Presidential leadership of intercollegiate athletics at the campus, conference and national levels.

Deal and Kennedy’s Strong Cultures 1. Values are the beliefs and vision that members hold for an organization

a. As mentioned previously, the NCAA committee has core values that they expect every member to

follow.

2. Heroes are the individuals who come to exemplify an organization’s values. These

heroes become known through the stories and myths of an organization.

a. Examples in the NCAA are: Coach K (Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of Duke), Nick

Saban (Football Coach at the University of Alabama) and the late Pat Summit (Former Women’s

Basketball Coach at the University of Tennessee).

Deal and Kennedy’s Strong Cultures seen in the NCAA

3. Rites and Rituals are the ceremonies through which an organization celebrates

its values.

a. “The organization annually honors current student-athletes for their work on the field and in the

classroom, their contributions to society and their ability to inspire those around them” (NCAA,

2017).

i. Awards include: Naismith Player of the Year (Men’s and Women’s Basketball), Heisman

Trophy Winner (Football), and The NCAA Sportsmanship Award (awarded to any player in

any sport).

Peters and Waterman’s Theme for Excellent Organizations that apply to the NCAA● Close relations to the customer - Excellent organizations gear decisions and

actions to the needs of customers.

○ The NCAA does this by providing high quality entertainment and talent to

fans across the country.

● Productivity through people - Excellent organizations encourage positive and

respectful relationships among management and employees

○ In this case, the management is the athletic department and coaching staff

and the employees are the (unpaid) players.

■ The athletic department and coaching staff’s duties are to ensure that players are displaying

sportsmanship on and off the court.

Peters and Waterman’s Theme for Excellent Organizations that apply to the NCAA● Stick to the knitting - Excellent organizations stay focused on what they do best

and avoid radical diversifications

○ The NCAA purely focuses on increasing their revenue, team rivalries, and fan

excitement. However, they avoid radical diversifications by not paying

student-athletes.

● Simultaneous loose-tight properties - Excellent organizations exhibit both unity of

purpose and the diversity necessary for innovation.

○ “The NCAA believes in and is committed to diversity, inclusion and gender equity among its

student-athletes, coaches and administrators. We seek to establish and maintain an inclusive culture

that fosters equitable participation for student-athletes and career opportunities for coaches and

administrators from diverse backgrounds” (NCAA, 2017)

Questions 1. How can the NCAA relate to other approaches such as

Constitutive, Critical, or Human Relations?

2. In what ways can the NCAA improve its organizational

culture?

3. Which cultural network (formal or informal) would work

best for the NCAA and why?

4. How can the NCAA increase their relations to the customer?

Suggestions- In order for the NCAA to improve its organizational culture, they must review

their policies and procedures annually.

- As well as speak to players and compromise the organization’s values, with

their needs.

- Additionally, I suggest that the NCAA considers their radical diversifications

(paying their student athletes) and begin to work on a solution that will also fit

the player’s needs.

- Lastly, I would suggest that the NCAA conduct consumer surveys during the

March Madness Tournament to improve their services for their fans.

Work CitedBelzer, Jason. “The Dynamic Role Of The Modern Day College Athletics Director” Forbes. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

"Inclusion." NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2017.

Johnson Greg. "The NCAA Makes Billions and Student Athletes Get None of It." The Nation. N.p., 29 June 2015.

Web. 25 Mar. 2017.

"NCAA Core Values." NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA. N.p., 06 July 2016. Web. 25 Mar. 2017.