Manager of the Team Manchester United - Case Study Example

Case Study: Manchester United

The work of Sir Alex Ferguson in his role as the manager of the team Manchester United offers a good example of leadership and team management. The manager is incredibly talented as visible in his role. The same team management skills see him taking Manchester United from stagnation to recognition as the team wins a couple of repetitive leagues. The case study offers a relevant example and depiction of the challenges facing leadership and teamwork, the making of a good team player and motivational factors in the context of cooperation. This paper strives to analyze the case study in question in the context of organizational behavior. The paper does adopt organizational behavior theories to shed light on the circumstances within the case study.

Leadership makes the most outstanding concept in the Manchester United case study. Sir Alex Ferguson shows a multi-dimensional leadership style to effectively manage Manchester United. His leadership style matches the descriptions of both transformational and transactional leadership. Transformational leadership is that which transforms a team to perform beyond expectation and personal interests for the overall benefit of the organization. Sir Alex Ferguson employs a transformational leadership style when he first begins working with the team. The result is an idealized influence when he amends the team’s moral behavior. He fosters a positive social and organizational identity of Manchester United. The club becomes the only one to have a special viewing area for persons with disabilities (Robbins and Judge 1). He inspires them to view the team beyond their personal interests. Additionally, he makes use of inspirational motivation and constructive criticism, energizing them to perform their best through his talks and speeches.

Sir Ferguson also showcases the aspects of intellectual stimulation gained from his previous years both as a player and as a manager. Transactional leadership is characterized by the gain of power through rewards, praises or promises which may occur in the form of bargaining or compromising between the management and the team. This is evident in the Manchester case when the manager admits to constantly congratulating his team in the event of good performance. Alex Ferguson says while referring to player congratulation, there is nothing better than hearing words ‘well done’ (Robbins and Judge 10).

Alex Ferguson is a well-renowned leader in the game of football. He acts as the confirmation that besides being an innate quality, real leadership does not come as a matter of chance. An individual having the innate ability to lead must have an interest in his area of management and work at gaining experience before they can earn a title of exemplary leadership. Motivation is the force that drives good leaders. In the case study, Sir Ferguson is skillfully endowed in team management. He understands that disagreements are a part and parcel of life and working relationships, but the players must always move past such agreements and maintain respect for each other. This is a critical admission that everyone relates to. Disagreements in work settings serve as the pathway to which the participants achieve fairness and understanding. Moreover, they create an open field for each to air their views such that decision making takes a diverse perspective.

We can spot him taking critical decisions, though contrary to the opinion of many, for instance, he sells some players who are stars in the team, and those who hold a special place in the hearts of the team’s fans. McClelland’s theory relates entrepreneurs with an inclination to take liability with the aim of solving difficulties, admission of reasonable risks and the will to know the end result of their judgment. Alex Ferguson’s complies with McClelland’s achievement motivation theory by his inclination to take liabilities for problem solving. He has a level of expertise in his area of management, which puts him in the position to admit the possible risks to his actions, for instance, offering a strong member of the team for sale. The manager instills into the team the desire to outshine, through a set of conventional principles. However, the manager contradicts McClelland’s achievement theory in that he does not let his failures bear down on him. He gets over them as fast as possible. This is conspicuous in his statement, “you have to get the game out of your system quickly or it becomes an obsession. Win, draw or lose, we show our face and keep out dignity” (Robbins and Judge 10). As a quick decision maker, he is well conscious of the results of his judgments. However, with every move that seemed wrong at first, he worked to ensure that he did not regret making such a move. As a matter of fact, the result always surprised many, when the team continued performing even better. His ability to transform the performance of the team to the respectful position amongst competing football teams is just incredible.

When joining Manchester United, he shows that he is a visionary leader when he utters that it is not about the dream, but the team (Robbins and Judge 7). His colleagues describe him as a leader with an impeccable ability to handle groups. The team’s kit manager, Albert Morgan, describes him as a problem solver, and one who knows how to take care of people (Robbins and Judge 3). He shares an outstanding connection with his colleagues and players, thus fortifying a comfortable and open relationship which does not raise tension between the manager and the lower cadres. Clear evidence lies in the warming up sessions, where the academy players trained alongside the senior players to foster the feeling of oneness. Likewise, he established a sense of belonging considering everyone an essential part of the organization regardless of their position (Robbins and Judge 6).

The second concept is that of teamwork. Sir Alex Ferguson has a great team handling ability. He manages the team in a motivational way and turns around their performance. The concept of teamwork is evident in how he treats the players during his announcement of the players selected to play a game. This is where Herzberg's duality theory of motivators and hygiene factors comes in. The theory states that the key components of employee satisfaction lie in the organization's performance as pertains to the recognition or promotion of staff. His strategy is wise enough as to limit the extent to which the team is demoralized. He fosters a positive emotional ambiance amongst his team members as a way of stabilizing their response and conduct, which is vital for the team’s performance. He offers words of assurance to the non-selected, having them to believe that he understands what they are going through. This indicates that he is a leader who minds the emotional state of his team since it is most likely to affect their performance in a game and the inter-relationships within the team

Ferguson's style of management is motivational, exemplary and takes into account the welfare of the football players. In the case study, he mentions that when he stepped in as the team's manager, he spotted behavioral problems, for instance, a drinking habit which could as well qualify the club as a social club (Robbins and Judge 6). Reforming the behavior and the perception of the team from an individualistic to an organizational view was his goal. This shows the prioritization of goals and the benefits that accompany a calculated goal setting. His influential leadership however transformed Manchester United for the greater benefit of both the club and its players.

Another sure indicator that shows that he gives the team importance is his renovation and expansion of the Manchester facilities, including the medical facilities (Robbins and Judge 1). He also installs a vitamin D machine to ensure the team players get vitamin D during the winter, an act that affirms his concern over the welfare of the team (Robbins and Judge 12). As a manager of the team, he does not tolerate violence. This is particularly evident when he suspends a player for attacking a fan. He later goes visiting the player to reassure him that he is a part of the team, and they do value him. This is a great way of maintaining harmony and creating a good image of the club while discouraging pro-social as well as antisocial behavior. In the case of misconduct, the management extends a fine to the player, but keeps the case internal as a way of protecting player's self-identity, a sure indication that the club protects the identity, dignity and image of its players, since it is what reflects as the club’s image in the long run(Robbins and Judge 11). Ferguson admits that he would not talk to the media about any individual player (Robbins and Judge 3).

The team’s demography shows a great diversity in terms of origin and age and character. The team is composed players of British origin and foreigners (Robbins and Judge 6). Contrary to most football managers whose aim is to perform, such that they concentrate on recruiting good performers, Ferguson believes in nurturing young talents, a matter that leads to the rising of the Manchester United academy. The program gives a chance for talent management which may be all necessary to make a world-class player. In this aspect, the club has an opportunity to develop its team, eliminating the need to buy players from other teams. It is typical in organizational demography, showing differing levels of employees, which is positive as it creates the right environment for learning and gives motivation to everyone when they have someone to act as a role model. The team's demography encourages social and psychological development in compliance to Herzberg’s duality theory of motivators which asserts that people work towards the need to achieve comfort and to advance psychologically. Hence, the demography of this team challenges each individual, whether a senior or a junior player to reach new heights.

Locke and Latham assert that one's values bring about the probability of performing actions compatible with them. In agreement with Locke and Latham's goal setting theory, Sir Alex Ferguson is a great believer in himself. While joining Manchester, he profoundly believes in his ability to turn around the performance of the team. He sets goals which he seems to be overly confident about. He has an immense amount of belief in his team, even the junior team. In the case study, he affirms that the team must win the English Premier league. In one occasion he takes a team composed of half the junior players. Though they do not win the match, he keeps maintains them for several consecutive games, and to the amazement of many, they will all the next five consecutive matches (Robbins and Judge 6). This affirms just how much confidence he had in his players. Locke and Latham's goal setting theory is practical here since the team performs according to their perception of themselves. Similarly, it can be viewed from the perspective that they performed measurably to the level of confidence their manager entrusted in them.

Work Cited

Robbins, Stephen P, and Tim Judge. Organizational Behavior. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2007. Print.