Analysis of management strategies of BCM U Pitești National League basketball team

Abstract

The fundamental objective of the club is the significant and steady contribution of sportsmen and technicians in Pitesti to represent and enhance Romania’s prestige both nationally and internationally. The purpose of this article is to analyze the existing management strategies at the club level for the last season which led the team close to relegation and identify the viable solutions for the competitive year 2016/2017. To achieve the team’s goals in this competition year, namely the classification in the top 6 teams, there were drawn and noticed a number of main directions, reported to the team’s budget that should be related with the team’s potential, following the development and harmonization of the collaboration and partnership relations they have with the local government and county authorities, ensuring transparency in sport expenditure, achieving restoration to modern standards and gathering funds to support the team’s activities. The important factors are fundamental to achieving the objective: the human resources management, the management by objectives, the relations with the civil society and the institutional partnerships, the financial resource management and the development of the material base.

Keywords: Managementstrategybasketballnational league

Introduction

The purpose of the strategy is providing the ongoing development of the business club,

organization and efficient functioning of sports activity within the BCM U Piteşti.

The purpose of this article is presenting the BCM U Piteşti team’s development strategies, team

participating in the national championship of men’s basketball league level.

The Purpose of the Article

The purpose is to present the streamline ways of the activities at the national league level for

BCM U Piteşti team in order to achieve the performance targets.

To diagnose the current state of the club and to identify the development strategies for the next

years we used a SWOT assessment (Băcanu, 1997).

Strong points:

a. club with tradition and supporters who turned the Sports Hall into an overcrowded one;

b. effective management;

c. young players, with potential;

d. the existence of loyal donors who support the club teams;

e. collaboration and financial support from local government and universities;

f. high degree of transparency in relations with partners.

Weaknesses:

a. poor perception of the phenomenon of sport as an integral component of social- cultural education;

b. insufficient budget;

c. lack of standards for evaluation;

d. limited possibilities for financial motivation of staff;

e. lack of its own sports hall.

Threats:

a. infrastructure / working system / unstable legislation;

b. the continued decline in spectators when the team did not get good results;

c. specific and insufficient facilities;

d. the possibility of losing the best players if the necessary financial resources are not favorable for

singing contracts;

e. budgetary constraints and limitations

Opportunities:

a. development opportunities for basic materials;

b. to create its own database;

c. the local community support;

d. the credibility of the club;

e. TV live transmissions of the club teams’ matches.

Key factors:

Important factors are fundamental to achieving the objective: the human resources management,

management by objectives, relations with the civil society and the institutional partnerships, financial

resource management and the development of the material. (Nicolescu, 1996)

Essential values:

The values the institution and its employees mention in activities in which they engage are:

performance, team, professionalism, transparency and accuracy.

In order to achieve this goal, we will pursue the following objectives:

a. the development and harmonization of relations of cooperation and partnership with the Romanian

Basketball Federation;

b. The developing and harmonizing the relations of cooperation and partnership with local authorities

and county administrative;

c. training and development of human resources in the specific business activity;

d. increase the contribution of scientific research in sports medicine and performance support (the club

acts to integrate the sport science - with all that implies - the club’s activity);

e. emphasizing efficient use of public funds in financing sports programs underpinning all actions and

measures taken by the club;

f. upgrading the existing sports base; construction of a new training places needed to accommodate the

sportsmen and organizing official internal and international competitions;

g. promoting and supporting club sports bodies representatives from Romania and the international

ones. (Allaire, & Fîrşirotu, 1998).

The hypothesis of the article. We suppose that the identification of the main directions of the team’s

recovery will lead to achieving superior performance in competitions and achieving the established

objectives.

The Effectiveness and Efficiency of BCM U Pitesti

One way to increase the efficiency of basketball sports club from Pitesti is its ability to adapt to

the external environment.

Another way to increase efficiency is the emphasis on the relationship between the system

components. This idea expresses the systemic essence that "the sum of the elements of the whole amount

is more than the whole, due to the synergy effect of the relationship between the whole product”.

Another way to increase the efficiency of the national league of men’s basketball team in Pitesti is

the organizational structure. A corresponding structure can foster positive effect with increased

efficiency.

So we can understand the efficacy of forecasted objectives and tasks, which is really the decisive

element in the affirmation of sports organization. Efficiency requires objectives by saving energy and

means of achieving even higher income expenditure.

In sports, as in education, health or social protection, this parameter must understand as nuanced,

because the income is not the main objective.

Basketball is an activity of national interest, supported by the state, in which the ratio between

social objectives and costs is relevant. The commercial component of the basketball activity at the

national league level has some importance in this profile organizations, including sports clubs organized

as limited companies as well, but the specific objectives for physical and sport education take precedence

over the economic ones.

The wide visibility that sports enjoy in the media led to decreased emphasis on sports marketing.

The sport did not need to focus on marketing and promotion as the other industries did. In fact, the

sport relied on advertising as the primary means of promotion. Each newspaper has an article on sports,

both radio and television broadcast and allocate large areas for sport news. The reason of this situation is

just a general interest in sport. (95% of Americans felt that their lives were affected by sports daily).

Because of the visibility, many businesses want to associate with sports. Sports provide a

promotional vehicle for the audience who is often quantified, and the amount of spectators

(demographics) is generally good.

Each sport attracts a certain audience; therefore sponsoring a competition allows the sponsor to get

associated with quite successful, target group chased by him. The public and direct participants to sports,

usually represent categories of the population with bigger incomes, and, in turn, they represent prime

targets for product marketing.

Sports organization systems at the men’s basketball team BCM U Pitesti.

The entire organizational structure and all processes result from the combination of linking

individuals, groups and leaders.

Each of the three categories of elements is a vital subsystem of the organization: individual

subsystem, management subsystem and group subsystem.

Men’s basketball team systems BCM U Pitesti is characterized by specific processes resulting

from input stimuli and output behavior.

Processes for individual system features are: motivation, development, adaptation.

For the subsystem group -it includes processes taking place in three strong interference plans:

a. intra-group plan (intra-group);

b. extra-group plan;

c. intra-group plan at the support level between groups.

These plans are characterized by specific processes namely - the interaction between individuals

and socialization of individuals within each group; that competition and cooperation at the level of

relations between groups.

Management subsystem - involves the following processes: influencing individuals and group

leader under the authority of its decision execution and coordination - leading proper communication with

individuals and groups within the area of authority.

Improving the organization of the club structures, increasing the attraction of public administration

in supporting sports activities and promoting public-private partnership in an appropriate legislative

framework – these are the main lines of action the organization and functioning BCM U Piteşti. (Allaire,

& Fîrşirotu, 1998).

The main directions for achieving the strategic objectives on the financing of sports activity at club

level are:

1. Increase funding sports programs at club level and diversification of financing them;

2. Increase the share of private financing sports activities club, mainly by extending the use of

facilities Tax Code and gain public-private partnership;

3. Increase the contribution of local authorities to finance sports activities, primarily to finance the

costs of maintenance, modernization and development of the material from the sports club;

4. Streamline funding sports activities by ensuring the transparency of expenditure in sport;

5. Raising funds from international funding sports programs.

Management is an interdisciplinary, border field of research.

It is essentially the science and art of driving efficiently, optimize the use of all resources to

achieve success.

Management is both science and art that complement those elements seeking to cultivate

acceptance of economic, social and moral responsibilities to those who apply, responsibilities that entails:

a. selection of values;

b. generates competence maintaing competitions at all levels;

c. success.

Therefore, there must be in our country a way of leading, of leadership, management and

performing sports organizations, or to use a colloquialism and defining - the management of sports

organizations .

To perform at the national league basketball team in Pitesti is important that each of the

constituents of the club to perform.

In turn, these elements form a system, comprising constituents (subsystems) all of which are

closely linked.

Health determines the health of each constituent assembly making it work as a whole (system) and

performance (Nicolescu, (coord.) 2000).

Sports organization in turn, is an open, adaptive, taking into account that is part of larger systems

with ties harmonized by the management. The organization becomes a subsystem for the social system.

Analysis of the systemic management of sports organizations as an expression of the social application of

the general systems theory provides a new perspective on human relations and the relations between man

and the environment.

In the development of men’s basketball team in the national league Pitesti, the consumer behavior

was taken into consideration.

Today, we can reverse question: if we do not deal with sports marketing, can performances also be

obtained?

For that performances should be funded, a talented junior should be supported to develop his

career in order to have proper training and nutrition conditions. Well, where to bring the financial

support?

Let’s all wait for money from the state? Not! If there is a correct marketing, the sponsors come. It

is clear that their need to “sell” an attractive product. But this may be one potential future, not one that

has already glory at the back.

For sponsors is even more attractive because at that time they will not have to give money but

strictly necessary to support the preparation of the athlete, while when you sponsor an athlete in glory, the

sponsor must “pay” for his fame too.

Sports consumer is influenced by factors related to the environment or individual that is constantly

interacting (Ansoff, & Mc. Donnel, 1990).

The environment influences people’s lives which in turn can reshape the social, physical and

cultural landscape around them. The landscape between man and the environment is a very dynamic sport

event, causing effects of socialization and involvement.

The most important environmental factors that influence sports consumer decision and which took

into account the men’s basketball team in the national league in Pitesti are:

a. “The Others”. Socializing a person for taking roles in sport is influenced to a considerable

proportion interacting with those whom sociologists call “those who matter”. Others are family members,

coaches, teachers, and friends.

b. Norms and cultural values. Every individual is influenced by beliefs, attitudes and behaviors of the

cultural environment in which they live and you learn from the loved ones. There are some forms of sport

that occur in response to the desire of creativity and freedom of individuals that want to get out of social

patterns (extreme skiing, scuba diving site, skateboard, snowboard)

c. The social class.

- easier access to reward and prestige in sports

- the existence of elite sports (aviation, yachting, golf, etc.) and some popular sports (football, cycling,

etc.)

d. Relations between races. Behavioral patterns of involvement in sport related breeds. It’s difficult to

explain why the percentage of black players in the NBA is 80%, while the percentage of black supporters

of NBA players is only 17%.

e. The climatic and geographic conditions (best Romanian skaters are from Miercurea Ciuc, and the

best rower and canoe sportsmen come from Delta)

f. The behavior of sports marketing industry and companies in other industries. Nike shoes, sweaters

Sharks Oakland Raiders clothes today are no longer the only items of equipment for the athletes.

Commercial enterprises promote “sport” lifestyle and fashion

g. conception of itself. The theory on the conception of itself indicates that the individual possesses:

- a self-image

- an apparently self-image (as he thinks others see him)

- an image of the ideal self (as he would like to be)

- an image of the self in relation to the reference groups, plus true self.

Conclusions

Management applied in sport contributes to a fully featured sports structures, the large masses of

people, a plurality of means and skills, goals and intentions.

In sport management through coordinated efforts of individuals or groups of people (teams) to

achieve a common goal, complicated and difficult process due to divergent aspects that always through or

are transformed into providing a converged objectives’ mobility.

Thus, the management in sport helps to master and control both situations and complex systems

ensuring a permanent and continuous management of a multitude of sports activities generating

efficiency.

Peculiarities of the management in sport lies in the fact that applies to all forms of sports, all sports

disciplines, which ensure organized participation that leads to getting better results in sports competitions.

In sports activities, the the management ensures coordination and training of the individual or

groups of individuals to an improvement of the physical and spiritual comfort by providing an organized

framework of sports training.

Such management specialization makes that by controlling all the actions performed by the sports

competition to influence continuously the sports performances.

The main directions for achieving the strategic objectives on the financing of sports activity at club

level in BCM U Piteşti competitive year 2016-2017 are:

1. Increase funding sports programs at club level and diversification of financing them;

2. Increase the share of private financing sports activities club, mainly by extending the use of

facilities Tax Code and gain public-private partnership;

3. Increase the contribution of local authorities to finance sports activities, primarily to finance the

costs of maintenance, modernization and development of the material from the sports club;

4. Streamline funding sports activities by ensuring the transparency of expenditure in sport;

5. Raising funds from international funding sports programs.

References

1. Allaire, Y., & Fîrşirotu, M. (1998). Strategic management. Bucharest: Economic Publishing House. Ansoff, I., & Mc. Donnel, E. (1990). Implanting Strategic Management, second Edition. Trentice Hall. New Jersy.
2. Băcanu, B. (1997). Strategic management. Bucharest: Teora Publishing House.
3. Nicolescu, O. (coord.). (1996). Company management strategies. Bucharest: Economic Publishing House.
4. Nicolescu, O. (coord.). (2000). Systems, methods and management techniques of the organization. Bucharest: Economic Publishing House.