Welcome to this free OpenLearn course produced by The Open University working in partnership with the EFL Trust, the educational arm of the English Football League. If you are fascinated by men's and women's football and interested in discovering more about business and management then this engaging and stimulating free course is for you. In the following video Eleanor Oldroyd from BBC Radio 5 Live explains a little more about the topics you’ll examine.TranscriptDuring this interactive course you investigate three main themes. First is the nature of the football business. You'll look at clubs, particularly those beyond the Premier League, exploring how their business model might differ from other industries. You draw on academic perspectives and interviews with those working in football at both a traditional club, Chesterfield, and a newer one, MK Dons, to consider different income streams and clubs' internal and external decision making environments.The second theme focuses on employees' motivation at work and the dynamics of working in a team. Interviews with professional footballers and club employees are used to illustrate some of the complexities that the research reveals. You will consider how to nurture an effective motivational and team climate.The final theme is globalisation and power relationships in football and in business. You will examine the commercial and global expansion of the game and how different dimensions of power are used in football and other businesses.If you have enjoyed this course and are interested in studying further with us find out more about this and other programmes within the OU. You might be particularly interested in our BSc (hons) Sport, Fitness and Coaching.
Overview
Syllabus
- Week1Week 1: Football: a business like no other
- Introduction to Week 1
- Learning outcomes
- 1 A business like no other
- 1.1 The economics of football
- 1.2 Alternative football business approaches
- 2 Analysing the external environment
- 2.1 Using STEEP to analyse a football business
- 3 What makes up the business of football?
- 3.1 Stakeholders in the business of football
- 3.2 Stakeholders, power and interest
- 3.3 Mapping stakeholders’ power and interest
- 3.4 Stakeholders’ passion and business
- 4 Women’s professional football: the business challenges of growing the game
- 4.1 The business of women’s professional football: a club’s perspective
- 4.2 Equal pay as a business issue
- 5 Final thoughts
- References
- Acknowledgements
- Week2Week 2: The secrets of motivation and teams
- Introduction to Week 2
- Learning outcomes
- 1 What motivates people to work?
- 1.1 Listening to football club employees and players
- 2 Theories about motivation
- 2.1 Job satisfaction and dissatisfaction
- 2.2 From theory into practice
- 3 Does money motivate?
- 3.1 Further thoughts on money and motivation
- 4 From individuals to teams
- 4.1 Team development
- 5 What helps teams succeed?
- 5.1 Players and managers making sense of teams
- 5.2 Team effectiveness framework
- 6 What factors work in your environment?
- 7 Final thoughts
- References
- Acknowledgements
- Week3Week 3: Globalisation and power relationships
- Introduction to Week 3
- Learning outcomes
- 1 What is the global football business?
- 1.1 Football globalisation and history
- 1.2 Making sense of globalisation in business
- A business perspective of globalisation
- 1.3 Globalisation: a force for good in football?
- 2 Understanding power
- 2.1 The dimensions of power
- 2.2 A biennial world cup?
- 2.3 Sportswashing: cleansing a reputation through sport
- 3 Final thoughts
- References
- Acknowledgements
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Reviews
4.5 rating, based on 2 Class Central reviews
4.5 rating at OpenLearn based on 35 ratings
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Meck PhiriGreat course highly recommend it. if one is looking at developing knowledge in football the business of the game is the best way to start. -
Frank AfrifaIt's great. It takes you to the hidden depths of football behind the curtains. I'm really impressed and enjoy the course to the very last bit
