Strategy Focused Sports Clubs: An Implementation of the Balanced Scorecard for Soccer Teams

Strategy Focused Sports Clubs: An Implementation of the Balanced Scorecard for Soccer Teams

COSKUN, Ali
TETIK, Selman

The main goal of the sports clubs is to produce benefit and create the social values for the society. Furthermore, it has also commercial dimension that was transformed from the show business aspect of sports clubs. Therefore, they undertake the role in the world as economic organizations. One of the most popular sports all around the world is the soccer (football). By taking into consideration the activities of professional soccer clubs on and off the field of play, it’s getting more important to manage them as a business organization. Since the soccer clubs are business organizations they have the similar managerial functions such as organizing, marketing and financing. Professional soccer clubs also have some strategic objectives concerning with the efficiency, effectiveness, competitiveness, and improving the market share. In order to survive and have the efficient and effective clubs they should measure and manage the performance of the clubs in different perspectives both on and off the field of play. A comprehensive approach is convenient to measure the performance of the clubs. The soccer clubs are liable to fulfill the expectations of a wide variety of stakeholder groups like fans, players, employees and staff, sponsors, suppliers, shareholders, broadcasters, sport media, local environment, soccer association, government, and legal authorities. In order to satisfy the needs and expectations of the stakeholders, soccer clubs should set up a multidimensional performance management system which concerns all perspectives. By bringing a comprehensive system to performance measurement and management, the balanced scorecard provides an integrated framework that can help the clubs to evaluate the financial and non-financial activities. This study reviews the management structures, business functions and the operations of the soccer clubs and the performance measurement systems used by them. In the study we develop a Balanced Scorecard model for soccer clubs. A classical balanced scorecard has four perspectives:financial, costumer, internal process and learning and growth. In the Soccer Balanced Scorecard we will use the following four perspectives: financial sustainability perspective, fans perspective, internal process perspective, and infrastructure perspective. We analyze the performance management systems of the soccer clubs by classifying them base on their strategic priorities since the strategic objectives of the giants and the middle level teams are different. In the study after developing the perspectives of the soccer balanced scorecard we defined strategic objectives, performance measures relating to these objectives, performance targets for each measure and initiatives. In the study, it is suggested that if soccer clubs use the balanced scorecard as a strategic performance management tool it may help them to be strategy focused and may better serve their missions. Keywords: Soccer Clubs, Performance Measurement and Management, Balanced Scorecard

Article
PeerReviewed

ISSN 2303-4564

International Burch University

2013-05-10

1487