NFL Analysis

The NFL has a hierarchical organizational structure. The NFL owners occupy the
topmost position in the organizational chart. They have the most authority and rights among all
other individuals within the chart (Alston et al., 2021). Second, on the chart are the executive
committee members. They are second in command-and-control certain executive functions
within the organization, such as the treasury. There are different other levels within the
organizational chart. Each level has members who have different roles and responsibilities.
Authority and rights decrease down the organizational chart. For instance, the public relations
officer has lesser authority compared to the communications and public affairs officer because
they are at different levels of hierarchy. The implication is that there are decisions and actions
that are reserved within members in the third hierarchy, such as the finance and strategic
transactions officer, an officer in the hierarchy below cannot perform that. In such an
organizational structure, a chain of command trickles down from top officials within the
organization down to the regular employees.
One of the issues facing the NFL due to its organizational structure is blurred decision-
making processes. Since power is clearly divided, there lacks a more collaborative approach to
decision-making (Huang et al., 2021). When the organization has to make big decisions affecting
the players or even the fans, this has to be achieved through voting. Reaching a consensus
without voting in an organization with such clearly defined power lines is not always easy. Due
to these procedures and processes, decisions are often delayed. This affects employees in lower
hierarchies as well as fans who sometimes feel like they lack a sense of belonging and
motivation to function optimally within the organization.

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Improvements are needed in NFL. One way through which things can be made better is
by giving more ownership to employees within the organization. When ownership is felt only at
the top, employees may disengage and feel detached. Sharing ownership is empowering and
ensures that everyone feels a part of the great cause. Besides, ownership helps hold every
member of the team accountable. Additionally, the management should know that organizational
structures do not define people within an organization. Instead, people define the structures
(Huang et al., 2021). Therefore, it should not be used to put members in a box or confine them to
doing things a certain way even when it has been proven that such methods are ineffective. It is,
therefore, necessary for the management to expand borders and provide employees at all levels
within the hierarchy with an opportunity to be flexible and involve them in decision making as
well as in the implementation of key decisions within the NFL.
Areas that expose the NFL to potential liability include the injuries sustained by players,
hiring practices, transfer of players, relocation of football clubs, and the conduct of coaches.
Players participating in football matches often sustain sports-related injuries. These players can,
in turn, sue the NFL and demand compensation. One type of injury that has hit the headlines in
the recent past is football-related concussions, as well as other head injuries. Evidence suggests
that footballers are likely to sustain chronic traumatic encephalopathy that can be traced back to
concussions sustained during one’s career. Athletes with a history of repetitive trauma can be
exposed to CTE (Nordyke, 2019). CTE can cause advanced symptoms, including confusion,
impaired judgment, as well as psychological problems relating to aggression and depression. As
players retire and age, the effects of CTE could become more and more evident. Lawsuits have
been brought forward by former players against football organizations and other companies for
concussions and football-related injuries.

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In one of the famous lawsuits against the NFL, players sued the organization and alleged
that it had failed to protect them from long-term problems relating to concussions. The NFL was
forced to enter into a 765-million-dollar settlement with former players. Brain injuries that relate
to sports, therefore, create potential liability (Nordyke, 2019). The hiring practices of coaches
and other staff members create an area for potential liability. Coaches and other employees are
often terminated on a regular basis. Since they are hired on a contractual basis, they may sue
their employers and the NFL and allege unfair practices and discrimination (Harris, 2016).
Transfer of players is also an issue that raises concern. Football clubs have to replace players
who retire or are unable to continue playing for health-related reasons. However, the transfers
need to be handled and subjected to various rules and stipulations. If the stipulations are not
followed, a potential suit may arise.
The transfer of football clubs from one city to the next is also an area of potential
liability. The relocation of Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles was one example of a lawsuit
involving relocation. The NFL was forced to pay 790 million dollars to settle a suit that ensued
as a result of the relocation. The City of St. Louis was paid by the NFL as a result of the handling
of the relocation (Fisher, Maxwell, & Schouten, 1999). The conduct of coaches and other NFL
employees may give rise to vicarious liability. If coaches conduct themselves in certain ways,
they could cause reputation damage to third parties. This may make the NFL be liable.

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References

Alston, E., Alston, L. J., & Mueller, B. (2021). Leadership and Organizations (No. w28927).
National Bureau of Economic Research.
Fisher, F. M., Maxwell, C., & Schouten, E. S. (1999). The economics of sports leagues and the
relocation of teams: The case of the St. Louis Rams. Marq. Sports LJ, 10, 193.
Harris, J. B. (2016). We’ve Only Just Begun: Determining Who Pays After The Approval Of The
NFL Concussion Settlement. Def. Counsel J., 83, 156.
Huang, L., Ye, C., Gao, J., Shih, P. C., Mngumi, F., & Mei, X. (2021). Personnel scheduling
problem under hierarchical management based on intelligent
algorithm. Complexity, 2021.
Nordyke, A. (2019). A Challenge Against Former NFL Players’ Future Lawsuits Against the
NFL and Their Former Teams: New Scientific Information and Assumption of
Risk. Drake L. Rev., 67, 263.