KINE 3240.03

Behavioural Approach to Administration of Fitness and Sport Fitness

Group Project

Due: April5, 2010 to be handed in at Bethune – Room 341 by 4 p.m.

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Late submissions will be subject to a late penalty

Student teams will consider the cases described on the attached pages. Select ONEcase and prepare a report that includes the following.

SectionContent

Statement of Problem1.What do you see as the problem area (“the mess”) in the case description? Discuss with a rationale

2.Prepare a problem statement (no more than 2 sentences) that best describes the problem – do not suggest cause, solution or consequence in the problem statement.

Issues Conflicts and Consequences3.Prepare a written description of the issues and/or conflicts at the personal, team or organizational level, and potential consequences, as you see them, of the current behaviour(s) if the problem that you identify continues unchanged.

Strategy/Techniques4.Develop an organizational behaviour strategy (using material cover in the course text and class), outlining the specific techniques and actions to be taken, for the individual, team and/or organization described in the case.

5.Describe the intended outcomes of each technique and action developed in the plan. Add a brief description, using specific information from the case.

6.Suggest a contingency action for each technique and action in your strategy assuming it is not successful as described.

The written report must include each of the sections outlined above and address at the very least, the content points listed. Additional consideration and discussion can be given to each section as your team sees fit.

The final report:

(a)Must be between 10 - 12 typed pages(10 -12 point font).

(b)Can contain charts, table and graphics to illustrate and support the discussion.

(c)Appendixes can be added (not included in the 12 pages)

Use (e.g. as a template or otherwise) or distribution of any previously submitted KINE 3240 Group Projects, drafts or rough notes is strictly prohibited.

If you are unsure of what material is covered by this request you must submit the material in question to the course director for approval prior to use of the material

Case #1– Sport Medicine and Science Board of Canada

You are the year 2010 volunteer President of the Sport Medicine and Science Board of Canada (SMSBC) – a service provider to athletes and coaches in Canada. You are the first “non” professional President as all previous Presidents have been doctors, physiotherapists or sport science professionals. You have been recruited to the Board because you are not in the sport medicine/science industry but have facilitation skills that the Board believes it needs in the coming years. The current members of the Board (all of whom have been with the Board for 3 or more years) are Paul (a doctor), Patricia (a doctor and past president), Rick (a health administrator), Don (a physiotherapist), Barbara and Greg (athletes), Susan (an exercise physiologist) and Elizabeth (an athletic therapist).

The membership of the SMSBC is comprised of agencies that specialize in at least one sport medicine or science discipline – medicine, physiotherapy, sport science, and athletic therapy. Other services such as chiropractic, massage therapy, podiatry, and mental training and sport psychology have requested membership but have, until this point, been denied membership.

The Board has been in existence for 25 years and has a long history of providing needed sport medicine and science services to high performance athletes in Canada and major Games (Olympics, Commonwealth etc.). In fact, the SMSBC has been so successful that other countries have requested support in the development of similar Boards in their countries.

While attending your first meeting with the sport community, you are absolutely broadsided with the demand for expanded service (adding chiropractic and massage therapy) and the need to be more responsive to the specific needs of athletes and coaches. When you return to the office you review the Boards meeting minutes for the past year to discover:

  • Patricia has not represented the needs of athletes and coaches to the rest of the Board, only her own opinion
  • The Board has adopted a “no change” stand on expanding service or membership
  • The Board has ignored the yearly plea from the Coaching Association for greater support for coaches
  • The Canadian Olympic Association has threatened to start their own SMSB for their member use
  • The SMSBC has spent an increasing amount of time at Board meetings arguing about the professional development of Board members.

Wanting to get more information on the Board’s activities, you go back to the sport community and interview a number of key contacts. You find out that:

  • The early years of the Board were very productive and helpful for athletes and coaches
  • The request for more service and expanded membership came to the SMSBC started in 1999
  • Paul has been to the government funding agency and said that the requests from the sport community have been made improperly
  • The Federal Government is threatening to withdraw financial support unless there are changes in the services or membership of the Board
  • Members of the Board have avoided all of the important meetings in the sport community and have failed to respond adequately to questions about expansion
  • The adoption of a fee for service approach has helped current member agencies of the SMSBC financially but alienated the sport community

You then undertake interviews with each of the Board members to find:

  • The SMSBC has discussed possible expansion but are concerned about loss of status, power and influence
  • The Board feels they are respected in the sport community for what they do
  • The Board members believe because other countries want to copy them, they must meeting all of the needs of the athletes and coaches as they have for 25 years
  • There is a growing frustration and increasing conflict among the Board members at the continual requests coming from the sport community
  • Paul, Patricia and Elizabeth have been very strong and influential opponents to any expansion

You know you need to do something with the Board.

Case #2 - Otter Recreation Equipment Supplies

You are the Manager of 3 of the work teams in Otter Recreation Equipment Supplies. Your role has been to help the teams set performance targets in marketing/sales, new product development and customer service.

In 2009 the company restructured from an independent workforce of 15 people to 3 autonomous work teams with 5 members each. Each team has one principle area of responsibility (marketing/sales, product development, customer service) and has the authority to make key decisions in their area. However, the performances of the groups are interrelated and essential to overall performance of Otter Recreation Equipment Supplies. As such, each team and its members share the benefits from the other teams’ performance.

After one year, the Board of Directors asked you to initiate a performance review of the teams. On completing the review you discover that the Customer Service Team has a significantly poorer record of performance (meeting stated objectives) than the other two teams. This poor performance has affected the performance of the other teams and the company as a whole.

With the Board still fully supporting the team concept, you continue to examine the performance of the Customer Service Team. On closer examination you find there are a number of complaints about one of the team members (Richard). The other Customer Service Team members (Lisa, Edward, Arlene and Wally) have seen a number of problems arise over the year.

Bring alerted, you decide to review Richard’s previous job evaluations completed between 2003 and 2008, when work was done on an individual basis. You discover:

  • He demonstrated excellent work habits and was rewarded well for his performance
  • His skill was deemed essential to the company
  • He did not want to attend Customer Service Training or computer training when offered
  • There were fewer customer complaints of poor service on record Richard’s record that any other team member
  • He was frequently late for staff meetings

On completion of interviews with Lisa, Edward, Arlene and Wally you document the following about Richard and the Customer Service Team.

  • Richard has not contributed to new Customer Service team ideas
  • He has not attended the informal team “think sessions” and when he does attend he appears confused on the process
  • Each member of the team acknowledges Richard’s skills and sees them as critical for the Customer Service Team
  • When Richard does come to meetings there is open conflict among members to the point the team cannot work
  • He has not carried a fair share of the workload of the Customer Service Team
  • He has been openly critical of the team structure of Otter Recreation Equipment Supplies.
  • He has missed work more than any other team member and has used all his allotted “sick-days”
  • The team members are frustrated and unable to keep up with the other teams because they feel they are one member short
  • The team is concerned that they will all suffer because of Richard’s poor behaviour
  • The team is concerned about the loss of respect from the other two teams in the company

On completing an interview with Richard you document

  • He does not like the team structure of the company
  • He does not like the idea that others will benefit from his expertise and skill in Customer Service
  • He does not like the idea that his recognition and reward is affected by the Customer Service Team and the other two team’s performance
  • He does not understand why the team structure is so important to the company

You know that you need to do something with the Customer Service Team.

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