Change Management in the NFL

Leadership and Organizational Change Potential in the NFL

Organizational Problem or Opportunity

Description of the Problem or Opportunity

Purpose of the Investigation

Management/Business

Audience

Summary of Section Highlights

Problem or Opportunity Background

• Current State of the Target Organization

• Relevant Organizational Processes or Systems or Functions

• Relevant Theory

Risk Management

Organizational Change

Lewin's Change Management Model

McKinsey 7-S Model

Kotter's 8 Step Change Model

Leadership

Corporate Social Responsibility

Investigative Steps

Investigative Approach and Design Strategies

• Investigative Approach

• Theory Thread Strategies

• Data Collection and Preparation Strategies

Investigation Parameters or Limitations

Summary

Findings of the Investigation

Introduction

Relevant Analysis

Overall Findings: A Synthesis

Summary

Interpretation and Recommendations 34

Organizational Implications 34

Recommendations 34

• Implications for Decision Makers 35

• Future Research 35

Summary 36

References 37

Executive Summary

The National Football League (NFL) is currently the most popular sport with American adults, however this position is not guaranteed to remain indefinitely. The NFL is plagued by a slew of problems that range from everything from player misconduct and serious indiscretions both on and off the field, issues related to injuries, player safety, and brain damage from multiple concussions, problems with the players union as well as the team salary caps, diminishing ticket sales for some teams, lack of diversity among head coaches, ethics issues in management, and many more. Because of the major problems the NFL is currently facing, many loyal fans are becoming increasing disenfranchised with the league and the overall popularity of pro-football in the U.S. is slowly falling. In 2011, 36% percent of Americans surveyed stated that pro-football was their favorite sport however this figure has dropped to 32% in 2015. Major League Baseball (MLB) has gained major traction against the NFL in recent year in regards to popularity.

This analysis will focus on leadership, or lack thereof, in the NFL from the highest levels down to the NFL players from a critical perspective. It is argued that an intervention is need to mitigate the damages that the NFL has incurred in recent years. This intervention is need to come from an organizational change that is led by transformational leadership. This report will conduct a survey of best practices that can be found in the literature in regards to organizational change and leadership and relate these models to the NFL and their current position.

Section I: Organizational Problem or Opportunity

Introduction and Background

The NFL has a rich tradition and heritage as the preeminent sports organizations since its inception. The league was organized in the 1920s when ten teams became organized under the American Professional Football Association and later became the National Football League (NFL) when it established a nationwide presence. Although there were other football leagues that attempted to build a nationwide league, the NFL was the first to successfully do so. After its inception the league slowly became more formalized in terms of membership, rules, and a governing body.

The NFL merged with another successful league, the American Football League (AFL), in the 1960s and created an even larger organization that created the Super Bowl. It is at this time the league formed thirty-two teams that still represent today's NFL. The Super Bowl has since become the most watched sporting event in the U.S. and the NFL has become the most popular spectator sport based on a variety of different polls. The NFL was predicted to have a total revenue of more than twelve billion dollars in 2015, up over a billion dollars from the previous year (Kaplan, 2015). The NFL remains the top revenue league in U.S. sports; MLB registers about $9 billion annually, the NBA $5 billion and the NHL $3.6 billion (Kaplan, 2015).

Description of the Problem or Opportunity

There are several problems that the NFL is currently facing that are arguable due to a lack of leadership as a root cause. From the bottom up, there is issues with player disciple. On the team level, there are issues related to the head coaching functions. The league in general is facing several organizational problems.

The opportunity that lies within in this situation is to implement an organizational change initiative from the top down. Since the problems associated with the NFL are multifaceted and occur on several levels, it is argued that an organizational, or cultural, change is needed. This analysis will attempt to identify the change mechanisms that can help the NFL institute such an initiative.

Purpose of the Investigation

The purpose of the investigation is to determine what leadership principles and models might be applicable to the current state of the NFL's dilemma. There are issues present in virtually all facets of the modern league, and some of these problems threaten to jeopardize some of the leagues popularity and it could eventually lose a portion of its fan base.

Management/Business Questions

Not only could effective leadership protect the leagues integrity and preserve the popularity of the game, but it also makes sense from a business perspective. In 2011, 36% percent of Americans surveyed stated that pro-football was their favorite sport however this figure has dropped to 32% in 2015. If revenue were to decrease at the same rate, it would cost the league millions of dollars in lost revenues. In practice, the league has been able to continue to increase its total revenues. However, at the same time, there have been many additional revenue streams added to the league's revenue that stem from the creation of additional "specialty" seating as well as a rebound of the economy in general which has boosted local revenues for the league (Kaplan, 2015). Therefore, revenue decreases from the loss in popularity could be entirely offset by such factors. Therefore, to maintain the league's revenue growth and protect the stakeholder's investments, implementing effective leadership to address the issues that are relevant to the game's popularity is a wise business strategy in the long-term.

Audience

The audience for this research will include anyone that is a fan of the game of football as well as anyone interested in leadership in organizations as well as anyone potentially interested in the financial aspects of the league. This research also hopes to identify insights that might also be relevant to future research efforts.

Summary of Section Highlights

The NFL has a rich tradition and heritage as the preeminent sports organizations since its inception.

The NFL merged with another successful league, the American Football League (AFL), in the 1960s and created an even larger organization that created the Super Bowl. It is at this time the league formed thirty-two teams that still represent today's NFL. The Super Bowl has since become the most watched sporting event in the U.S. and the NFL has become the most popular spectator sport based on a variety of different polls. The NFL was predicted to have a total revenue of more than twelve billion dollars in 2015, up over a billion dollars from the previous year (Kaplan, 2015).

The NFL is plagued by a slew of problems that range from everything from player misconduct and serious indiscretions both on and off the field, issues related to injuries, player safety, and brain damage from multiple concussions, problems with the players union as well as the team salary caps, diminishing ticket sales for some teams, lack of diversity among head coaches, ethics issues in management, and many more. Because of the major problems the NFL is currently facing, many loyal fans are becoming increasing disenfranchised with the league and the overall popularity of pro-football in the U.S. is slowly falling. In 2011, 36% percent of Americans surveyed stated that pro-football was their favorite sport however this figure has dropped to 32% in 2015. Major League Baseball (MLB) has gained major traction against the NFL in recent year in regards to popularity.

Not only could effective leadership protect the leagues integrity and preserve the popularity of the game, but it also makes sense from a business perspective. Therefore, to maintain the league's revenue growth and protect the stakeholder's investments, implementing effective leadership to address the issues that are relevant to the game's popularity is a wise business strategy in the long-term.

Section II: Problem or Opportunity Background

Introduction

The problem has been identified to be a lack of leadership throughout the NFL as well as a cultural problem that also effects the entire organization. The opportunity is to identify the best practices and the most relevant leadership models found in the academic leadership. Once these items are identified, a strategy can be developed to introduce effective leadership as well as work to transform the culture into something more sustainable relative to the league's popularity and revenue objectives.

Definition of Terms

Change Management -- minimizing resistance to organizational change through involvement of key players and stakeholders (Business Dictionary, N.d.).

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) -- programs that an organization implements to address social or environmental issues either internally or externally.

Organizational Change -- Company or organization going through a transformation. Organization change occurs when business strategies or major sections of an organization are altered. Also known as reorganization, restructuring and turnaround (Business Dictionary, N.d.).

Transformational Leadership -- Style of leadership in which the leader identifies the needed change, creates a vision to guide the change through inspiration, and executes the change with the commitment of the members of the group (Business Dictionary, N.d.).

Risk Management -- The identification, analysis, assessment, control, and avoidance, minimization, or elimination of unacceptable risks. An organization may use risk assumption, risk avoidance, risk retention, risk transfer, or any other strategy (or combination of strategies) in proper management of future events (Business Dictionary, N.d.).

Management Question or Management Dilemma Related Topics

• Current State of the Target Organization

The NFL is plagued by a slew of problems that range from everything from player misconduct and serious indiscretions both on and off the field, issues related to injuries, player safety, and brain damage from multiple concussions, problems with the players union as well as the team salary caps, diminishing ticket sales for some teams, lack of diversity among head coaches, ethics issues in management, and many more.

• Relevant Organizational Processes or Systems or Functions

The processes, systems, and functions can be thought of on two broad levels. The first level and the broadest level is the league's executive management team and the leagues administrative professionals. This group sets the high level strategy for the organization and is responsible for the league's success. Another level can be thought of as the team level. Although each team pursues their own self-interest and most are trying to win the Super Bowl, there is also an alignment with the league's goals as well. For example, each team benefits individually when the entire league does better. So if the league is gaining in popularity with the American public, each team will also see benefits in ticket sales, individual revenue streams, viewership, merchandise sales, etc.

• Relevant Theory

The relevant theories to the NFL will likely mirror those found in other types of organizations in different industries. For instance, organizations will have an executive team that is responsible for setting strategy in a similar manner to the NFL. The strategy will be then implemented on a tactical level by middle managers and the company's employees. In the NFL, the teams implement the strategic objectives set by the league, and although the tactical goals are different than organizations in other industries (such as winning football games), much of the job of the head coach will mirror the responsibilities found in a positions in other industries such as a regional manager. Therefore, for the scope of this research project, the literature review will focus on broad level concepts that can apply to different levels in any industry -- including the National Football League.

Risk Management

Risk management can serve as the cornerstone of a strategy platform in many organizations. There are several aspects to risk management that apply to the NFL and their current operating model. Since the league is currently facing a decrease in popularity (compared to previous years and relative to other sports) it would be prudent to analyze the current risks that the league is facing as well as create a plan to attempt to mitigate them. Risk management is described as the practice of accounting for the potential risks that face an organization, determine what probability such exposure to risk has to the organization, and deciding how to best mitigate the various risk that is present. Since change in organizations, by its definition, deal with a unique circumstances, then they are plagued by risk inherently (Benta, 2011). In many cases there is no effective way to mitigate the occurrence of various risks and the organization must instead form an action plan or a contingency plan as a response to the risk's occurrence.

Risk identification is determined by the possibility that the risk will occur and the probability of the occurrence as well as the potential impacts that such a scenario may create (USBR, N.d.). For example, the likelihood of player misconduct occurring in the future is highly likely given the fact that many players are given large sums of money and many of these players also lack the self-discipline to stay humble and dedicated through this process. However, risk management allows for an organization to actively plan alternative and different strategies that can work to reduce the likelihood of such occurrences. For example, the league can create a mandatory training program for new players that can address some of the personal challenges that they may face as well as institute harsher penalties for misconduct off the field.

Risk management also explores reduce the organization's susceptibility to risk. For example, if a player does engage in misconduct off the field they can judge the impact to the league in terms of popularity. Even still, there are many risks difficult to account for as well as prepare for. Furthermore, risks are dynamic and can often evolve with changes in either the external environment or internal changes that the organization might institute. Because of the dynamic nature of risks, organizations should regularly undertake comprehensive, focused assessment of potential risks to the organization. The risk assessment should be carefully planned, documented and methodically compiled so that it can be expanded upon in future assessments.

There are various strategies that can be created in hopes of mitigating the potential that the risks could damage the organization and its operations. While there are well developed best practices for risk identification and probabilistic analysis, there have only been recent developments in regards to adding an estimated cost for the contingency plan (Hollmann, 2009). There different categories of risk objectives which include strategic objectives, operational objectives, reporting objectives, and compliance objectives (COSO, 2004). The COSO framework is a risk management model that could be customized to fit the leagues specific challenges. It is also important that the entire risk management process becomes integrated into the organizations culture.

Most organizations will designate a steering committee to guide a COSO risk management project. This committee will be ultimately responsible for first building an inventory of the existing risk management systems and strategies and then guiding the COSO implementation. This committee will consider the organizations risks based on the different risk objectives; strategic objectives, operational objectives, reporting objectives, and compliance objectives (COSO). Efforts to minimize organizations liability in a comprehensive manner will necessarily encompass all four objectives. Thus the organization will have to include the opinions of many members to effectively put together a risk profile based upon the COSO framework. The organization should also consider many outside sources to offer expert opinions and gathering many different opinions about the risk profile will allow the organization to build its response to risk in a systematic way so that it can prioritize the most critical factors.

Many external events can either influence an organization in a positive or negative fashion however the risk management plan focuses on the probabilities that harm could be inflicted upon the organization by some future event. These potential negative impacts can influence an organization like the NFL in either direct or indirect ways. For example, a scandal involving a head coach could generate a significant amount of negative publicity for the league. Player safety and the medical issues involving multiple concussions is another risk that the NFL will have to deal with in some capacity for example. In many cases the elements of risk associated with indirect implications are difficult, if not impossible, to accurately quantify. For example, it is still unclear the extent of the physical damage to the body that football players endure and it is difficult to plan accordingly. However, the NFL could develop a range of policies that could be instituted in response to the latest medical data about such occurrences as part of their comprehensive risk management plan. Components of a risk management plan were as identified in the literature such as the following (Zita, 2011):

Event: What could happen?

Probability: How likely is it to happen?

Impact: How bad will it be if it happens?

Mitigation: How can you reduce the Probability (and by how much)?

Contingency: How can you reduce the Impact (and by how much)?

Reduction = Mitigation X Contingency

Exposure = Risk -- Reduction

Organizational Change

Planning for change is one of the most important components in the organizational change process. Proper planning allows organizations to consider their options in the face of change and make more informed decisions. Planning organizational change can also be based on the results of a risk management plan. Without a risk management plan in place, organizations are often in a reactive state, then there might not be the opportunity to plan for changes and have to simply react to any risks that manifest. However, if an organization is proactive then the can create a strategy to try to help them implement the desired changes effectively and mitigate the probability of various risks occurring. Furthermore, there are also several change management models that have been developed to guide organizations through the change process. The NFL could institute any one of these models, or some combination, to help them address risks and increase the level of integrity of all members of the NFL at different levels.

Lewin's Change Management Model:

One model that is commonly used to manage organizational change is the Lewin Change Management Model. This model is based on the assumption that most are resistant to change and would prefer to remain in the existing system. Based on this assumption, the model recognizes three stages of change (Floyd, 2002).

The three stages are:

Unfreeze: The change process often meets resistance from the employees who are generally uncomfortable with change. To unfreeze the organization, the leader must address this resistance and begin to institute an organizational change that essentially thaws or unfreezes a situation. The change agent can slowly but surely build a sense of change in the organization (Green, 2007).

Transition: after the employees have been enrolled in the organizational change, this is the period in which the actual change in operations will occur. The change agent will guide the organization through the change process and devote the needed resources to that end (Floyd, 2002).

Refreeze: After the change has been instituted, the company "refreezes" or builds new patterns and new habits within the new system. The organization will freeze again until the next needed change emerges.

McKinsey 7-S Model:

Another model that can be used to plan organizational changes is the McKinsey 7-S model. There are seven factors that McKinsey identified as steps of change the work in unison as an agent for change. These factors that affect and enhance the process of change are shared values, strategy, structure, systems, style, staff and skills. Shared values are the combined values that the change managers want to enforce for change, a combined strategy to enforce the change, the organization structure that implements and sustains the change, the systems that are used to enforce change, the style of enforcing the change, the staff that are the objective of the change and the skills that need to be acquired to effect the change and reap results from the change successfully (Green, 2007).

This model is far more comprehensive than the Lewin model and combines both the emotional and rational components, allows the understanding of an organization and diagnosis and gives adequate guidance for organizational changes. However, this model also makes the assumption that the factors have an equal influence on change which may not always be the case with many organizational changes. For example, since there are thirty-two teams in the league and many of them have substantially different organizational cultures, it may be difficult to create a set of shared values among them and this component to change management could be difficult to implement in this scenario.

Kotter's 8 Step Change Model

This a model takes the approach that the change process should be thought of as more of a campaign rather than a business process. Given the independent nature of many organizations found within the NFL, a campaign approach might be best suited to the circumstances found in the league. Similar to the Lewin model, Kotler's model considers the change process from the perspective of the stakeholders and the various activities that can be conducted to prepare them for the planned change. Since the stakeholders are ultimately responsible for making the change, making a comprehensive effort to give them all the tools, motivation, and support they need to institute the change is sufficient to drive the change. Once the stakeholders are onboard with the change management plan, the implementation of the actual change is very easy (Green, 2007).

This model strives to overcome any behavioral challenges that are held by the stakeholders and effectively meet the needs of the changing environment. John Kotter and Dan Cohen identify "The Eight Stages of Successful Large Scale Change" in which leadership is an important aspect of change (Green, 2007). Leadership is one of the critical success factors and there are a variety of tools that leaders can use such as setting a vision. The NFL executives will need to set a new strategy for the collective organization and then campaign for the compliance of the individual teams as well gain their cooperation in the tactical changes that will have to take place on the team level. A successful vision set by the NFL can facilitate this process and can provide a roadmap for the entire league that can inspire the different stakeholders to overcome their personal challenges and concerns for the greater good of the league.

Figure 1 - Kotter's Change Management Model (Klein, 2011)

The eight steps in this model are:

1. Create and increase the urgency for change.

2. A team is built to work for the campaign on change

3. Create the vision for change.

4. Communicate the need for change.

5. Empower staff with the ability to change.

6. Create short-term goals.

7. Stay persistent.

8. Make the change permanent

Each of these models can be relevant to planning for different types of organizational changes and can be used as templates to that end. The Kotter's 8 Step Change Model differs in a fundamental way however and as such can be used in conjunction with other planning efforts. Since the model focuses on preparing the employees and stakeholders for change and not the actual change. The idea is that if you support and prepare the stakeholders who are involved in the change comprehensively, then the actual implementation of the change essentially takes care of itself. This model can foster motivation from within the organization to make the proposed changes which is essentially absent in the other two models. However, any one of these models, or some combination thereof, can be used to design a change management plan that should be custom designed for the specific circumstances that exist in the organization.

Leadership

Leadership is one of the most fundamental aspects to running a successful organization and can be considered arguably the largest critical success factor. Leadership can be vaguely defined as the leader's ability to shift the group's behaviors and attitudes to something more in line with broader organizational goals. Some of the models that have been designed to attempt to explain leadership include leadership models such as trait theory, situational theory, transformational leadership, behavioral theory, competencies theory, network theory of leadership and many more (Turner & Muller, 2005). One of the primary objectives of a leader in most models is to effectively align individual goals with the broader organizational goals. If a leader can accomplish this objective then the organization is far more likely to be successful in achieving organizational goals. Furthermore, the transformational leadership model has many unique features and seems to be the best equipped theory to account for the motivational aspects of changes.

Transformational leadership has been called one of the most effective among the various theories of leadership (Judge & Bono, 2000). Transformational leaders are able to influence their subordinates to reach their full potential by setting challenging expectations will in many cases leads the employees to achieve higher performances (Bass, 1999). Because transformational leader perform well in a dynamic environment they are commonly associated with change and change management. Transformational leaders can help change an organizations course; especially amidst times of uncertainty. Given the fact that change management has also been recommended for the NFL, the transformational leadership model seems to be the best fit for the current scenario.

Transformational leadership, as a model, was first presented by Burns who contrasted a transformational leader with a transactional leader (a leader that is more managerial in nature) (Judge & Bono, 2000). The definition of transformational leadership was first defined as a type of leader that could relate to the moral values of followers and then transform their personal goals into organizational objectives. Employees who are inspired and dedicated to organizational objectives will be more willing to devote their energy and resources into their organizational roles. Other versions of the definition of transformational leadership include that a transformational leader motivates followers to do their best, sets challenging expectations, and thus achieves higher performances. Furthermore, Bass later defined transformational leadership as simply a leader's ability to push followers beyond their immediate self-interests (Bass, 1985). Bass (1985) stated that a transformational leader could help an employee develop a higher level of maturity in their ideals, as well as their concern for the achievement, self-actualization, and well-being of others, of organizations, and of society generally. Given the fact that the NFL players often serve as a role model for many American children, this higher level of maturity and discipline would help the NFL to uphold the image that they are expected to from the perspective of the American public.

Bass (1985) suggested that there are four main components of transformational leadership. Idealized influence is a component that describes a leader's ability to uphold an idealized perception from employees; to maintain an "ideal" image. To create an ideal image a leader must exhibit a sense of dedication as well as demonstrate purpose and perseverance. Another aspect of transformational leadership involves inspirational motivation which refers to a leader's ability to create a vision of the organization which displays enthusiasm, optimism, and commitment to goals. Another aspect is intellectual stimulation refers how well a leader can appeal to the more rational expectations of the employees. The final part of transformational leadership includes how well a leader can contribute individualized consideration and give personalized attention to employees and team members. It is also important to note that transformational leadership can, and should, be applied on multiple levels in the NFL. The executive leadership could be transformational, as well the leadership on each individual team, or even in groups of players.

The transformational leadership model is popular because it can account for the inspirational qualities of leaders and it has also been shown to correlate with organizational success. Because of this many researchers have tried to identify a dispositional basis of transformational leadership and found that some personality traits are helpful in predicting transformational leadership than others (Ross & Offerman, 1997). Furthermore, transformational leadership can help predict individual and organizational outcomes like leader effectiveness, team performance, subordinate's individual performance, job satisfaction of the subordinates, and organizational commitment (Lim & Ployhart, 2004). The literature regarding the transformational leadership model continues to provide valuable insights into many aspects of leadership.

Part of the reason that leadership is so complex is that it relies heavily on interpersonal skills which are mostly subjective in nature. Because Transformational leaders are able to provide motivation to change or do things differently, they are also commonly associated to organizational change and change management. It is concerned with emotions, values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals. It includes assessing followers' motives, satisfying their needs, and treating them as human beings. A transformational leader is generally considered one of the best types of leaders to facilitate changes within an organizational setting which can include motivating the workforce. Transformational leaders are also commonly known to excel in dynamic environments rather than static routines that do not change regularly. Transformational leaders are also able to adapt to complexity while in comparison a managerial role.

The transformational model is one model that might provide many insights into leadership within a national security organization given the fact that such organizations must deal with constant change and uncertainty. The leader's ability to inspire their teams and push them past their normal levels of performance could feasibly come in handy in a wide array of different situations. Therefore, in regards to leadership within the NFL it is recommended that transformational leadership be a model that is considered in conjunction with the change management plan. A transformational leader can be an effective change agent in many different levels in the league ranging from the executive leadership to players and team leaders.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Many would argue that the NFL is in a position in which it must maintain an ethical stance relative to its fans for the simple that that many individuals and children see the various players or stakeholders as role models and often emulate their behaviors. Although many of the CSR initiatives are commonly thought of as some kind of corporate philanthropy to various causes, the CSR framework is much wider than simply donations. Much of the concept of corporate sustainability is rooted in the notion of sustainable development with can be defined as the ability to meet the needs of the current population without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs as well (Searcy & Buslovich, 2014). To create sustainable development, both social and environmental components are considered necessary. The NFL is in a unique position to leverage its popularity to make genuine contributions to many of the communities across the U.S. and possible even a wider focus. Not only would this improve the NFL's image, but it could have a range of benefits to all stakeholders.

There are many motivations behind creating an effective CSR platform that range from compliance, to marketing, to wanting to make a difference authentically as well as many combinations. Despite the variances in motivation, the use of CSR reporting mechanisms has become popular in the world's largest companies. KPMG's International Corporate Responsibility Reporting Survey of 2011 found that 95% of the 250 largest companies in the world currently report on their CSR activities, and that nearly half of these companies reported gaining financial value from such initiatives (Hughen, Lulseged, & Upton, 2014). Although the NFL probably would not be considered in the same reporting surveys since it is not a typical corporation, many of the metrics would in fact still be relevant.

There have been many calls for the NFL to improve its CSR performance and even adopt some reporting mechanism to track its progress. Although the NFL has not officially adopted a platform for CSR, it has responding by incorporating some social and environmental objectives. For example, both a recent Super Bowl the league announce that the "NFL has come up with "a series of initiatives to keep Super Bowl cleaner and greener." Extra food from Super Bowl events will be donated to soup kitchens. Greenhouse gas emissions at Dolphin Stadium will be offset by renewable energy credits. Trees will be planted to make Super Bowl XXXIX "carbon-neutral (Gunther, 2007)." However, some have also pointed the effects of brain damage many of the players have experienced which have resulted in addiction and suicide among other startling outcomes and have demanded that the NFL also protect its internal members.

There are many different types of CSR reporting mechanisms that are readily available for the NFL to adopt. For example, The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) was established in 2010 has worked diligently to create a globally accepted framework that can integrate these various perspectives into one single report (Hughen, Lulseged, & Upton, 2014). It is likely that such reporting mechanisms can help improve the long-term perspective in value creation as opposed to focusing on short-term profitability. The motivations identified for companies to integrate all of their reporting were identified as (Hughen, Lulseged, & Upton, 2014):

Companies want to avoid the inefficiencies associated with distinct financial and sustainability reports and operational processes.

Companies want to provide investor and other stakeholders with a more complete picture of how they create value over the long-term.

The majority of respondents indicated that because sustainability was already a part of core business processes, combining financial and sustainability reporting was "the logical and natural thing to do."

There would be many concerns about the safety and health effects of the players as "internal stakeholders" that would have to be accounted for under such a system. However, it is conceivable that if the NFL offered more transparency into this issue that it could garner more public support.

However, there is also the risk that a CSR program from the NFL could be heavily criticized. Many researchers have speculated that much of the CSR reporting that is conducted as an attempt at managing public relations and reputation risk management (Cho, Michelon, & Patten, 2012). Cho, et al. (2012) found in an analysis of 77 U.S. based companies who engaged in standalone CSR reporting that there was considerable evidence of selectivity bias and when there is a distortion in graphing that it also has a favorability bias. This evidence suggests many organizations are implementing CSR programs and accounting measures for more of a public relations function than an authentic social and environmental program.

The NFL currently has six programs listed under is community programs initiative. These programs include (NFL, N.d.):

Youth Football

NFL Play 60

League Initiatives

Social Responsibility

Player Health and Safety

Recognition Programs

In recent years, the NFL has focused on supporting three main causes: fighting childhood obesity through NFL PLAY 60, battling breast cancer with A Crucial Catch and showing appreciation for our military with the Salute to Service campaign.

Roger Goodell has also released statements about the NFL Foundation that includes highlights such as (Goodell, 2011):

"The NFL's commitment to public service is strong and has grown over the decades. It is reflected in many ways ... The NFL Foundation, a non-profit organization representing the 32 NFL teams, focuses on improving the health and safety of sports, youth football and the broader community. In 2014, the NFL Foundation committed $45 million to USA Football to support health and safety efforts through Heads Up Football, youth and high school football programs and community health initiatives ... During the season, many players spend their day off working in communities, a tradition known as "NFL Tuesdays." Players volunteer each week at local schools, shelters, and hospitals, helping out in ways large and small ... The NFL also springs to action in times of crisis, working with the American Red Cross to raise money and to promote healing and rebuilding after national disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy.

Although all of these initiatives deserve merit, many still feel that they do not go far enough to address the challenges that the NFL is currently facing. For example, consider this criticism about player safety (U.S. News, N.d.)

"Recent studies have also found that NFL players suffer from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's at a rate three times greater than the general population. A number of high profile tragedies also reflected the dangerous toll football takes on the brain. Former NFL linebacker Junior Seau shot himself in the chest, leaving a suicide note asking that his brain be studied for science. Kansas City Chief's Jovan Belcher killed his girlfriend before shooting himself in the team practice facility. Another study found that the suicide rate among NFL players to be six times the national average. That goes without saying the wear and tear football takes on other parts of the body."

Others have made references to player safety, violence, domestic violence and other ill effects that the league has experienced. Even President Obama has weighed in on the issue saying that "I think that those of us who love the sport are going to have to wrestle with the fact that it will probably change gradually to try to reduce some of the violence (U.S. News, N.d.)."

While it may not yet be clear that the game has to be fundamentally changed in any way to protect player safety, it is clear that the league could benefit from an increased dedication to CSR, player safety, and community outreach programs in general. CSR has been shown to be correlated with significant investment returns in many industries all over the globe. Furthermore, the NFL is in a unique position to focus on CSR initiatives given the leagues popularity. Therefore, the league could simultaneously improve its image while also focusing on an extended set of stakeholders and devote more attention to local communities.

Summary

The most relevant theories and models were identified to be risk management, change management/organizational change, and transformational leadership. The league should begin with a risk assessment and build a risk management plan. This will allow them to rate and prioritize the most pressing issues that the league is facing as well as their potential impacts. For example, if the league continues to experience player misconduct off the field then this could pose a major risk to the league's popularity and should be mitigated to the greatest extent possible. Once the risk management plan is complete, the league can design and organizational change to address the issues that are identified. Furthermore, the league can designate transformational leaders to act as change agents and help the organization through the period of change required to address all of the issues that the league faces. Finally, an increased dedication to a CSR initiative was identified to have the potential to strengthen the league's image while also tackling significant social and environmental problems.