Do managerial skills matter? An analysis of the impact of managerial features on performance for Italian football

This paper studies the impact of a set of managerial characteristics on performance in the top division (Serie A) of the Italian football league during seasons 2000/2001−2009/2010. We employ a bivariate ordered probit model applied to match‐level data, which allows for asymmetric effects at home and away matches and in goals scored and conceded. Our set of coach characteristics includes indicators of skill, experience, innate features as well as empathy with the team. We find that some managerial features matter even when we control for club power and past results. Performance is positively correlated with the manager having had experience abroad and with the manager being a former player with the club; but performance is worsened by lack of managerial experience. Other features affect only some particular aspects of performance. In particular, Italian managers are more defensive in home games while older managers are more defensive in away games. Our approach also identifies a negative effect of managerial turnover on defensive performance, an effect which is masked when a more traditional aggregated model is used

Do managerial skills matter? An analysis of the impact of managerial features on performance for the Italian football

This paper studies the impact of a set of managerial features on performance in the top division of the Italian football league during seasons 2000/01-2009/10. Our set of coach characteristics includes indicators of skill, experience, innate features as well as empathy with the team. We find that some managerial features matter even when we control by club power and past results. Indeed, performance is positively correlated with the fact that the manager has experience abroad or has been a previous player of the team but negatively correlated with lack of previous managerial experience. Other features affect only some particular aspects of performance. In particular, Italian managers play a more defensive game in home matches while old managers are more defensive in away games. Also, changing a coach within the season has a negative impact on the defensive skill of the team in away matches

You Can Even Walk Alone: Stadium Attendance and Professional Soccer Clubs’ Social Role

The purpose of the paper is to suggest a new perspective on the social role in the community for Italian professional soccer clubs. Our findings loosen the knot between hooligans and clubs and could have important consequences on the club’s corporate social responsibility and marketing strategies. After investigating the impact of stadium attendance on team performance for Serie A and B in seasons 2004/05 through 2006/07, we conclude that crowd plays no role in the winning performance of soccer teams at home. Our proposal consists of two policies hinting at a reconciliation between social and educational role of the sport with the club’s commercial interests. The first policy is to establish an umbrella association whose membership is granted only to fans with a clear history as regards to crimes committed inside the arena and in the surrounding area, therefore hooligans are excluded. The umbrella association is administered by the club and embeds every supporters’ associations. The second policy uses ticket price fixing to discriminate against bad behaviour, excluding violent supporters from the stadium. Very high prices are imposed to non-member fans (presumably, all the bad guys) and to wealthy people requesting more comfort and additional services. Members in the umbrella association are allowed high discounts on the tickets as an incentive receive for being scrutinized. Popular prices or free tickets can be offered to other social relevant stakeholders such as grassroots, youngsters and for social policies aimed at inclusion. Key words: professional team sports; home advantage; 12th man; ticket pricing fixing strategies; corporate social responsibility; panel dat

To comply or not to comply? How a UEFA wage-to-revenue requirement might affect the sport and managerial performance of soccer clubs

This paper evaluates the soccer clubs' compliance with a potential wage-to-revenue requirement by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and studies the effect on sport achievements resulting from sports and managerial skills. The empirical analysis uses data on first division teams of the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and Ligue 1, from seasons 2009/2010 to 2018/2019. We measure the teams' quality through the annual wages and use the wage-to-revenue ratio as a proxy measure for financial responsibility. Our results reveal that a more prudent financial performance, which is generally linked to good management practices, implies better sport performance and higher chances of qualifying for UEFA competitions

Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration

dissertationThis dissertation examines how an individual's collection of knowledge, skills, and abilities impacts the performance of firms. I look across two contexts, professional sports and mobile application developers, to investigate several aspects of this relationship. I first examine the mobility of star performers in professional sports and how these individuals impact their new colleagues, leading to increases in firm performance. I then examine how the portfolio of human capital investments for mobile app developers help them improve the performance of their latest application. Finally, I examine how experienced and novice entrepreneurs' actions impact the performance of their latest mobile applications

Cultural Orientations of sport managers

Various interpretations of sport management are cultural constructs underpinned by core assumptions and values held by members of professional communities. Sport managers world wide share common problems, but differ in how they resolve them. These universal differences emerge from the relationships they form with other people, and their attitude to time, activities and the natural environment. This paper examines the role of sport managers’ cultural orientations in the interpretation and practice of sport management. Using a multiple dimension model (Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, 2000) it sketches the cultural profiles of fifteen sport managers from seven countries. A combination of methods was employed including questionnaires, interviews and participant observation. It is contended that the culture of sport management concerns a social process by which managers get involved in reconciling seven fundamental cultural dilemmas in order to perform tasks and achieve certain ends. Thus, a knowledge of the cultural meaning of sport management in a particular country would equip sport managers with a valuable tool in managing both the cultural diversity of their own work forces and in developing appropriate cross-cultural skills needed for running international events, marketing campaigns, sponsorship deals and joint ventures