Implementation of marketing concept in team sports

Na uzorku od 118 ispitanika - raspoloţivih menadţera različitih nivoa u organizacionoj strukturi sportskih organizacija iz četiri izabrana kolektivna sporta (fudbal, košarka, rukomet i odbojka) u najvišem rangu nacionalnih takmičenja, sprovedeno je ispitivanje relacija izmeĎu liderstva, organizacione kulture, resursa kojima sportske organizacije raspolaţu (ljudskih, materijalnih, finansijskih i informacionih), i podrške inovacijama za primenu marketing koncepta u timskim sportovima. Na osnovu saţimanja prethodno razmotrenih dosadašnjih istraţivanja o relacijama marketing koncepta sa ulaznim resursima koji uzrokuju njegovu transformaciju, formulisan je hipotetski teorijski model sa zadatkom da orijentiše empirijsko istraţivanje. Jezgro modela je hipoteza o uslovljenosti marketing koncepta, opštim statusom marketinga i okolnostima za njegovu primenu u organizaciji (sportska grana, takmičarski tip kluba, sportski objekti, kadrovi, finansije, sponzori, lokalna zajednica), i medijatorskim dejstvom tri opšta faktora: Organizacionom kulturom učenja, Stilom rukovoĎenja i Inovacijama. Varijacijama povezanosti pomenutih dimenzija, dobijeni su modaliteti punog teorijskog modela. Radi boljeg razumevanja funkcionisanja mehanizama delovanja izmeĎu komponenti u okviru polaznih osnova relacija marketing koncepta, u ovom istraţivanju korišćen je pristup koji je podrazumevao path analizu i analizu medijacije. Ovakav izbor je usledio zbog mogućnosti utvrĎivanja kako direktnog, tako i posrednog uticaja meĎu varijablama. Rezultati statističkih analiza pokazuju da se moţe konstatovati da je Marketing koncept u timskim sportovima u Srbiji u odnosu na faktor karakteristika sportskog kluba direktno povezan sa statusom sportske grane, tržišnom pozicijom svakog kluba u svom sportu, sportsko-takmičarskim rezultatom i edukacijom menadžera. Što se tiče Okruženja, kao drugog egzogenog faktora, direktan efekat se ispoljava posredstvom efekta sponzora, dok šire okruţenje (lokalna zajednica) nema značajniji efekat. Od medijatorskih varijabli jedini direktni efekat prisutan je kod Organizacione kulture učenja. Pored direktnih, utvrĎeni su i pojedini indirektni efekti sa punom ili parcijalnom medijacijom. Analiza indirektnih efekata pokazuje da interpretacija Marketing koncepta treba da uzme u obzir i značaj posrednih efekata takmičarskog tipa kluba na inovacije i kulturu učenja, inovacija i kulture učenja meĎusobno, i mesta na stil menadžmenta. Stoga, moţe se konstatovati da je klima inovativnosti ključna tačka oslonca za organizacijske, liderske i kulturne promene u sportskim klubovima kojima oni mogu stupiti u savremeno poslovno i sportsko-takmičarsko okruţenje koje zahteva postavljanje sporta na princip marketing koncepta. Sa promenom inovativnosti u klubu, uspostavlja se medijaciona staza za klubove u sportskim granama već otvorene marketinškim uticajima. Pomenutoj intervenciji u orijentaciji klime inovativnosti u klubu, doprinosi, takoĎe, tip kluba u pogledu njegove takmičarske orijentacije (varijabla tip kluba), pa i korišćenje imovinskog potencijala koji moţe da se stavi u funkciju marketinškog poslovnog nastupa kluba (varijabla imovina kluba). Sve navedeno u diskusiji pokazuje veliku zavisnost savremenih sportskih organizacija od marketinga - istraţivanja trţišta (publike, članstva i simpatizera, sponzora, medija) i nalaţenja efektivnih strategija (marketing miksa)... Organizacije koje ne uspevaju da primene marketing koncept u svoj menadţment, pokazuju manje uspeha - poslovnog, društveno-političkog, ali i sportsko-takmičarskog. Uz ovu konstataciju, jasno se ukazuje da je budućnost sportskih klubova upravo usmerena na koncepte liderstva, marketinga, organizacione kulture i klime za inovacije na čijim se činjenicama temelji ovo istraţivanje. Ovi uticaji mogu doprineti postavljanju čitavog menadţmenta sportskih klubova na temelj marketing koncepta.In a sample of 118 respondents – managers from various levels of the organizational structure of sports organizations engaged in four team sports at the highest level of national competitions (football, basketball, handball and volleyball), a study was conducted on relations between leadership, organizational culture, resources available to sports organizations (human, material, financial and information resources), and support to innovations regarding the implementation of the concept of marketing in team sports. On the basis of summarizing previously reviewed earlier research on relations between the concept of marketing and the inputs that cause its transformation, a hypothetical theoretical model was formulated with a mission to direct empirical research. The core of the model is a hypothesis of dependence of the concept of marketing on general status of marketing and conditions for its implementation within the organization (sports branch, competitive type of the club, sports facilities, personnel, finance, sponsors, local community), and the mediating effect of three principal factors: Organizational culture of learning, Management style and Innovation. Through variations of connections between the aforementioned dimensions, we obtained different modalities of a full theoretical model. For better understanding the mechanisms of mutual relations between the different components within the baseline concept of marketing relations, an approach which included path analysis and analysis of mediation was used in this research. This choice followed because of the possibility of determining both direct and indirect impacts between variables. Results of statistical analysis show that it can be concluded that the concept of marketing in team sports in Serbia in relation to the factor of sports club characteristics, is directly connected with the status of the sport branch, the market position of each club in its sport, sports-competition result and education of managers. Regarding the Environment, as the second exogenous factor, the direct effect is manifested through the effect of sponsor, while broader environment (local community) has no significant effect. Regarding the mediating variables the direct effect is present only in a culture of learning. In addition to direct, there are also some indirect effects with full or partial mediation. Analysis of the indirect effects shows that the interpretation of the Concept of marketing should take into account the importance of indirect effects of competitive type of the club to innovation and culture of learning, mutual effects between the innovation and culture of learning, and the effect of place to management style. Therefore, it can be concluded that the climate for innovations is crucial fulcrum for organizational, leadership and cultural changes in sports clubs which could provide modern business, sports and a competitive environment which requires implementation of the concept of marketing principle in the sport. With the change of innovativity within the club, a mediating path will be set up for clubs in the sport branches already open for marketing influences. The type of the club in terms of its competitive orientation (variable type of the club), and the use of the property potential that could be used for the marketing-business performance of the club (variable assets of the club) also contribute to the mentioned intervention regarding the orientation towards the climate of innovation in the club. All of the mentioned in the above discussion shows the great dependence of modern sports organizations on marketing – market research (audience, membership and supporters, sponsors, media) and finding effective strategies (marketing mix)... Organizations that fail to apply – to include a concept of marketing in their management – show less business, social-political, but also competitive success. This statement clearly indicates that the future of sports clubs is focused on the concepts of leadership, marketing, organizational culture and climate of innovation, which represent a basis for this research. These effects may contribute to placing the entire management of sports clubs on the foundation created by the concept of marketing