Investigating organizational core values in NCAA athletic departments

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to survey National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I administrators (N=437) in the USA to identify the organizational values that are deemed as having the highest priority by administrators when carrying out the mission of their athletic department. Design/methodology/approach – The research utilized an online survey to examine the organizational values within NCAA athletic departments. The surveys were distributed during a one-month time period. Findings – The data demonstrated that academic excellence, student-athlete experience, and health/safety were rated as the organizational values with the highest priority in athletic departments. In addition, the study also illustrated that that the priority level of the individual values varied when focussing on the different levels of administrators. Originality/value – The understanding of value systems within sport organizations and proper implementation of value-driven leadership can enhance organizational efficiency through providing guidance to practitioners in decision-making processes and strategy development, and through providing consistent organizational philosophies that can influence employee behavior. Additionally, this paper builds upon empirical research exploring values within the intercollegiate athletic industry in the USA through a variety of theoretical frameworks including Schein’s organizational culture model (2010), Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory of reasoned action (1975), and Collins and Porras’s vision framework (2000).