Welcome to
this new free OpenLearn course produced by The Open University
working in partnership with the EFL Trust, the educational arm of
the English Football League. If you are fascinated by
football and interested in discovering more about business and
management then this engaging and stimulating free course which
provides the opportunity to share and comment on your learning
with others is for you. You can progress at your own pace and it
will take a minimum of around 9
hours of your time to complete the
course.
In the following video, Eleanor Oldroyd from BBC Radio 5 Live explains a little more about the topics you’ll examine.
TRANSCRIPT
Social Science: The Business of Football - Promo Trailer
Football is a business like no other and in this short course we offer you a unique opportunity to explore the business of football. Not a day goes by when football isn’t in the news – whether it’s about the transfer market, behaviour of players or merely the catch up about a game. But what is the business of football and how can this exciting and sometimes controversial industry help us to understand business and management ideas more generally?
The course will look at this subject from a range of perspectives and use the lens of football to develop your understanding of business and management more widely.
We’ll answer the following questions:
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What is the business of football and how does it differ from other businesses?
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What role does individual motivation play and how is this affected by team working?
What can we learn from football teams which sheds light on the workplace generally?
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And how does the football business operate globally and what are some of the power
relationships that influence it?
Each week will challenge your thinking about football and introduce you to new ways of looking at the sport you love.
This course will make a real difference to your understanding of business and how it applies to the world of football. We look forward to working with you in this exciting exploration.
During this interactive course you investigate three main themes. First is the nature of the football business. You'll look at clubs, particularly those beyond the Premier League, exploring how their business model might differ from other industries. You draw on academic perspectives and interviews with those working in football at both a traditional club, Chesterfield, and a newer one, MK Dons, to consider different income streams and clubs' internal and external decision making environments.
The second theme focuses on employees' motivation at work and the dynamics of working in a team. Interviews with professional footballers and club employees are used to illustrate some of the complexities that the research reveals. You will consider how to nurture an effective motivational and team climate.
The final theme is globalisation and power relationships in football and in business. You will examine the commercial and global expansion of the game and how different dimensions of power are used in football and other businesses.
Course learning outcomes
After completing this course you will be able to:
- begin to understand the business of football and the internal and external business environment of football clubs
- identify factors most likely to motivate people to succeed in their work in different parts of the football business including leaders and managers influence on the working environment
- describe what makes teams more likely to succeed and how individuals can develop into more effective teams
- reflect on the meaning of globalisation and how this relates to the business of football
- identify how dimensions of power relate to football.
Record of achievement
By enrolling on this course you can track your progress and gain a Statement of Participation for completing the whole course.
About the EFL Trust
The English Football League (EFL) is based in England and Wales and is the world's original league football competition. The 72 member clubs make it the largest single body of professional clubs in European football. The FL celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2013.
The EFL Trust is a registered charity that governs, advises and audits the charitable trusts associated with the professional clubs of The English Football League, who have a combined annual turnover of over £44 million, and 2,500 members of staff, including teachers, coaches, professional health and social workers and many others to tackle community challenges.
Using the 'Power of Football', The Trust continues to flourish, delivering life improving projects, which engage with over 1.5 million people per year, focusing on education, sport, inclusion and health.
