Case Studies in Sport Management, 2019, 8, S21-S27

https://doi.org/10.1123/cssm.2018-0034
© 2019 Human Kinetics, Inc. CASE STUDY 4

Just How Competitive Are We? Managing Organizational Culture in a

Canadian University Athletics Department
Jules Woolf Jess C. Dixon
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Windsor

B. Christine Green Patrick J. Hill

George Mason University University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Christiaan Jacobs is the new Dean of Student Affairs at the University of South Central Ontario, which puts him in charge of the
Department of Athletics and Recreation. Jacobs has learned that the hypercompetitive environment established by the athletic
director, Nathan Scott, has been causing friction in many areas of the department, potentially resulting in the resignation of
several long-term employees. As part of an organizational audit, he interviewed many employees and had them complete the
Competing Values Framework questionnaire, the results of which were troubling. How should Jacobs lead this department
forward and can he count on Scott to be supportive of the direction that he wants it to go? The purpose of this case is to introduce
students to the importance of organizational culture and challenges to organizational change. Students will learn about the
Competing Values Framework, change management, and have the opportunity to analyze qualitative and quantitative data in
formulating responses to the case-guiding questions. This decision-focused case is suitable for use with upper division
undergraduate and graduate sport management students in courses such as Organizational Behavior, Strategic Management,
Collegiate Athletics Administration, and Critical Issues in Sport.

Keywords: athletic administration, intercollegiate athletics, leadership, organizational change, s-trategic management

Christiaan Jacobs finished his conversation with Human Re- resignations and wondered whether he had a bigger issue on his
sources and slowly put down the phone. He had just learned that hands than just a volatile Athletic Director. As he pondered what to
Brad Toften, the Sport Facility Manager for over 20 years had do, Jacobs opened up his laptop. As part of an organizational audit,
resigned, effective immediately. Toften was known as a hard he recently had several key personnel complete a questionnaire,
worker and a pretty tough customer. Though he had somewhat and had personally met with many employees to learn about the
of a gruff exterior, he was generally well liked in the Department of work environment and culture of the DAR. He knew he had to map
Athletics and Recreation (DAR) and was very good at his job, as the strategic future for the departments under his purview. Perhaps
indicated by his tenure. Jacobs was therefore surprised to learn of now was a good time to take a closer look at the notes he had taken,
Toften’s departure and suspected it probably had something to do and the data collected.
with Nathan Scott, the Athletic Director. Although Jacobs was still
relatively new at the University of South Central Ontario1 (USCO), Christiaan Jacobs
he was aware of Scott’s reputation and his temper. In fact, Toften
wasn’t the only person to resign recently. Shortly after Jacobs Jacobs joined USCO as Dean of Student Affairs six months ago,
joined the USCO, the Travel Manager, Emma Côté, who had following a distinguished academic career in England, which most
worked in the DAR for 12 years also resigned. And, before he recently included a term as Department Head for one of the largest
arrived, there had been at least one other resignation from the DAR. and most prestigious Health Sciences programs in the United
As the newly assigned Dean of Student Affairs, Jacobs was Kingdom. Born and raised in a suburb of Johannesburg, South
responsible for the DAR, and Scott reported directly to him. Upon Africa, Jacobs completed his post-secondary education in Canada,
reflecting on what he had just learned, Jacobs wondered whether it where he competed as a middle-distance runner on his university’s
was just a clash of personalities. While Scott was known for his track and field team. Upon completing his Ph.D. in Kinesiology,
Type-A personality, Toften could also be stubborn and the com- Jacobs moved to England so that he could pursue a career in
petitive environment of college athletics can sometimes lead to this academia. Although he enjoyed his time in England, he longed for
type of blow up. At the same time, Jacobs could not ignore the other the opportunity to return to Canada. When the job announcement
for the Dean’s position at USCO arrived in his inbox one cold and
rainy afternoon, he wasted little time assembling his application.
Woolf and Hill are with the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL. Dixon is with the
Not only did this position provide a natural next step in Jacobs’s
Department of Kinesiology, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. professional career, it brought him back to his athletic roots.
Green is with the School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management, George With responsibility for all aspects of student life outside of the
Mason University, Fairfax, VA. Woolf (jwoolf@illinois.edu) is corresponding classroom, Jacobs had oversight of a large professional staff that
author. strived to help USCO students achieve their academic goals.
S21
S22 Woolf et al.

In addition to providing such essential student services as residence Sport facilities were an issue at USCO as they had not kept up
life, counseling, accessibility, health and wellness, international with the arms race that was already underway. Most other univer-
exchange, and academic writing support (among others), the DSA sities had invested C$40 million or more in facility upgrades and if
also oversaw the DAR. The DAR was comprised of a moderately USCO wanted to have comparable facilities to their rivals, Jacobs
sized intercollegiate athletics program (15 varsity teams), and a thought they would need to invest over and above that number.
comprehensive recreation program that included a full suite of Jacobs knew that USCO did not have top class facilities. This was a
exercise classes and intramural activities (see Supplementary limitation for providing student-athletes with a place to train and
Material 1: Exhibit A: Organizational Chart [available online]). compete; it also affected recreational programming and community
Although the scope of the job was enormous, Jacobs was excited outreach initiatives. Dev Singh, an Assistant Equipment Manager,
about the challenges and opportunities that it provided. In particu- told Jacobs that:
lar, he was eager to get involved with the DAR given his previous
positive experience as a varsity student-athlete. However, that was What we need is more facilities. Right now, our practice times
nearly 25 years ago, and much had changed about Canadian are so jammed up. It’s impossible when we’ve got five teams
intercollegiate athletics during his decade abroad. wanting to practice at the same time. And other small things
that people don’t think about is we need better dressing room
facilities.
Intercollegiate Athletics in Canada
Overall, the DAR faced an issue of both capacity and quality of
The national governing body for university sport in Canada is facilities. This meant that Jacobs, and by extension Toften, had to
U SPORTS. This organization was founded in 1906 and has gone make do with fewer resources, yet were still expected to deliver
through several name changes over the years. The most recent was more in terms of the quality and quantity of events and programs.
in 2016, when the old name, Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), Jacobs wondered whether this may have contributed to the tension
was replaced. The new name, U SPORTS, was chosen to increase in the DAR and to Toften’s departure. Despite the antiquated
brand recognition and to simplify the name, such that it could be facilities, the sports teams at USCO had been remarkably success-
presented the same way in both French and English. As Canada is a ful in recent years.
bilingual nation, previous names of the organization had to be
presented in both languages (www.usports.ca) and U SPORTS was
deemed to be more inclusive. Sporting Success
As the governing body, U SPORTS organizes 21 national
championships across 12 different sports. Its membership is made The USCO Bulldogs were not traditionally seen as a sporting
up of 56 universities organized into four regional conferences. powerhouse in Canada. Their swim teams were an exception;
Over 14,000 student-athletes compete in U SPORTS organized longtime coach Tony Davis had steered the teams to multiple
events. Unlike its American counterpart, the National Collegiate provincial and national championships over the last 25 years.
Athletic Association (NCAA), U SPORTS receives considerable Besides the swim team, USCO had little historic success in other
funding from the government, in this instance from Sport Canada, a sports. However, that began to change over the past decade. With
branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage. Sport Canada the arrival of athletic director Scott, the teams steadily improved
develops federal sport policy in Canada, and promotes sport (see Supplementary Material 2: Exhibit B: Sport Team Records
participation in all its forms, from getting people to have a healthy [available online]) and Scott oversaw multiple new coaching hires.
active lifestyle to high performance, elite participation. This is Last year, in particular, was spectacular. All but one team made the
represented in the organization’s mission, which is “To enhance playoffs or conference championships, and three teams won
opportunities for all Canadians to participate and excel in sport” national championships, making USCO one of the most successful
(https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/role-sport- sporting universities in the nation. This was a far cry from how
canada.html). USCO was generally perceived. Not only was it not seen as an elite
Athletic scholarships (called Athletic Financial Awards) are sporting institution, it also fared poorly when compared to some of
available to student-athletes. However, the number of awards the academic elite universities nearby, such as the University of
available is determined by U SPORTS and is subject to student- Toronto and McMaster University. Its location in south central
athletes maintaining minimum academic performance standards. Ontario was not considered a desirable destination by many
While there are various rules regarding eligibility, these are not as Canadian students, and as such, it was known rather condescend-
extensive or onerous as those found in the NCAA. In fact, when ingly as a ‘school you have to drive past to get to Toronto.’ Despite
Jacobs took the position, he talked to his predecessor about the this, USCO had been doing well with student-athlete recruitment,
current landscape of Canadian university sport. Former Dean, especially internationally. Landry stated, “We’re doing a great job
Olivier Girard explained, “We’re not so much like NCAA Division recruiting outstanding student athletes from across the country and
I, but we are becoming more like Division II. Our rules are not so from international places like Europe and Australia.”
strict, and I don’t think we want to go that way.” However, there The success of the sport teams was seen as a very positive
had been an increase in competitiveness in Canadian university development by many DAR staff members. They felt it helped to
sport in recent years. When Jacobs interviewed Victor Landry, the raise the profile of the university and combat some of the negative
Marketing and Sponsorship Manager, Landry said: associations. The recent focus on sporting success came with some
mixed feelings, though. Bill Brown, the Equipment Manager for
Things have got more and more competitive. There’s more and nearly 40 years, reflected on the changes in his interview with
more pressure to continue to keep up with the Joneses. If you Jacobs:
look across the country at other universities, just some of the
facilities that are being built on different campuses are I can think of years ago where we were so happy that one or
unbelievable. two teams made the playoffs. We thought that was kinda cool,

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 Managing Culture in Canadian Intercollegiate Sport S23

and that was good. But it has changed, and I think it’s The best part of working here, obviously, is the kids. You work
unfortunate because, you know, we’re not professionals. If with them for four, sometimes five years, and they get to be part
somebody happens to turn professional, we are so proud of of your little family and the sad part is when they leave, but the
that, but we are a university and I think we are here to have best part is working with all of those athletes. When they win,
people graduate and move on to bigger and better things that you win; they lose, you lose.
last a lifetime. Athletes might go and be a professional for
three or four years, which is really good, but then, what are What seemed to matter to employees was the close proximity and
they gonna do after that, right? connection they had with student-athletes. Julie Evans, the Admin-
istrative Assistant to the Athletic Director, provided some insights
This movement towards more successful teams was also accom- with her statement that the best part of working in the DAR was
panied by changes to the organizational structure of the DAR. “the interaction with the kids. I worked in other departments across
In Landry’s case: campus for 18, 19 years. Before, I had no interaction with any of the
students or anything. So, you never really felt like you were part of
My position was newly created when I got here, so there was a university.” A rather distinctive feature of USCO was that many
really nobody handling the marketing and promotion of our of the employees in the DAR were graduates of the university and
teams. It was a little surprising that before I came, generating this further added to their devotion to the school. Young explained:
sponsorship and promoting the teams, that was done via a
committee of coaches. So, there was no real focus on anything I think it’s just because everyone wants to do such a good job,
to do with marketing really, or revenue generation, or pro- and everyone truly does love this place, because we have so
motion of our teams. Just to give you a specific example, when many alums. I mean I’m an alum, Cheryl’s an alum, Victor’s
I started working here 10 years ago, you couldn’t buy a an alum. You have a lot of people that still feel strongly about
Bulldogs t-shirt at our bookstore. There was no such thing. the institution itself.
Other changes included the hiring of more full-time coaches. It was not just student-athletes that the staff cared about either.
Unlike American universities, it was still relatively common to Cheryl Bennett, who headed up Campus Recreation, told Jacobs,
have part-time coaches, particularly for some of the smaller “What I enjoy most is the whole concept of health, wellness,
university teams, such as curling or even soccer. But compared fitness, and the role that it plays in the personal development of
to other nearby universities, USCO had fewer full-time coaches. individuals and especially, obviously, our student population.”
The most recent hire was just over a year ago, when they brought in Similar to other staff members, Bennett had worked in the DAR
Mark Miller to head up the men’s soccer team. It was perhaps not a for 20 years. Landry observed that when you look at “athletic
coincidence that this was the only team that did not make the departments across the country, there’s a lot more turnover. We’ve
postseason, as the players were still adjusting to the new coach. In been together as a group a long time. So, I think there’s a lot of
total, USCO had 10 full-time coaches and 19 part-time coaches, synergy in working together.” This made the recent ‘wave’ of
some of whom were graduate students. Athletic Director Scott was resignations even more troubling. While there were obviously a lot
successful recruiting quality young coaches, but budgetary restric- of positive aspects to working in the DAR, Jacobs also noted that
tions prevented the Bulldogs from hiring more. Nevertheless, there there were some major issues confronting the department.
was a lot of excitement in the DAR with what the teams had
achieved in recent years. Amelia Young, who was in charge of
Business Operations, declared, “We have great coaches. We have Financial Challenges
great people who work here. And our coaches are doing great work
The most glaring challenge that Jacobs faced was the budget.
in the community.” This institutional pride came through in other
Despite the success of the teams, the department was not reaping
interviews Jacobs conducted. For example, many commented on
financial benefits. Last year, the department lost C$24,000, and
the successful co-hosting of the Pan Am / Parapan Am Games that
over the last four years, it had lost approximately C$180,000.
took place in the Greater Toronto Area in 2015. The general
Several years back, as part of a cost-cutting exercise, the women’s
sentiment expressed was that, while co-hosting this event was a
field hockey, men’s and women’s curling, and men’s wrestling
stressful experience, everybody came together to make it a suc-
teams were all cut. Jacobs thought that one of the reasons they had
cessful affair and represented the university well. Landry summa-
been so successful was because they had limited the number of
rized it well for Jacobs: “That was an unbelievable event, not only
sports offered, which enabled them to have concentrated areas of
for the university, but for the city. We brought a lot of recognition
expertise. The department had been frugal when it came to the
and financial support to the community with all the different people
hiring of full-time coaches, and because the department was
that came into town.” What was further revealing was staff
unionized, salaries were carefully controlled. In truth, he felt the
members’ discussions on why they enjoyed working at USCO.
department was over-performing given its financial situation.
Scott’s strategy of recruiting up-and-coming coaches was paying
Proud to be a Bulldog off, and the coaches liked working at USCO once they arrived. But
Jacobs understood that coaches are like commodities—once they
Many of the employees in the DAR had worked for the university are successful, other athletic directors will talk with them about a
for many years. Frank Trembley, an Assistant Equipment Manager, possible change in scenery, and he knew of at least one coach who
had the longest tenure at over four decades, but there were several was being courted. He was worried about whether the current levels
staff members who had worked at the university and the DAR for of success were sustainable. Furthermore, even if they were able to
more than 20 or 30 years. Along with this came a genuine interest build new and better facilities, that would take many years to
and joy in watching student-athletes develop. Brown, who had the materialize. While the president of USCO was sympathetic
second longest tenure at 39 years, commented: to Jacobs’s situation, he had other priorities. The school was

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S24 Woolf et al.

investing in a new computer science building as part of the together at lunchtimes and meeting for drinks after work. Subse-
university’s strategic plan, and several other areas of development, quently, she never really felt connected or that she had a seat at the
such as a prospective new law school, were seen as more pressing table. She also described the environment of the DAR as “hostile.”
needs. Driving student enrollment was the number one priority for Young maintained that this was not always the way the department
USCO’s president and it was his opinion that you do that with the functioned. In her words:
quality of the academic programs being offered; not the success of
sports teams. Personally, I’m always asking questions, just by the nature of
It wasn’t just athletics that struggled. Campus Recreation was my position, right? And I think some people don’t like that.
also under-resourced. Bennett told Jacobs that Campus Recreation And I ask why are things being done this way and why weren’t
was seen as the bottom of the totem pole when it came to others included in the discussion or decision making? These
scheduling facility space. She felt that was a little unfair given things make people feel like more of an outsider. There seems
that Campus Recreation was responsible for the health and well- to be an ever-shrinking base of individuals making the deci-
ness of over 6,500 students, whereas athletics only had to worry sions, whereas before it didn’t use to be that way. It has
about 300 athletes. But she told him: become that way. Initially, when I started here, it appeared
more open and ideas were batted around, and suggestions
Because we don’t have the luxury of a big pot of gold at the end were given. Not necessarily all taken, but at least they were
of the rainbow, we have to come up with some creative ideas. encouraged to be heard. Now, it’s basically, ‘This is what
And we don’t give up, we just keep trying to work harder and we’re doing’ and we just need to make it happen.
harder for the students, and harder and harder with the
economic times, and I think that’s something that’s pretty The manner of communications concerned Jacobs because it also
unique here. We’re not willing just to throw in the towel and occurred in other parts of the DAR. In campus recreation, Bennett
told Jacobs that “I get told ‘I want you to do this this way, just
cut or reduce programs or make students pay that much more
because this is the way I think you should do it today.’ It’s never,
to participate. We’re really trying to alleviate those issues
‘Have you considered doing this?’” Furthermore, it wasn’t just the
from the students.
administrative staff that had issues with the way communications
It was this type of devotion to the students that Jacobs admired and occurred and decisions were made. Long timer, Frank Trembley,
one of the reasons he was excited to take the position at USCO. He elaborated:
recalled his meeting with Young, who told him, “We are really
trying to make a difference. We’re trying to put the university on Well, I think it’s unfortunate because there are a lot of good
people here with experience and history, and I think it should
the map.” However, even with all this enthusiasm, sometimes the
not just be the management group or a core of the manage-
department did not function as efficiently as he would like.
ment group making the decisions. I think, for example, if
suggestions or ideas were solicited throughout the entire
Communication department, and I’m not just suggesting through the manage-
ment group, but through employees of the entire department . .
The first inkling that Jacobs got that there may be some deeper . I mean . . . I think if a lot of people were entitled to giving an
issues within the DAR was when he talked with Miller, the new opinion that they weren’t gonna be shot down about, then
soccer coach: more people would be willing to share that information and
probably end up saving us a lot of wasted time or wasted effort
I came from an institution that’s very communication driven, if something was done years ago and didn’t work.
and here it is more face-to-face driven, which I like, but at the
same time, with how hectic our lives are, if it’s not on paper, Head Groundskeeper Jack Gagne, another veteran of the DAR,
I usually forget. gave a more pointed response to Jacobs’s questions:
Young also explained that: Well, it’s the fact when you have a couple of people who have
been here 40 years or more and you’re being told what to do
Unfortunately, this department doesn’t plan well. That’s why by people who have just started, and they really have no idea
you have to be able to multitask quickly, because a lot of what is going on. In this organization, we have two people
people will put things off or not think about things and then all make all the decisions and it’s not, “Do you have any ideas?”
of a sudden August is here and we’re in the middle of It’s, “This is the way it’s going to be” and since I have been
training camp. through this for so long, I see where all the faults are. Any
suggestions that are given are disregarded right off hand.
Diane Leblanc, a relatively junior staff member (8-year tenure) in
They disregard everything.
charge of Communications and Media Relations, rather ironically
recounted that “sometimes communications are not getting to me in In his interview with Bill Brown, Jacobs also observed tensions
advance. For example, a commitment will be made in a meeting between those whose offices are upstairs (which is all front office
that I have not been invited to and I’m left figuring out what to do.” staff) and those whose offices are downstairs (which is all the
Jacobs had heard that decision making was sometimes restricted to logistical staff). Brown’s comment captured this when he said:
a few key personnel, including the athletic director, his associate
(James Thomas), and sometimes Landry. The fact they were all Most of the organization works in one area and the people that
men and the other front office staff were women seemed to work in this area are forgotten. I don’t know what they talk
accentuate tensions. The Travel Manager, Emma Côté, mentioned about up there. There’s no connection between so-called
in her exit interview that she thought the department was fairly management people and us. They disregard what we do
male dominated and that the men bonded a lot—playing basketball down here. They don’t ask for advice. So, we’re kind of left
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 Managing Culture in Canadian Intercollegiate Sport S25

down here. Sometimes you get mad, but you say; well, we can’t you have to go with the flow. A person that is laid back and
do anything about it so let it burn. doesn’t get too highly stressed, because the coaches get
stressed enough and you have to deal with that.
Singh, who had worked alongside Trembley for the last four years,
also raised this as an issue: And finally, there was the response from Josh Fortin, who worked
in facility management. With the departure of Toften, Fortin
Sometimes they take us for granted. It’s unfortunate that would become the interim Facility Manager. Though he had
they’ve kind of divided the area. We’re the Downstairs people. only worked in the DAR for six years, he had worked closely
That’s how we call it. So, we’re down at this section and yet, with Toften and he was known as a reliable and cordial worker. His
the area of athletics is upstairs, so there is a definite divide answer to Jacobs’s question was:
there and that’s unfortunate, but it is what it is.
If you want to get along and be successful here, you need to . . .
Jacobs continued to read through his notes. He had asked everyone say yes to Nate [Scott]. Whatever he wants done, just get it
about what it takes to work at the DAR and what advice they would done to the best of your ability. He likes people that just get
give to a new employee. Again, he found their answers insightful. what he wants done. He doesn’t necessarily want you thinking
on your own or coming up with other ideas. He just wants
Working at the DAR whatever is set out. He just wants it done and that’s what
he wants.
The hectic work environment in the DAR was not uncommon for
an athletic department. Jacobs knew that putting on events, getting After reading this, Jacobs leaned back into his chair. Scott seemed
teams to and from venues, and scheduling health and wellness to be coming up a lot in his notes. As he sat back, he reflected on
programs for 6,500 students were all complicated, time-sensitive what he knew and heard about Scott and the work he had done as
tasks that bring a lot of pressure. Some of the responses he heard the Athletic Director in the DAR.
from his staff were therefore not surprising and spoke well of the
staff’s dedication to the students at USCO. James Thomas, the
Associate AD who had worked in the DAR for 21 years, gave a From Coach to Manager
compelling answer:
Nathan ‘Nate’ Scott was hired 10 years ago as the Athletic Director
I think you need to be a task-oriented person. I think you have by the former Dean, Olivier Girard. Scott was a former ice hockey
to strongly believe that what we do matters in the lives of our player and had some success in the Canadian Major Junior Hockey
students. And it’s not just varsity athletes, it also matters to the League (now known simply as the Canadian Hockey League or
6,500 kids that are taking the fitness classes or playing CHL). Following his playing career, he went to The Ohio State
intramural water polo on a Sunday night. You need to be a University where he completed a bachelor’s degree in business
person that’s prepared to commit to the hard work that’s administration. His time in the United States had a big impact on
required to achieve the kind of outcomes that we all want Scott and he was a proud alumnus from Buckeye nation. He was
around here. Because what we do, even though it’s fun, is often still drawn to hockey and spent several years as an assistant coach
not easy. for various Canadian university teams and had a short spell as a
head coach. Realizing that coaching wasn’t going to pay the bills,
Other answers helped Jacobs gather insights into the culture of the he took a sales position with a sport equipment manufacturer, was
DAR. For instance, Julie Evans, the Athletic Director’s Adminis- very successful, and received several promotions. However, in his
trative Assistant stated: mid-thirties, he felt the urge to be back closer to sport and took a
position as an Assistant Athletic Director for a community college.
You have to have big shoulders to work here because a lot of Two years later, he was promoted to Athletic Director and went on
times when we are putting on a big event, and we’re all to land a similar position at a small university in Ontario, where he
pitching in, in every different area, and somebody may turn to
stayed for four years before Girard recruited him to USCO. Girard
you and say, “Go get me that,” without saying, “please,” or
informed Jacobs that, “Nate’s done a magnificent job on the
“thank you.” . . . You better be organized. You better be able to
success side. The teams are doing better, recruiting’s better,
handle some criticism and take that feedback and use it to
coaching’s better, the finances have increased. He’s raised a lot
better yourself and not take it personally and understand it’s
of money.”
for the job. And you better be competitive.
Scott’s background in business and sales revolutionized how
Amelia Young’s answer also covered similar themes. She said that the DAR operated. One of his first moves was to create Landry’s
in order to be successful as a new hire in the DAR “you have to position in Marketing and Sponsorship, and later he created the
have a very strong personality.” She went onto explain that “some position for Diane Leblanc in Communications and Media Rela-
individuals here may be seen as very aggressive. Some people are tions. These required a great deal of lobbying by Scott to central
fairly forward and fairly blunt perhaps with the way they approach administration. He was known for his persistence and even Girard
things.” She worried that someone who was meek or mild might felt that sometimes “Nate can be a bit much.” Several new
have difficulty working here. When Jacobs interviewed some of the traditions were also started early under Nate’s leadership. There
‘downstairs’ staff the responses became even more revealing. was the annual “Bulldogs Banquet” where all the student-athletes
Frank Trembley answered: dressed up and teams and individuals were given awards during a
fancy dinner. The “Breakfast for Champions” was started for the
What does it take to work here? You’ve got to like people. coaches and it was held at the start of school year as a way to get the
You’ve got to learn how to say yes even if you think it’s no, coaches together and get everybody fired up for the season. It also
because that’s the way it’s set up right now. In other words, provided an opportunity for new coaches to meet other coaches and
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S26 Woolf et al.

the staff. Mark Miller, a new hire, noticed the difference in the But not hostile.” Jacobs mulled this over and thought to himself,
DAR immediately. He commented that, “There’s a difference between hostile and being on edge. But if
someone perceives it as hostile, but others don’t, what does that
You can just see the goal is to win, and they push for it mean?” He continued reading and scrolled down to read the final
sometimes, even too hard. I mean, every coach wants to win, aspect of his interviews with staff, which attempted to get at the
so it’s not a bad thing. So, the support they give is all towards heart of the culture at the DAR.
wanting to win at every level.
The new era of winning that Scott had ushered in had put some Bulldog Life
strain on the coaches. Even Tony Davis, the swim coach, felt that,
“Sometimes the emphasis on winning is almost too much, and Jacobs asked people to describe the culture at the DAR. He did this
we’re not looking at the athlete as a whole and looking at the other by asking them to give a rundown of a typical day and suggested
aspects of their lives.” Scott had stressed performance goals for all they use a metaphor to illustrate their work environment. Several
areas of the DAR, including sponsorships acquired, tickets sold, people talked about the DAR being like a family or like a team.
and win-loss records. Though many of his innovations were Many had been with the department for so long that these answers
welcomed, the emphasis on competitive success irked some staff, made a lot of sense to Jacobs. Furthermore, the department was still
particularly those who had been with the DAR for a long time. relatively small, which meant everyone had to work closely with one
Equipment Manager Brown commented: another. Landry commented, “I think one of the great things about it
[the DAR] is we have a real sort of teamwork mentality in the
We seem to be going towards more of a professional atmo- department.” Enthusiasm was also expressed with the hectic pace of
sphere. If the coaches are not successful at winning, they’re the DAR. Leblanc talked about her experience as one where, “there’s
not gonna last long, and that’s unfortunate. I don’t know why always a lot of new and exciting things happening. It’s not a job
we’re so geared to that. I always felt we were so proud of our where you come in and you do the same thing over and over every
athletes that graduated. day. So, it requires a lot of creativity, which I like.” A few people
described the department like an animal. Young envisioned the
There was also a perception that because of Scott’s back- department as “either a tiger or jaguar.” She elaborated:
ground, some sports received preferential treatment, while others
were almost ignored. Leblanc informed Jacobs that: We’re not like a big old lion that might be loud and strong, but
slow. We’re quick and ever-changing, so we have the speed of
I think teams sometimes are penalized for their success—their
a cheetah or tiger or jaguar, but we also have the same roar.
consistent success. But then there are some other teams that Just like a cheetah, going after their prey, you have an end in
are not as successful, yet if they are the flavor of some of the sight. And, I guess you can say we’re aggressive. I know I’m
leadership, for example men’s hockey, then they seem to very aggressive and Nate is very aggressive, and I think that’s
receive more support and seem to be valued highly. sometimes why he and I battle because we both have very high
Scott’s history as a hockey player and coach were also used to expectations of what needs to be done here. I would think that
justify other elements of his management style that seemed to we probably need to be a little bit more kitten-like, if there’s a
pervade other parts of the DAR. Trembley explained, “This is an way to put that politely.
area where bad language happens. It’s the culture in us. It’s not a
Evans, the Athletic Director’s Administrative Assistant, also
thing you are proud of, but it’s the culture you live in.” The
described the DAR as an animal:
groundskeeper Gagne had a different interpretation of Scott’s
approach to leadership: Well, I’d say the department is more of a pit bull because I think
there’s some staff members that have a bad rep on campus.
He has an enormous ego! That’s a pain in the butt, because
They don’t have the best reputation on campus; however, they
everything he thinks is right. He’s done some good things too.
get the job done, and we always get so many compliments of the
His problem is his personality is horrible. He’s trying to do
job well done from the community, from across campus, from
what he wants, have his teams win in all sports and he’s
senior management. But to get there, you got to step on a few
achieving that now. He’s done some really good things. I
toes. So, I would say we’re more pit bull than Bulldog.
applaud him on a lot of things he’s done. He’s pushed a lot.
He’s got a lot done, but he is absolutely a terrible person to The final account that stood out in Jacobs’s notes was from the
work for. Associate Athletic Director, Thomas. In his interview he declared:
Jacobs also discovered that others were strategic with how they We’re a very goal-directed organization. So, in terms of a
worked with Scott. Fortin explained his approach: “If you have an metaphor, I think of us as an eight-man crew. It’d be nice if
amazing idea, the only way to get it accepted is if it is designed so we’re turned in the direction where you can actually see the
that Nate doesn’t have to do anything to make it happen. It has to be goal. You don’t get to do that if your back is to the goal, but
airtight delivered to him.” It was these types of stories that worried there is a person in the back of the boat. They can certainly see
Jacobs. He knew from Girard that there had been some complaints the goal. We’re all pulling in the same direction, for the most
about Scott (and others) in the past regarding accusations of part. Sometimes everybody’s got to be reminded of what the
swearing and aggressive behavior. But he thought those events goal is because sometimes they can’t see it.
were behind the DAR. Even after Côté resigned, Jacobs had sought
out Associate Athletic Director Thomas to ask about the “hostile His notes from the interviews had given Jacobs a lot to think about.
environment” she had mentioned. Thomas told him categorically, He moved his mouse over to open his Excel spreadsheet. Now
“Hostile? No way! High pressure, sure, when the pressure is on. seemed a good time to examine the questionnaire results.
CSSM Vol. 8, No. S1, 2019
 Managing Culture in Canadian Intercollegiate Sport S27

The Questionnaire of sport. “We’ve produced some great results,” he thought to

himself, “but I worry about sliding back because either the
The final part of his organizational audit involved staff members resources won’t be enough to keep us in that position, or the
completing the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument people are just going to wear out.” He remembered one of the last
(OCAI), which is a questionnaire based on Cameron and Quinn’s things Young mentioned to him:
(2011) theoretical model known as the Competing Values Frame-
Bulldog athletics . . . it is a great place to be. I would just ideally
work (CVF) (see Supplementary Material 3: Exhibit C: Compet-
like to make it more collegial. That’s all. If you’re looking at the
ing Values Framework Description [available online]). This
collegiality of it, that’s the only thing that we try to hide well. If
questionnaire is used to assess people’s perception of the current
you could remove that little portion of it, the rest of it, we all
culture within an organization, which can then be compared to the
really want it to be successful and we may think we’re trying to
preferred culture they would like to work in. The CVF is based on
make it successful, trying to be supportive of all the coaches and
the presence of four types of cultures (Clan, Adhocracy, Market,
I think we are trying to make a difference, hopefully.
and Hierarchy) that can exist within an organization. Each culture
has distinctive features, focus, and orientation. The results of the As the new Dean for Student Affairs, it was Jacobs’s responsibility
OCAI reveal four different orientations (Collaborate, Creative, to ensure that the DAR continued to thrive. But these recent
Controlling, and Competing) that correspond to the four culture resignations and the results from the interviews and the question-
types identified earlier (e.g., a collaborative orientation is indica- naire were very troubling. How should he lead this department
tive of a Clan culture). There is not a single best type of culture. forward and could he count on Scott to be supportive of the
Instead, much depends on the environment; an effective organi- direction that he wanted it to go?
zation will have a mix of all four that matches its market
environment. The results of the OCAI can be used to determine
the dominant culture in the organization, along with the strength Discussion Questions
of that culture. It can also be used to assess the discrepancy
between the current culture and the culture that employees prefer. 1. Why have there been so many resignations in the DAR?
When there is a large deviation between these two states, it 2. What should Christiaan Jacobs do about the situation with
indicates that the organization has a problem that likely needs athletic director Nathan Scott?
to be addressed. Hence, the results of the OCAI can help to 3. Describe and analyze the organizational culture in the DAR.
facilitate change in an organization. Use the results from the OCAI to inform your analysis. To
Employees were tasked with allocating percentage points to a what extent are peoples’ values aligned?
series of questions based on what they believed was the current 4. If you were Christiaan Jacobs, what would you do about the
state of affairs in the DAR and what ideally, they would like it to be. organizational culture in the DAR? What might happen if
Jacobs asked multiple front/upstairs office and downstairs/logisti- nothing is done or no changes are made?
cal staff members to complete the questionnaire (see the
Supplementary Material 4: Excel sheet view Exhibit D: CVF 5. If you were Christiaan Jacobs, how would you change the
Results [available online]). The only person who did not respond organizational culture in the DAR? What specific tactics or
was Scott, even though Jacobs had sent him a reminder. Jacobs also recommendations would you use?
invited two coaches to participate and deliberately choose Davis 6. What problems, issues, or obstacles do you foresee in chang-
and Miller because they represented the most and least experienced ing the culture in the DAR and how could Jacobs address these
coaches on staff. He thought this might provide an interesting challenges?
contrast. As he looked over his Excel spreadsheet, he realized that
there were a number of comparisons he could make among the
different people and groups who worked in the DAR. Jacobs took Note
in a big inhale as he looked over the results. 1
The University of South Central Ontario is a fictional university created
for the purposes of this case study.
Final Reflection
As Jacobs rose from his chair, he reflected on the task before him. Acknowledgments
He wanted to provide the best services possible to the students at The case study was funded by the Centred on Learning Innovation Fund
USCO. The bulk of the students at USCO were recreation provided by the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of
students and it broke down to approximately 80% recreation Windsor. The authors thank the research associate, Meghan Roney, for her
students to 20% varsity athletes. When he thought about what he assistance with this project.
meant by ‘best service’ he wanted to ensure that he met students’
needs in terms of both recreation and high-level sport. The DAR
had very strong personnel in his opinion, but the facilities were References
well below standard. Furthermore, he had seen the effect that a
winning team could have on the community. It brought a lot of Cameron, K.S., & Quinn, R.E. (2011). Diagnosing and changing organi-
pride and several coaches were being awarded in the community zational culture: Based on the competing values framework (3rd ed.).
for their efforts. At the same time, he had seen the cyclical nature San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

CSSM Vol. 8, No. S1, 2019

Supplemental for https://doi.org/10.1123/CSSM.2018-0034
© 2019 Human Kinetics

Supplementary Material 1

Exhibit A: Organizational Chart

Supplemental for https://doi.org/10.1123/CSSM.2018-0034
© 2019 Human Kinetics

Supplementary Material 2
Exhibit B: Team Records

Men's Basketball Women's Basketball Football Men's Hockey Women's Hockey Men's Soccer Women's Soccer
Year Win Loss Win Loss Win Loss Win Loss Win Loss Win Loss Tie Win Loss Tie
2017 - 18 22* 12 20* 15 5* 3 15* 13 14* 10 5 10 4 9* 4 6
2016 - 17 19* 15 14 17 2 6 12 16 13 13 5 11 3 8 6 8
2015 - 16 20* 15 20* 14 2 6 15* 12 12 12 4 14 3 11* 4 7
2014 - 15 16 20 15 16 3 5 12 16 15* 9 7 7 8 9 9 3
2013 - 14 19* 18 22* 16 5* 3 12 18 12 12 8 7 7 7 12 4
2012 - 13 19* 10 19* 17 4* 4 14* 15 15* 11 7* 5 10 2 15 4
2011 - 12 15 12 14 24 4 4 10 18 15* 11 6 8 6 1 16 2
2010 - 11 7 22 16 20 3 5 9 19 14* 13 3 9 8 6 7 7
2009 - 10 10 19 20* 14 2 6 10 18 10 14 7* 3 5 6 6 3
2008 - 09 13 16 22* 12 1 7 13 15 9 15 6 5 4 14† 4 1
Note: Win/Loss records include pre-season/exhibition games versus non-conference teams; thus, the number of games played varies across seasons.

Men's Women's Men’s Women's Men's Women's Men's Women's

Swimming Swimming Track & Field Track & Field Cross Country Cross Country Volleyball Volleyball
OUA U-SPORTS OUA U-SPORTS OUA U-SPORTS OUA U-SPORTS OUA U-SPORTS OUA U-SPORTS
Year Finish Finish Finish Finish Finish Finish Finish Finish Finish Finish Finish Finish Win Loss Win Loss

2017 - 18 1 1 1 1 3 4 2 4 2 7 2 6 22† 11 18* 16

2016 - 17 1 2 2 4 2 3 2 5 3 7 3 10 14* 13 18* 14
2015 - 16 1 1 1 2 3 7 2 4 3 8 4 11 9 20 15* 15
2014 - 15 2 3 2 3 4 6 4 7 4 7 5 12 10 17 14* 18
2013 - 14 1 2 1 1 5 3 3 5 2 12 4 9 17* 13 8 22
2012 - 13 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 6 5 9 5 8 14* 9 4 15
2011 - 12 1 4 1 3 3 5 2 5 4 7 5 8 14* 13 6 12
2010 - 11 1 4 1 2 6 7 2 5 4 6 7 11 15* 15 1 23
2009 - 10 2 7 2 6 4 8 3 7 5 15 4 9 6 25 8 18
2008 - 09 2 7 2 5 5 8 3 5 4 8 6 12 2 22 12 12
* Playoff
† National Champion
Supplemental for https://doi.org/10.1123/CSSM.2018-0034
© 2019 Human Kinetics
Supplementary Material 3
Exhibit C: Competing Values Framework Description

The Competing Values Framework is a well-recognized tool to diagnose the current and desired
culture of an organization and/or units within an organization. The framework consists of two
independent dimensions: (1) a dimension of flexibility versus control, and (2) a dimension of internal
versus external focus. These two dimensions form four quadrants or orientations representing common
types of cultures: collaborative, representing a Clan Culture; creative, representing an Adhocracy Culture;
competitive, representing a Market Culture, and control, representing a Hierarchical Culture. Each of the
four cultural types can be effective; each merely represents a way of “being, seeing, managing, and
organizing” (Cameron & Quinn, n.d., p. 3). Each is described below:

Clan Culture
Organizations with this culture appear in the Collaborate quadrant. They tend to value flexibility
and adaptability, and are internally focused. A Clan culture values employees who are committed to their
unit and the organization, supports employee involvement, and tends to have leaders who build trust and a
sense of family.
Adhocracy Culture
This is a culture that values innovation, change, and growth. It appears in the Create quadrant.
Like clan culture, adhocracy also values flexibility, but unlike clan culture its focus is external to the
organization. This culture has a clear focus on the future and tends to emphasize entrepreneurial mindsets
and activities. Leaders in an adhocracy are expected to create a compelling vision for the future.
Employees in this culture are often change-oriented, which assists the organization to navigate changing
environments.
Market Culture
A Market culture characterizes the Compete quadrant. It is strongly associated with achievement
and aggressive competition. A Market culture is externally focused with an emphasis on control rather
than flexibility. Leaders emphasize goal achievement, competitive strategy, and productivity. If taken to
the extreme, a Market culture can give rise to self-interest and conflict.
Hierarchical Culture
A Hierarchical culture is representative of the Control quadrant. This culture values control over
flexibility, and has an internal rather than external focus. Moreover, this culture tends to be predictable
and values dependability and uniformity. The Hierarchical culture values planning, efficiency, and
compliance. Leaders in this culture support cost cutting, and develop policies and procedures. Taken to
the extreme, this culture can lead to stagnation and overreliance on bureaucratic procedures.

The Competing Values Framework is assessed based on employees’ evaluations of their current
experience in their organization in six areas: the dominant characteristics of the workplace, organizational
leadership, management of employees, organizational glue, strategic emphases, and criteria of success.
Each section has four alternative statements (each consistent with a culture type) across which employees
allocate 100 points according to the degree to which each represents their experience of their
organization. These points are added together to represent the degree to which each employee experiences
each of the culture types within their organization. The scores are then plotted onto radial graphs and
points are connected to form kite shapes. The process is repeated with employees weighting the degree to
which they desire each of the cultures in their organization. These are also plotted on the graph (using a
different color). Detailed instructions for allocating points and creating the graphs can be downloaded at
the site:
(https://www.boomhogeronderwijs.nl/media/8/download_pdf_culture_assessment_workbook.pdf). Group
responses can be graphed using average scores for each culture. The visual representation of the current
and future cultures offers a quick analysis of any gaps in existing and desired cultural elements in an
organization These gaps suggest needs or desires for organizational change. The shape and magnitude of
each quadrant score provides insight into the strength of the cultures.
Supplemental for https://doi.org/10.1123/CSSM.2018-0034
© 2019 Human Kinetics

Supplementary Material 4
Exhibit D: CVF Results

Collaborate Create Control Compete

Current Desired Current Desired Current Desired Current Desired
James Thomas
21.67 24.17 21.67 24.17 20.83 20.83 35.83 30.83
Associate Athletic Director

Julie Evans
30.00 32.50 15.83 14.17 21.67 21.67 32.5 31.67
Administrative Assistant

Victor Landry
Marketing and Sponsorship 25.83 24.17 25.83 32.50 18.33 13.33 30.00 30.00
Manager

Diane Leblanc
Communications and Media 12.50 28.33 11.67 34.17 19.17 17.50 56.67 20.00
Relations

Amelia Young
0.00 30.83 11.67 22.50 23.33 20.83 65.00 25.83
Business Operations

Cheryl Bennett
2.50 43.33 3.33 25.00 20.00 23.33 74.17 8.33
Campus Recreation Manager

Frank Trembley
0.00 15.00 16.67 36.67 13.33 6.67 70.00 41.67
Assistant Equipment Manager

Josh Fortin
21.67 26.67 11.67 20.00 32.50 28.33 34.17 25.00
Interim Facilities Manager

Bill Brown
10.83 19.17 20.00 18.33 17.50 31.67 51.67 30.83
Head Equipment Manager

Jack Gagne
10.00 18.33 14.17 26.67 21.67 36.67 54.17 18.33
Head Groundskeeper

Tony Davis
40.83 41.67 17.50 21.67 17.5 18.33 24.17 18.33
Swimming Coach

Mark Miller
19.17 23.33 24.17 23.33 20.83 25.83 35.83 27.50
Soccer Coach
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