ORGANIZATIONAL SILOS WITHIN NCAA DIVISON I ATHLETIC DEPARTMENTS

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Creator

Stewart, Robert
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Exercise and Sport Science

Abstract

The use of the term "silos" in business is a metaphor used to describe a situation where different departments do a poor job of communicating and working together, essentially making their job harder. These barriers that are formed can have dangerous consequences to the life of any sizable organization (Lencioni, 2006). Due to this evolution in the industry of intercollegiate athletics, and accompanying growth within athletic organizational charts, it is important to examine how prevalent silos are within athletic departments. This survey of over 400 NCAA Division I athletic department employees revealed that 88% of employees felt that silos existed within their athletic departments. Additionally, the study determined factors that could potentially lead to the formation of silos. The athletic department functional area, the title of executive staff member versus non-executive staff member, if the department was in a BCS conference or non-BCS conference were not found to have a significant impact on the perception of silos. The results of the study will add to literature examining the current state of NCAA Division I athletic departments.

Date of publication