News
Birmingham City crisis could see players perform better on the pitch
10/04/08
The reaction of staff, players and fans to the arrest of two of Birmingham City’s highest profile board members could create better results on the pitch, according to Professor Michael West, a work and organisational psychologist and head of Aston Business School in Birmingham.
He suggested a siege mentality could kick in that bonds members of the team, the club staff and the loyal supporters even closer together.
“I would expect that the news will create anxiety among the management team. When you have an investigation involving key people in any organisation it will cause concern. The important thing to minimise any negative effects in the organisation is to be open with the management team, and to let them know what is happening. This will lead to a much stronger sense of team identity and team cohesion.
“The same could happen with the players, because what you typically see with a team under external threat like this is that they pull together and become stronger. And the fans will stick together and support the club by being even more supportive than they normally would be.
“This could make the players much more loyal, much more cohesive and work harder for the team. Naturally a harder working team means better results. In team situations like this, there’s a real sense of ‘siege mentality’, supporting the club, supporting the ‘tribe’ as it were so I think that it could be a very big boost so long as the key people are open and transparent and let everybody know what’s going on and build a sense of trust.
“The key issue for the club is to give as much clear information as possible and to call upon the fans to give extra support.”
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