Culture in the NBA

1. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
OF THE NBA
CHARLES BAILEY

2. ARTICLE KEY FACTS
• ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IS DEFINED BY WHAT EACH INDIVIDUAL MEMBER CONTRIBUTES TO
AN ORGANIZATION.
• MATERIALISTIC ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE FOCUSES ON THE DRESS, ENVIRONMENT, AND JOB
DESCRIPTIONS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
• STUDIES FROM THE INTEGRATION PERSPECTIVE ASSUME THAT ALL MEMBERS IN AN
ORGANIZATION SHARE ONE CONSENSUS OF CULTURE, AND THERE IS CLARITY SURROUNDING
THIS CONSENSUS.

3. WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE?
• A SYSTEM OF SHARED ASSUMPTIONS, VALUES,
AND BELIEFS, WHICH GOVERNS HOW PEOPLE
BEHAVE IN ORGANIZATIONS. THESE SHARED
VALUES HAVE A STRONG INFLUENCE ON THE
PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION AND DICTATE
HOW THEY DRESS, ACT, AND PERFORM THEIR
JOBS. EVERY ORGANIZATION DEVELOPS AND
MAINTAINS A UNIQUE CULTURE, WHICH PROVIDES
GUIDELINES AND BOUNDARIES FOR THE
BEHAVIOR OF THE MEMBERS OF THE
ORGANIZATION.
• ARISTOTLE SAID “WE ARE WHAT WE REPEATEDLY
DO.” WE LEARN THE CULTURES OF OUR
ORGANIZATIONS BY THE REPEATED HABITS OR
BEHAVIORS WE DO EACH DAY.

4. FACTS
• BEHAVIORAL NORMS WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION ARE REFLECTIVE OF THAT ORGANIZATION’S
CULTURE, OR ITS VALUES AND ASSUMPTIONS, AND MAY HAVE A HEAVY IMPACT ON AN
ORGANIZATIONS PERFORMANCE.
• A CULTURE TAKES SHAPE FROM BOTH THE ASSUMPTIONS AND THEORIES OF THE FOUNDER AS WELL
AS THE ORGANIZATION’S COLLECTIVE LESSONS FROM ITS OWN UNIQUE EXPERIENCE.
• DUE TO THE COMPELLING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A HEALTHY ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND
STRONG PERFORMANCE, THE LACK OF SUCCESS OF A PROFESSIONAL SPORT TEAM CAN BE
SYMPTOMATIC OF A LARGER PROBLEM WITHIN THAT ORGANIZATION’S CULTURE.
• THE CONCEPT OF ADAPTABILITY AND AN OPENNESS TO CHANGE IS CRITICAL FOR CONTINUED
ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS AND HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE DIRECTLY CORRELATED TO
ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE.

5. FACTS
• WHEN YOU ASSESS THE PERFORMANCE POTENTIAL OF AN ORGANIZATION, YOU HAVE TO START
AND END WITH THE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE.

6. WHY
• TO ASSESS THE PERFORMANCE OF A ORGANIZATION YOU HAVE TO START AND END WITH
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
• ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IS A CRITICAL PIECE TO HELP THE FLOW OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL
ENVIRONMENT
• ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE HELPS WITH THE ABILITY TO FACILITATE TEAM PERFORMANCE,
MAXIMIZE PERSONAL STRENGTHS AND QUALIFICATIONS, AND STIMULATE THE STRATEGIC
CONCEPTS OF GIVING.

7. THE 10 BUILDING BLOCKS OF A STRONG CULTURE
• COMMITMENT (TO A HIGHER CAUSE, PURPOSE, OTHER)
• RESPONSIBILITY (ACCEPT YOUR ROLE)
• ACCOUNTABILITY (GIVE AND TAKE CRITIQUE)
• INTEGRITY (GAP BETWEEN SAY AND DO)
• RESPECT (GAME, OPPONENT, SELF, COACH, TEAM)
• TRUST (SELF, OTHERS, COACH)
• LEADERSHIP (EVERYONE'S WORK)
• COURAGE/COMPASSION - TWINS (GIVE)
• SERVICE (SACRIFICE/SUFFERING)
• HUMILITY (OTHERS GET CREDIT, GRATITUDE AND THANKFULNESS)

8. 5 WAYS TO PROMOTE A GIVING NBA CORPORATE
CULTURE ALL YEAR LONG
• 1. GIVE YOUR ATTENTION.
• 2. GIVE INSIGHT.
• 3. GIVE INFORMATION.
• 4. GIVE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
• 5. GIVE ENJOYMENT.

9. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ALLOWS THE NBA TO
DO A LOT OF CHARITY WORK FOR COMMUNITIES
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10. BUILDING THE TEAM CULTURE
• BUILDING TEAM CULTURE FROM ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ENABLES A NBA TEAM TO DEFINE
AND ESTABLISH THE CULTURE NEEDED FOR THE CULTURE NEEDED FOR TOP PERFORMANCE AND
REWARDING RELATIONSHIPS.
• THROUGH TEAM BUILDING NBA TEAMS ARE FACED WITH TEAM CHALLENGES.

11. TEAM BUILDING FACTORS
• GOAL SETTING
• PLANNING
• COMMUNICATION
• COOPERATION
• (APPROPRIATE) RISK TAKING
• SHARED LEADERSHIP
• TRUST
• FEEDBACK
• CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

12. BENEFITS OF TEAM BUILDING CULTURE
• TEAMS WHO EXPERIENCE THE BUILDING THE TEAM CULTURE WORK IN A MORE FOCUSED AND
COORDINATED MANNER ON ACHIEVING THEIR WORK GOALS, PRECISELY BECAUSE THEY HAVE
ALREADY CLARIFIED HOW THEY WILL WORK TOGETHER, HOW THEY WILL COMMUNICATE, HOW
THEY WILL EACH INFLUENCE DECISIONS, AND HOW THEY WILL SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER. TEAM
MEMBERS TRUST ONE ANOTHER MORE, RELEASING MORE ENERGY TOWARDS THE TASK AT
HAND.

13. SIXERS BUILDING NEW CULTURE FROM THE BOTTOM
UP

14. 2015 NBA CHAMPIONS GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

15. 5 LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE NBA CHAMPION
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
• 1. LISTEN TO YOUR EMPLOYEES. ALL OF THEM.
• 2. MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEST FOR THE TEAM. NOT THE INDIVIDUAL.
• 3. KEEP CONFIDENT.
• 4. DON'T FORGET TO HAVE FUN.
• 5. SET THE BAR HIGH.

16. WHERE
• CREATING A GIVING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT
FOR TEAMS TO FUNCTION PRODUCTIVELY.
• WITH GREAT ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IT TURNS INTO TEAM CULTURE AND ALLOWS BOTH
INDIVIDUALS FROM THE TEAM AND SUPERVISION TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR BEST TALENTS AND
FUNCTION SYNERGISTICALLY AS A UNIT TO ACHIEVE COMMON GOALS.

17. FUTURE RESEARCH IDEAS
• NBA LEADERSHIP AND BUILDING A CULTURE OF SUCCESS IN A ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE.
• NBA ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE LEAGUE TRAINING.
• NBA PLAYER ASSOCIATION ORGANIZATIONAL COUTURE WORKSHOPS

18. QUESTIONS
• WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN AN ORGANIZATION?
• WHERE DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE OF THE NBA’S ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE?
• WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES FACED BY THE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE OF THE NBA?
• HOW IS THE PERFORMANCE OF OTHERS SHAPED BY ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE?

19. REFERENCES
FRONTIERA. J. (2010).LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE TRANSFORMATION IN
PROFESSIONAL SPORT. JOURNAL OF LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES. (2010). 17(1) 71–
86.
WATKINS, M., (2013). WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE? AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE?
HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW.
WWW.WAYSOFCHAMPIONS.COM
WWW.TRIPLEPUNDIT.COM
WWW.NBA ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE.COM

20. VIDEO