Management Issue at Arsenal: Weak Organizational Culture

MANAGEMENT ISSUE AT ARSENAL
Student’s Name
Course
Professor
Due Date
1.0 Introduction
In the following essay, the absence of a strong organizational culture will be analysed as the leading cause of leadership failure at Arsenal, leading to organizational instability. Through the analysis of the weak organizational culture, it will be possible to understand the negative effects of the absence of a strong organizational culture. Following the analysis of organizational culture and resulting criticism, the paper will propose theory-informed approaches that can be implemented to strengthen the organizational culture at Arsenal and minimize disruption caused by the leadership change. Media promotion that seeks to popularize and embed the “Arsenal Way” in internal and external stakeholders can strengthen the organizational culture at Arsenal football club and make it easy for the club to attain the organizational culture required to drive performance.
2.0 Background and Culture
Arsenal Football Club, also known as Arsenal, The Gunners, or simply Arsenal, is a professional football club based in Holloway, London, England. The club was founded in 1886 by a group of workers at the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory in southeast London, and the team played its first match in December of that year. It was incorporated on the 26th of April 1910 (Arsenal 2017). In the early years, Arsenal struggled on the field and off, experiencing financial difficulties and changes in ownership. But by the 1910s, the club had begun to establish itself as a competitive team in the English league, and in 1913 they moved to their current home ground, the Emirates Stadium.
Throughout the 20th century, Arsenal enjoyed periods of success and failure, but the most successful era was under the management of George Graham and later Arsène Wenger. Under the direction of Graham and Wenger, Arsenal won multiple English league titles, including several Premier League titles, as well as several domestic and European cup competitions (Church and Penny 2013). They also developed a reputation for playing a fast-paced, attacking style of football known as "the Arsenal way".
Arsenal football club's organizational culture can be described in terms of 3 main core values which are “always move forward,” “be together,” and “actions that matter.” The phrase "Always Forward" is a slogan that is often associated with the Arsenal Football Club that represents the club's ambition, drive, and commitment to progress and excellence. For Arsenal, the slogan "Always Forward" is a reminder to the team, the staff, and the supporters that despite the challenges and setbacks, the team always looks to move forward, to improve, to innovate, and to be the best they can be (Pat 2020). It's a representation of the mentality of not dwelling on past failures and instead to keep moving forward toward a better future. It could be a symbol of not being satisfied with the current state, and working to improve it, and it could also be a representation of the desire to never give up, always pushing and striving to be the best they can be and win titles.
The phrase "Be Together" is a reminder to the team, the staff, and th...