The Chronology of Chaos: Organizational Complexity in the Hapo`el Tel-Aviv Football Club

Background: Complexity theory is an interdisciplinary theory that grew out of systems theory. It draws from research in the natural sciences that examines uncertainty and situations out of equilibrium (Cilliers, 2008). The emergence of things is in the focus of the research, while the system cannot be predicted by analyzing each of the component by itself (Goldstein, 2000). At the heart of the complex system simultaneous lie overlapping and conflicting descriptions (Stacey, 2003; Richardson, 2008).

Aim: The current case study examines aspects of organizational complexity in professional football by focusing on the Israeli club of Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Methods: The research is based on qualitative methods, including interpretive analyses of in-depth interviews with key actors in the field of professional football, observations conducted during matches, training sessions and special events as well as interpretive analysis of editorials and interviews published in Israeli press. The research was conducted over a one a half year period during which Amir Cabiri was the owner of the club (2015-2016).

Results: The findings reveal various aspects of organizational complexity in Hapoel Tel Aviv, including a multiplicity of conflictual stakeholders, ambiguity in the structure of ownership, managerial instability and existing paradoxes in the organizational culture of the club. Specifically, the study identifies three paradoxes that exemplify the core of organizational culture and complexity in the club: 1) the mixture of passionate emotions of love and hate; 2) the mixed mentality of a top club associated with inferiority; and 3) the stakeholders’ decisive attitudes regarding the need for improvement, together with their inclination to preserve the status-quo in order to maintain power and personal influence.

Discussion and Conclusions: The current research adds an empiric layer to the narrow academic literature on organizational complexity theory in professional sports, in general, and in football, in particular. This case study suggests that sport organizations that function in a complex environment and consist of inherent components of disorder, need to create an internal order by acknowledging multicolored and organizational variance, fostering mutual tolerance and encouraging transparency in the organization. The case study of Hapoel Tel Aviv emphasizes the risks that arise when lacking these managerial patterns, as well as the need for a professional and experienced managerial team that might lead the club forward in times of crisis.