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Roger Goodell's Discipline: A Case Study

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Since 1972 according to Gallup Survey football has been America's favorite sport to watch, but recently the National Football League has seen a drop in viewership for some reason. The league’s commissioner Roger Goodell has come under great criticism during this same time for his handling of discipline. Goodell’s lack of consistency in the handling of discipline has resulted in low approval ratings and a poor public image. Over time Commissioner Goodell’s inconsistent pattern handling disciplinary issues has resulted in a lack of credibility amongst Americans. This lack of credibility existing amongst both players and fans alike, both searching for some form of consistency. Goodell has a long documented history of inconsistencies in dealing …show more content…

According to the researchers from the Academy of Management Journal “contrary to what one would expect based on the overall levels of fairness, being treated consistently unfairly was less stressful than being treated variably fairly (Matta pg.752).” This study scientifically shows how a leader who is inconstant in their handling of employees creates a much more stressful environment than a consistently unfair leader would. This avoidable stress leads to displeasure amongst employees because they never know what to expect from their superior. Many NFL players feel like they have no idea what to expect from the commissioner when they violate a rule. Players have voiced their displeasures regarding this workplace issue like Mike Mitchell of the Pittsburgh Steelers when discussing punishments in today’s NFL “We can't have a guy where you just hand out discipline how you see fit. There needs to be a set guideline on how we do what we do (Lauletta).” This frustration from Mitchell comes from the workplace stress of not knowing what to expect from his …show more content…

In 2016 a poll done by Public Policy Polling revealed that, “when respondents were asked if they had a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the commissioner — 19 percent thumbs-up, 40 percent thumbs-down, 40 percent not sure (Frager).” These fans just like the players having growing frustrations with commissioner’s work. One of the biggest frustrations they share involve the discrepancies surrounding discipline. People want specific guidelines or at least some pattern of consistency to be able to follow when dealing with these issues. Goodell has failed to establish any form of consistency when it comes to discipline.This has led to an extremely unfavorable view of the commissioner because the fans and players feel like they can not trust and the league since they never know what to expect when discipline is handed down.These results and public opinions should be alarming to the league considering that the commissioner is the highest ranking in the NFL and his behavior patterns may be compromising the integrity of the

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