Why are sports organizations reactive to cultural problems?
Scandals in sports are occurring at an alarming frequency. A quick google news quiery reveals there are no shortage of stories: in the NFL, women staff and executives were promised an improved work-place culture that has fallen short; the Washington Commanders were fined $10 million dollars for having a culture that is “highly unprofessional” including bullying, intimidation, and multiple allegations of sexual harassment of women; and in the NHL it was found the Chicago Blackhawks ignorned a 2010 sexual assault accusation. While these cases are not dissimilar, each instance of malfeasance required each organization to retroactively take actions to correct illicit behavior, pay restitution, and adopt new policies. The question that must be asked is, “how do we shift sports organizations’ from being reactive to proactive?”The allure of winning at all costs sometimes motivates actors within sports organizations to violate industry rules and practices. Dismantling this behavior requires sports organizations and teams to prioritiz