It is not about the problem you face but how you define it: the case of the gentlemen's pact in the Mexican football league
by Rogelio Puente-Díaz
International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing (IJSMM), Vol. 21, No. 5/6, 2021

Abstract: Problem definition is a robust framework to examine leadership from a social constructionist perspective. Problems can be defined as critical, wicked or tame with their respective forms of action. Using the social construction of problem definition as our theoretical framework, we analyse the case of the gentlemen's pact in the Mexican football league. This pact represents an oral agreement between owners not to acquire a player until the selling and the buying teams set a financial compensation for the selling team even though the contract of the desired player has expired. We suggest that the pact represents a pertinent example of how a problem is defined as critical, rather than as a wicked problem, with its respective consequences. We also discuss how this definition legitimises the acceptance of the pact, even though this pact is illegal, unconstitutional, and against the rules set by FIFA regarding the transfers of players.

Online publication date: Mon, 10-Jan-2022

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing (IJSMM):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

    Username:        Password:         

Forgotten your password?


Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com