HR Problem in Organization

¶ … National Football League (NFL) is a powerful organization that has become embedded in American culture. The 2013 Super Bowl, the culminating event for the 2012-2013 season, captured more television viewers than any other televised event ever. Professional football is big business that brings billions of dollars in revenues to many different businesses worldwide. The NFL is primarily an entertainment outlet that relies on public opinion and massive sponsorship to maintain its powerful status within the business world.

There are many reasons therefore that the NFL stays conscious of public opinion as the fickle tastes of its consumers may drift if certain expectations are not met. In 2003 the NFL, facing the threat of many potential lawsuits, enacted what has become known as the Rooney Rule. This rule, named after the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers Dan Rooney, mandated that for all coaching and general managing job openings a minority candidate had, at a minimum receive an interview for those positions. Teams that disregarded this rule may be assessed a fine. This program is the NFL's version of affirmative action being played out in a media-promoted business sector that has far reaching implications.

Unfortunately, the Rooney Rule has fallen under much scrutiny since its inception and the threats that caused its formation are again presenting themselves. Minority hiring in the NFL, after a brief bump in the early years of the rule's enforcement, has dropped off and many of the same complaints are beginning to resurface. There is belief amongst minority players, former minority coaches and fans everywhere that the Rooney Rule has not done enough to ensure a level playing field within the NFL's organization.

At a time when public perception dominates business's bottom lines, the NFL's massive success is at risk if this human resources problem is not addressed. Media outlets harping on this issue threaten that the likelihood of sponsorship may fade and the NFL be branded as an organization that demonstrates unfair hiring practices.

2. Proposed Solutions

The current uprising in dissatisfaction regarding minority hiring in the NFL needs to be addressed or the league stands to lose out on its $9 billion revenues it enjoyed last year. A proposal to this problem must include an expansion of the Rooney Rule to include more minority hiring within the league's available coaching jobs. In an organization where 70% of the players are minority, mostly black athletes, it makes sense to come closer to that benchmark for coaching and general managing positions. This past year witnessed the lowest minority hiring rates since the inception of the Rooney Rule and it is time for the NFL to act before an uprising threatens the leagues' sustained success.