Gold Cup: human resources as sources of competitive advantage and superior performance
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EBHRM-10-2017-0052 |
| Published date | 03 December 2018 |
| Date | 03 December 2018 |
| Pages | 242-254 |
| Author | Peter Omondi-Ochieng |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Global HRM |
Gold Cup: human resources as
sources of competitive advantage
and superior performance
Peter Omondi-Ochieng
Department of Kinesiology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette,
Louisiana, USA
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to evaluate the association between human resources
and qualification for the 2017 Gold Cup, and second, to examine if human resources could predict qualification
for the 2017 Gold Cup.
Design/methodology/approach –Guided by four competitive advantage (CA) theories related to the
human resources, the study utilized archival data of 35 male Gold Cup national football teams. The dependent
variable was qualifications for 2017 Gold Cup and the independent variables were football-specific human
capital measured by ranked number of football amateurs, professionals and officials. Statistical analysis was
performed using Kendell τstatistic and binary logistic regression (BLR).
Findings –Qualification for the Gold Cup tournament and all human resources were positively and
statistically associated (officials (0.493, po0.01), amateurs (0.464, po0.01) and professionals (0.624,
po0.01)), and BLR model (Negelkerke R
2
) explained 55.8 percent of the variance of human resources.
Research limitations/implications –The research focused exclusively on football-specific human capital
and not alternative sources of CA such as economy power, political stability and/or national football
popularity amongst others.
Practical implications –Human resources are a valuable source of CA which requires long-term strategy
geared toward training, development and promotion of talent. Superior football team performance is directly
proportional to talented players.
Originality/value –The study was unique in two ways. First, it made clear the positive significance of
human resources as a source of CA. Second, it highlighted the distinction between professional and amateur
footballers –a factor uncommon in similar studies.
Keywords Human resources, Competitive advantage, Football teams, Gold Cup, Performances
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Confederation of North and Central America and Caribbean is the governing body that runs
the Gold Cup football tournament that comprises 35 men’s national football teams.
Although the roots of the tournament were planted earlier, the first Gold Cup tournament
was founded in 1991 and has since evolved, expanding to 12 national men’s teams from 2000
to 2017 (Table I). The tournament has since been dominated by Mexico and the USA.
AsindicatedinTableII,halfofthenations are yet to qualify for the tournament.
Anguilla and US Virgin Islands are yet to qualify while Mexico and the USA have
qualified 13 times since 1991. With a focus on the human resources, this study will attempt
to answer why some nations are more capable at qualifying for the Gold Cup while others
are not.
The paper attempts to analyze whether or not human resources are a source of
competitive advantage (CA) at the Gold Cup? Understanding the sources of CA as the root of
superior performance in organizations is a major area of research in strategic management.
In this study, CA is operationalized as the favorable attribute or position of a national
football team to generate superior performance relative to its competitors. Simply stated,
CA is the condition that makes a national football team better or more successful than
its competitors –as a result of effectively and efficiently matching its unique resources
with opportunities.
Evidence-based HRM: a Global
Forum for Empirical Scholarship
Vol. 6 No. 3, 2018
pp. 242-254
© Emerald PublishingLimited
2049-3983
DOI 10.1108/EBHRM-10-2017-0052
Received 7 October 2017
Revised 26 February 2018
Accepted 8 March 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2049-3983.htm
242
EBHRM
6,3
To continue reading
Request your trial