J Club Innovation Made by a Professional Manager : A Case Study of Business Crisis and Promotion from J2 to J1 in V-Varen Nagasaki

Abstract

In the J League, the number of clubs having a small business scale is increasing with the age of the league, resulting in a disparity in business scale. There is a certain correlation between the business scale and ranking. In professional sports, the ratio of personnel costs for players to the total cost is large, and the performance (rank) is determined by the ability of the players possessed by the club. It is arguable that the business scale is explained by the management ability of the club (organizational ability) or the ability of the management, and it is also explained in part by the change in rank. V-Varen Nagasaki was pushed to the point of management failure in 2017. Then the founder of a major mail order business took over the management of the tea, which was ranked second in J2, and decided that it would be promoted to J1 in the next year. In this study, we interviewed the president, directors, and captains. V-Varen Nagasaki's management philosophy is Action, Passion and Mission ; having the meaning of thoroughly improving the environment, building relationships of trust with players, and establishing and implementing basic policies. V-Varen Nagasaki overcame the management crisis because of the management of professional managers and the convenience model in J League, which is a business model for controlling and instructing clubs. This study shows that it is important for professional sports clubs, which are public entities, to have a proven professional manager participate in the management of the J club.