Executive and managerial insights into developing, launching and operating an expansion sport franchise

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to investigate the organisational development processes used by the National Hockey League’s most recent expansion club, the Seattle Kraken, during their launch and early operational phases. This paper specifically focuses on the organisational development processes used by upstart sport franchises during periods of environmental turbulence. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with seven Seattle Kraken executives and managers involved in the organisation’s development, launch and subsequent operations during the franchise’s first several seasons. Participants included individuals from various functional areas. The empirical material was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis to identify key organisational strategies. Findings – Three primary themes were established. In Targeted Talent Acquisition and Development, domain expertise was prioritised over sport-specific experience during personnel decisions. In Organisational Storytelling and Identity Construction, brand ambiguity was allowed to enable stakeholder co-creation of meaning. In Stakeholder Integration and Community Embeddedness, systematic stakeholder research was conducted before developing organisational initiatives. These processes shaped the development of organisational capabilities during the challenges inherent in building a new venture within the institutional framework of big-time professional sport. Originality/value – While scholars have extensively studied brand development among sport organisations, limited attention has been paid to the organisational development processes used during franchise launches. This study contributes to understanding how professional sport organisations build internal capacities during their formative stages, thereby providing insights for practitioners who face similar organisational challenges during team launches, relocations or rebrands.