VOLUME 2 (2013)

Organizational Succession in F1: An Analysis of Bernie Ecclestone ’s Roles as CEO of Formula One Management

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Jennifer L. Ciolfi, University of Ottawa, Jennifer.Ciolfi@gmail.com

Stephen Stuart, Saint Paul University, sstuart@ustpaul.ca

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ABSTRACT

Wasserman (2003) suggests that Founder-CEO succession in organizations involves a transition from a leader to a “professional management” team. This unique and timely qualitative study on Formula One’s 82 year old CEO identifies the roles he undertakes. This archival analysis of online publications, ranging from the 1997 sale of the commercial rights to the start of the 2011 season, is an in-depth examination of his predominant role of negotiator within the organization and the context in which this role is fulfilled. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the current incumbent Bernie Ecclestone would be more effectively succeeded by a professional management team.

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The Utilization of Twitter by Drivers in a Major Racing Series

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Galen Clavio, Indiana University - Bloomington, thermocaster@gmail.com

Patrick Walsh, Indiana University - Bloomington, ptwalsh@indiana.edu

Ryan Vooris, Indiana University - Bloomington, rvooris@indiana.edu

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ABSTRACT

Twitter continues to make significant inroads into sport management, marketing, and communication processes. The usage of Twitter has garnered significant attention in motorsports, with NASCAR's Brad Keselowski receiving considerable attention for Tweeting during the 2012 Daytona 500. Twitter has been studied as a tool through which athletes can communicate directly with fans (Frederick, Lim, Clavio, Pedersen, & Burch, 2013), as well as an appropriate tool for marketing engagement (Schoenstedt & Reau, 2013). This study addresses a vacancy in the existing sport Twitter literature by examining Twitter usage among IndyCar series drivers through qualitative interviews. Drivers were asked a series of questions relating to their Twitter usage, and the responses were analyzed through first cycle and second cycle coding (Saldana, 2009). Several themes for Twitter usage emerged, including foci of authenticity, personal branding, promoted surveillance, and social extension. These findings were then discussed within the context of existing literature on Twitter and sport, and recommendations were made for future study.