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This study applies a transformative sport service research approach to examine student-athletes' wellness within a collegiate sport setting. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were completed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the stop of play in Canada (early 2021). Findings denoted wellness was influenced by this time period as well as organizational factors which are within the purview of existing management practices. The study details the service environment to understand physical and mental well-being while taking into consideration the general and organizational environments which influence the student-athletes. Findings demonstrate that eudaimonic-related experiences (e.g., learning, development, relationship) are related to student-athletes' mental well-being. This research underpins the role of education, policies, and communication, which draws several implications for the service environment in a collegiate sport setting and the key stakeholders involved in producing an environment to enhance student-athletes' experience. The paper elaborates on the importance of the service environment and provides evidence of what student-athletes suggest management can change and focus their efforts on towards creating a transformative service environment. Theoretical implications for the transformative service research are put forward, including the co-creative aspects to determine programming which could contribute towards student-athletes wellness. Broader suggestions for change within the sport system and future research are also advanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated how social environmental factors (i.e., supportive behaviors of coaches and parents) are associated with thriving in sport amongst a youth population, influencing important outcomes of sport participation (i.e., intention to continue sport and subjective well-being in sport). Two-wave data was collected within a three-month time span to help determine the relationship of social environmental factors with intention to continue and subjective well-being. One hundred fifty-nine Japanese youth sport participants (Mage = 15.81) completed the questionnaires twice. Autonomy supportiveness of coaches and parents was positively related to thriving three months later. In contrast, only the relationship between autonomy support from coaches and thriving was mediated by the change in basic psychological need satisfaction. Moreover, autonomy support from coaches was related to intention to continue sport and subjective well-being in sport through the changes in basic psychological needs satisfaction and thriving individually and in sequence. The results indicate the importance of both the parent and coach in the role of nurturing the young athletes, while the influence was more robust for coaches. The findings indicate a need for stakeholders to focus on educating and promoting their role in creating supportive environments aimed at increasing retention and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basic psychological needs (BPN) are a construct that helps clarify the psychological mechanism to reach desirable outcomes for youth athletes. When BPN are undermined, people should be less likely to thrive. As mental toughness (MT) can reduce the negative effects of stressors, MT may buffer the negative effects of maladaptive motivation. This study investigated the mediating role of thriving on the relationships between BPN thwarting and important outcomes for youth athletes' positive functioning. It also examined the buffering effects of MT. One hundred eighty-eight Canadian youth athletes (Mage = 15.51) answered an online survey. The results demonstrated that thriving was a significant mediator, and the indirect relationships were moderated by MT. The indirect associations were nonsignificant for youth with high MT. The findings demonstrated that MT might decrease the negative impacts of BPN thwarting on thriving and important outcomes for young athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competing at major sport events represents a significant experience for elite athletes. Research has determined that event services can affect athlete satisfaction, yet little is known about any influence on athlete performances. This study adapted the lens of transformative service research to examine, through survey research, the athletes' perceptions of the impact that the service environment of the Commonwealth Games 2018 on the Gold Coast in Australia had on their satisfaction and subsequent performance. The results from 430 athlete surveys showed the significant relationships between service environment factors and athlete satisfaction and the indirect effects of the service environment on performance, through satisfaction. Thus, satisfaction acts as a mediator between the service environment and athlete performance. The effects of the service environment on athlete satisfaction and performance highlight the areas for future development across the athletes' experience, from accommodations to social activities, that managers and event planners can enhance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the lens of the theory of reasoned action and the framework of attraction, retention, transition, and nurturing of athletes, this study examined how athletes' experiences at the Commonwealth Youth Games contributed to satisfaction with the event, while encouraging transition into higher levels of competition. A total of 244 athletes from 23 different countries who completed a survey helped identify the environment-related aspects that created positive and negative experiences. The participants noted that learning from various social and cultural experiences influenced their event satisfaction and their future intention to remain in high-performance sport. Aspects of the event service environment, including poor accommodation and nutrition, were found to negatively impact performance. This paper contributes to the role of pre-elite events as athletic development agents that aid in talent transition. The results have implications for event organizers and high-performance managers regarding the influence of athletes' experiences on performances and intention to transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated social outcomes of interest regarding the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) and the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) from the perspective of the young athletes competing at the Buenos Aires 2018 YOG. In particular, the process of how the YOG's planned service environment contributes to young athletes' learning is examined using a transformative service research lens and control value theory. An online post-Games survey measured the athletes' perspective on (1) the service environment; (2) enjoyment; (3) learning; and (4) social outcomes of interest. A total of 330 anonymized responses were collected (boys = 130, girls = 200). All service environment-related factors (i.e. service environment outside of sport, service environment in sport venue, and the Learn and Share program) significantly predicted the social outcomes of interest of the YOG through learning (Mediator1) and enjoyment (Mediator2) both individually and in-sequence. For the IOC to create greater social outcomes of interest, athletes' sense of enjoyment and learning must be fostered. Evidence demonstrates that, through athlete enjoyment and learning, the acquisition of social outcomes of interest increases, consequently bolstering the notions advanced in control value theory where positive emotions enhance one's learning. Hence, for the IOC, creating an environment that focuses on the sport competitions as well as on the education and cultural opportunities for athlete exchange is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adopting an integrative literature review approach, this study synthesized sport relationship marketing (SRM) articles to gain insight into how relationship marketing in sport-related studies is presently understood, interpreted, and utilized. Informed by two decades of SRM literature, we synthesized our findings into a conceptual model that presents the systematic dimensions of SRM. This model transforms the theoretical contributions of the field's scholars into actionable insights for both scholars and practitioners' use. The work concludes by identifying specific future research to test and refine the proposed SRM model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Global Sport Management is the property of the Global Alliance of Marketing & Management Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Thriving, "a psychological state composed of the joint experience of vitality and learning (Spreitzer, Sutcliffe, Dutton, Sonenshein, & Grant [2005]. A socially embedded model of thriving at work. Organization Science, 16(5), 537–549.)" might offer further insight into the problem of youth sport development research. The purpose of the study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying thriving within a youth sport context. More specifically, the present study considered the perspective of Self-Determination Theory and in particular, how hedonic and eudaimonic motives, as antecedents of thriving, influenced youth athletes' outcomes (i.e., intention to continue sport, subjective well-being in sport, and goal progress), consequences of thriving. 196 youth sport participants answered an online survey. Path analysis was conducted to test our hypotheses. We used the bias-corrected bootstrap procedure to examine the hypothesised indirect effects. Our results showed that both hedonic and eudaimonic motives were positively related to all outcome variables (intention to continue sport, subjective well-being in sport, and goal progress) through both the basic psychological need satisfaction and thriving. Thriving is an important psychological concept that can facilitate youth athletes to acquire important outcomes for youth sport participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was conducted to examine the interactive effects of basic psychological needs satisfaction (BPNS), hedonic and eudaimonic motives on intrinsic regulation. To assess the causal relationship, two-wave time-lagged data collection was employed. A total of 159 youth athletes in Japan participated in online surveys twice (three-month time lag between two data points). The results indicated that the effect of BPNS on intrinsic regulation was moderated by hedonic and eudaimonic motives. Interestingly, BPNS negatively affected intrinsic regulation among youth athletes with low hedonic motives. This negative impact was further augmented when the level of eudaimonic motives was higher. Conversely, BPNS positively influenced intrinsic regulation among youth athletes with high hedonic motives. This positive impact of BPNS was more prominent when eudaimonic motives were lower. Overall, the findings suggest that when intrinsic regulation is the central concern, youth athletes should focus more on seeking enjoyment while putting self-development aside to maximize the positive impact of BPNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine how the combination of "what" (e.g., mastery- and performance-avoidance goals) and "why" (e.g., external regulation) are related to sport participant's goal attainment. To examine this phenomenon, we used achievement goal theory (AGT) and self-determination theory (SDT). Past research has shown that avoidance goals generally are associated with negative outcomes. In this study, we hypothesized that avoidance goals would positively generate goal attainment through the pathway of effort. Moreover, the indirect association would be moderated by the level of external regulation. Method: Based on a sample of sport participants (N = 390), mediation and moderated mediation analyses were used to test the hypotheses. Result: Both mastery- and performance-avoidance goals were positively related to goal attainment through effort. These relationships were moderated at the value of high and moderate levels of external regulation. Conclusions: The results suggest that, in contrast to the general assumption, avoidance goals are not always detrimental. Rather, the research showed that the combination of avoidance goals and external regulation would be positively associated with goal attainment. This may be the reason that coaches' controlling behaviors (e.g., punishment or reward) are commonly utilized, and some people believe that external regulation is effective in sport. However, the relationships should be carefully interpreted because the associations should not last long and may be an unhealthy way to improve athletes' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The criticisms put forward against economic impact studies lead to a key question: "Is it possible to measure the impact of sporting properties and events in a holistic, conservative, and reliable way?" This research endeavors to build on the academic literature to add to the scope and rigor of economic impact research by proposing an impact assessment process model for practitioners that facilitates employment of a holistic, conservative and reliable impact study and seeks to address these concerns. Design/methodology/approach: Using seven identified key realities that highlight the challenges facing impact studies, and adopting a collaborative self-ethnographic methodological approach, the work highlights lessons learned from four empirical economic impact studies undertaken by the authors over a five-year period. Findings: The study provides a broad view of impact studies, which extend beyond financial implications and provides a more inclusive methodology. Particularly, the proposed impact assessment process model seeks to improve the credibility of impact studies by facilitating a holistic approach that incorporates direct, indirect and intangible impacts. Research limitations/implications: The proposed model has value to researchers and is designed to improve the overall credibility of economic impact methodology. It also provides a more accurate measure of direct impact while considering intangible and indirect impacts, including social/community impacts. Practical implications: The proposed model has value to and practitioners and is designed to improve the overall credibility of economic impact methodology. It also provides a more accurate measure of direct impact while considering intangible and indirect impacts, including social/community impacts. Originality/value: The proposed process model to measure the impact of a sports event is a needed element in the world of funding, managing and implementing events of all sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adopted an organizational culture perspective to examine the values and beliefs within fitness club operations and determine their influence on employees' job satisfaction and intention to leave an organization. Consideration was also given to subcultures based on geographical location, organizational type, and job function to examine the ways in which organizations and employees may differ. Data were collected at three urban cities in Canada during a major fitness conference and tradeshow. The results from 438 employees confirmed the multidimensionality of the seven-factor instrument, in addition to illustrating the influence on job satisfaction and intention to leave. Further, the results revealed several dimensions were perceieved differently with respect to subculture. Findings connote the transient nature of jobs in the fitness industry which remains an immediate concern for managers in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many factors are associated with a person's attitude formation and intention toward a behavior. In this study, we examined the planned organizational service environment factors that helped form young athletes' attitudes regarding their future involvement in high-performance sport. Through a survey design that included quantitative and qualitative questions, data was collected from 207 young pre-elite athletes who competed during the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in The Bahamas. Several service environment factors contributed to young athletes' satisfaction with the event including their accommodations, nutrition, available information regarding their sport, and finally, the social and cultural activities experienced during games-time. However, satisfaction with the service environment was not predictive of young athletes' future intentions to remain in sport. Qualitative thematic coding denoted two key themes related to athlete's plans to continue in high-performance sport: level of enjoyment and learning. Further, results revealed five main impediments to continuing in high-performance sport: physiological, psychological, performance, environmental, and life concerns. This paper contributes to our understanding of the service environment factors that influence young athletes in a multi-sport international event and provides evidence of important aspects involved in athletes' attitude formation and intentions to remain in the high-performance sport system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the author's insights regarding the creation of an anti-hazing environment in sports and entertainment. Topics include the Speak Out program by Canadian governing body for hockey Hockey Canada to increase awareness of abuses, persistence of hazing in North American culture, and guidelines from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for hazing prevention and positive team building.

Research question:This paper examined the impact of participation in YOG on Norwegian team members with a particular emphasis on differences between those who continued in elite sport and those that dropped out. Research methods:We used a retrospective survey design to collect quantitative and qualitative data from former Norwegian YOG participants (from 2010, 2012, and 2014), with 58 of the 64 athletes responding to the survey in December 2015. Results and findings:Ericsson, Krampe, and Tesch-Roemer’s [(1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance.Psychological Review,100(3), 363–406] typology of constraints and their concept of deliberative practice provided the framework for the data analysis. Key findings include: (a) the dropout rate was lower than that reported for similar groups; (b) the main reasons for dropout were school pressures and poor relations with the coach; (c) there was little difference in the perceived level of support from schools, parents and coaches between those who dropped out and those who did not; (d) participation in the YOG was a significant motivating factor for staying in elite-level sport for some athletes; (e) medal winners were as likely to dropout as non-medal winners; and (f) the national context for elite youth development may play a larger role in deeper engagement in sport than YOG participation. We derive hypotheses/propositions based on our results, which should be tested in future studies. Implications: Our findings suggest the entourage’s support is critical for continued engagement in sport, but is not sufficient for preventing dropout. The national context, in terms of the sport and education systems, must align to ensure young athletes do not need to choose between elite-level sport and school. The national context may play a larger role in deeper engagement in sport than YOG participation/success. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how the National Hockey League (NHL) Ottawa Senators’ Twitter activity influences (if at all) their followers’ activity online, examine whether followers’ Twitter activity level consequently influences their perception of and perceived inclusion within the online central fan group that surrounds the Senators, assess whether membership can potentially influence followers’ enrichment of social identity, and investigate if fans’ identity – and thereby commitment to the team – is impacted by their level of Twitter activity.Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a case study method focusing on the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, and collected data through a two-phase approach. In the first phase, a focus group was conducted to obtain breadth and depth, as well as to inform and refine the development of questions to be used in the second phase: survey method. In the second phase, a survey was employed to enrich the explanations and attain deeper and broader understanding regarding the research questions.Findings The results showed that time spent in reading and engaging in tweets are predictive of commitment. This study also showed that it is not strictly an individual’s Twitter activity in relation to the Senators (i.e. replying and retweeting) which dictates their membership within the fan group. Rather, it is a person’s activity level with other Senators community members which determines their membership in the team’s fan nation. Findings also suggest that both the evaluative and emotional components of forming a group are lacking within the Twitter communication. This only furthers the argument as to why the Senators need to engage in dialogue with their followers.Research limitations/implications This was a study of one team over several months of only one season and, therefore, does not take into account a more long-term-oriented strategy to help formulate social identity and team commitment.Originality/value The findings of the study informed us that the only predictor that reflected a significant impact on the construction of a Senators fans’ social identity was the number of minutes an individual spent reading the team’s tweets per day. However, the study also showed that the expansion of the network with other fans is a critical feature of increasing the fan group identity; thus, sport organization’s should play a role in helping to foster further engagement with others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose In a major multi-sport event, the athlete is both a benefactor and producer of organizational activities. Athletes’ centrality makes understanding their satisfaction with the event an important management activity. The purpose of this paper is to examine the lived athletes experience (during the event), so as to provide insight into the important Games facets contributing to their satisfaction and to explore the controllable aspects of the event from an organizer’s perspective that athletes felt made the Games special and memorable.Design/methodology/approach A multi-dimensional instrument (i.e. Athlete Experience Questionnaire) was designed and tested at previous iterations of a major multi-sport event and was employed during Games-time. In total, 813 athletes completed the questionnaire during the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.Findings The findings demonstrated an overall high level of satisfaction with the event. Several important facets contributed to athlete satisfaction including social-, service- and communication-related aspects. Further, athletes reported on the importance of cultural opportunities within their Games experience.Research limitations/implications The paper denotes the importance of the social and cultural interactions and opportunities which lie outside the athletes’ actual competition experience and increase their specialness of the event. Theoretical and practical implications are drawn from the findings relative to the service-dominant logic and service-quality literature within a major multi-sport event Games for the athlete stakeholder.Originality/value This paper explores how athletes experience the major international multi-sport event environment. Moreover, this paper offers a significant contribution from a hard-to-reach population (i.e. elite-level international athletes), adopts their perspective of the Games environment and determines what contributes to their satisfaction. As the authors highlight, the paper denotes the importance of the planned social and cultural interactions and opportunities, which lie outside the athlete’s actual competition event experience, to increase athlete satisfaction; in contrast, basic sport competition needs seem to be a “basic” expectation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth sport events have become rather recent line extensions within some of the world’s largest sport event properties such as the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). This paper draws on feedback from 184 young athletes regarding their experiences during the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) in the Isle of Man. The athlete perspective is considered in lieu of some of the stated brand promises of the CGF. Athlete feedback demonstrated that the CYG acts as a conduit to protect important aspects of the brand while adding further potential to enhance other brand assets. Consequently, for the property rights holders to raise the level of quality for youth athletes in particular, management must recognize the value in their feedback and opinion and consider them important co-creators of the brand. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research question:Sport-for-development programs often rely on a community and external-agency partnership. This study explored how the community–external-agency partnership attempted to use a high cost sport of ice-hockey to create sustainable community development outcomes. Research methods: The evolution of the partnership between the external-agency Right To Play and the community of Moose Cree First Nation in the Province of Ontario, Canada is examined. Data included 35 semi-structured interviews from community (n = 26) and external-agency (n = 9) partnership stakeholders, combined with non-participant observations of ice-hockey clinics and organizational document reviews. Results and findings:Findings provide several insights regarding resource acquisition and flow. The study found that the choice of sport is critical to initiate desired community change. Findings also indicated several challenges in program funding, human resource management, and communication highlighting the importance of sustainable resource planning. Implications:The sport of ice-hockey acted as an initial hook to mobilize community members’ interest and gain outside organizations’ resources. The findings denote differences in partner objectives which can complicate the delivery of programming. Sustaining the sport of ice-hockey within the community took on a more traditional sport development outcome. Ultimately, resource availability and acquisition (tangible and intangible) within a sport-for-development partnership must be considered before embarking on a program. Articulating a sustainable strategy where the external agency has a planned withdraw date and the community can independently continue programming if deemed desirable is important. Partnerships mutually benefit when there are clearly stated and communicated objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – The primary purpose of this paper is to explore stakeholder perceptions of an international sport for development program so as to identify some of the management challenges within a strategic management framework. The secondary purpose is to provide recommendations for the focal organization’s leadership based on those stakeholder perceptions. Hence, participants in this study directly experienced the facilitation and implementation of the international sport for development program. Participant viewpoints are expressed in efforts to identify improvement opportunities in the delivery and operations of this sport for development program. Design/methodology/approach – In this qualitative research, a case study design was chosen to produce a detailed account of the Commonwealth Games Association of Canada’s (CGC) International Sport and Development (IDS) program. Interviews were conducted with 24 alumni of the IDS program, five CGC IDS administrators, and ten host IDS organization administrators from African and Caribbean regions. Findings – Findings demonstrated shared perspectives regarding the challenges and various management practices among the three stakeholder groups investigated. In particular, funding and human resource stress was found to be the largest obstacles of maintaining programming and achieving desired outcomes. Several strengths and limitations in the program design, monitoring and evaluation strategy, and program documentation of outcomes were found which can presumably be used to help formulate management strategy moving forward in efforts for continuous improvement. Research limitations/implications – The study does not take into account the stakeholder group of participants whom were deemed to be on the receiving end of the program and not responsible for the delivery and operations of the initiatives which were the focus of the study. Practical implications – Recommendations in lieu of present challenges and objectives are also offered and are based on information from the facilitators and implementers of the principal program of research and the results of the semi-structured interviews. Originality/value – This study examines three different stakeholders that are responsible for the facilitation and implementation of the design, delivery, and daily operations of sport for development projects within an international partnership context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined reasons why people join, maintain, and cancel a fitness membership by following 26 new members to a Canadian fitness centre over a one-year period. Participants were interviewed at three different time points (i.e. new membership purchase, six-month follow-up, and one-year renewal decision). Notable reasons to join included being a role model for children, improving health, and organisation reputation. Reasons to maintain membership included health-related goals, service quality, and organisational culture values. The study found that only 50% renewed their membership after the year. Notable reasons to cancel the membership included the cost, lack of time, interest in other physical activity classes like yoga, outdoor exercise and, most prominently, changes to the family dynamic. The paper discusses the controllable and uncontrollable factors associated with membership maintenance, including service quality, organisational culture, and psychological aspects of the theory of planned behaviour to better understand a person's decision to join, maintain, or cancel membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this case study, students are exposed to the issue of stakeholder management through the lens of the National Football League (NFL), using a contemporary example of ambush marketing and player endorsement deals as the primary context. The case depicts nonfictitious events that involve players and their disdain for league policies regarding donning brands and products that violate exclusivity agreements the league has with other companies. After identifying the origins of the circumstances, the case profiles the three principal stakeholder groups involved (i.e., the players, the ambushed sponsor, and the focal organization) through their respective leaders (i.e., DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL players association, Bob Maresca, president of Bose Corporation, and Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the NFL). Using fictitious commentary, the case culminates with the three actors utilizing the services of a sports consultancy firm as they work together to determine the best course of action. Learning objectives include understanding collegiality in a professional setting, and mitigating conflicting sponsorship strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This research explores what happens when a new sport franchise is granted in a city that has experienced previous franchise failure within the same professional sport league and, in particular, the impact on building the new brand. Through qualitative research with the main stakeholders of the new franchise, this research determines that, while history is an important component to embrace, a new, revised approach that balances both history and a more contemporary sport platform are thought to be significant ingredients towards establishing consumer interest and loyalty within the local marketplace. The findings point to the importance of maintaining semblance to that of colour and star athletes, while demonstrating the impact that a new stadium can have on fan interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain resorts that offer winter sporting opportunities are facing sustainability issues ranging from public criticisms to the deterioration of the natural environment. To gain perspective on the issue of environmental responsibility (ER) in this particular context, a mixed-method study regarding a single mountain resort was undertaken. The first research phase utilized qualitative methods to examine message framing and motivations for communicating ER to consumers. Findings demonstrate that framing ER was strategically motivated albeit marginally performed. The second research phase employed a scale development approach to investigate the revealed ER effects on consumer attitudes and expectations. Results demonstrated that consumers held moderate levels of environmental awareness and that their behavioral intentions were mildly impacted by the organizations ER initiatives. Overall, the study demonstrated that for organizational employees, framing environmental messages caused dissonance but consumers were influenced by the ER activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to examine one primary stakeholder (i.e. athletes) and how they experienced the mega-sport event environment of the XIX Commonwealth Games in the developing nation of India and the city of Delhi. A further objective was to identify key factors of the Games outside of athletic performance that shaped athletes' experiences. Design/methodology/approach – A multi-dimensional instrument was created with an expert panel of Commonwealth Games Federation board members and sport management academics to examine athletes' experiences. Data was collected after the start of competition up until three weeks after the completion of the Games. Findings – Overall, the athletes had a positive experience. Factors such as ceremonies (e.g. opening), ancillary areas (e.g. fitness facility) and sport venues (e.g. environment) in particular were rated by the athletes as positive. Certain aspects of the Games were identified as requiring improvements such as accommodations (e.g. housekeeping, laundry) and communication (e.g. wireless availability). Further, despite high scores for security, athletes also reported feeling uneasy about additional travel outside the athletes' village. Practical implications – Enhanced opportunities to experience the city outside the athletes' village, increased merchandising opportunities, and holding the opening ceremonies further in advance of the start of competition were suggested by athletes. Originality/value – The study was the first known study to empirically examine athletes' experiences with a mega-sport event such as the Commonwealth Games. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the type of sponsors fit for sport events based on the perspective of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) volunteers. It has been concluded that non-alcoholic beverages and other healthier products were considered more favorable than alcohol and tobacco as sponsors of sport events. More than half of the respondents believe that there is no connection between sports and unhealthy products.

This study examined the perceptions, opinions and behaviour of mixed martial arts spectators during a sanctioned live amateur fight card. This paper contributes demographic and psychographic information which can be used to describe spectators of this popular sport in North America. Social interaction was found to be the most important aspect regarding a spectator's intention to return to future events. Spectators perceived entertainment and drama to be evident during the event, and were divided as to whether age restrictions should be in place to attend live events and their opinions on the violent nature of the sport. The authors discuss these findings and others relative to positioning the brand within this controversial sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the development of a conceptual framework of organizational culture within the Canadian fitness industry. The author elaborates on the 11 cultural dimensions that emerged from the study which include member organizational presence, member success and connectedness, among others. The author explains that the common organizational culture dimensions that exist within the Canadian fitness industry are predictive of organizational success.

Understanding how to be competitive within the fitness industry requires a fundamental awareness of the service environment at the club level. To date, research on the fitness industry has placed considerable focus on the notion of service quality, particularly such elements as equipment, programmes, facilities and ancillary services, and its role in client satisfaction and retention. Recent research suggests that an organization's culture - the values, beliefs and assumptions that reflect how things are done within an organization - may be perceived outside the organization as well. The objective of the study was to examine the relationships between what have thus far been identified as key service elements for fitness organizations, organizational culture values, and the attitudes and intentions of client members from one private fitness company operating in Canada. Findings showed that both the service elements and the corporate values were significantly associated with members' satisfaction and intentions to stay. The findings suggest that what has typically been conceptualized as the service environment of fitness clubs should be revised to include organizational culture elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding “how things are done around here” is an integral part of managing any organization. Organizational culture may impact the attitudes and behaviour of members, and the performance of the organization as a whole. Thus, the indoctrination of positive values, that become widely understood, is the likely intention of the organization's leaders. This study examined leader intentions and employee perceptions of organizational culture, as well as the existence of distinct subcultures, and the further influence of subculture on staff behaviour (intent to leave) and organizational performance (profit margin, client retention). Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to describe the specific culture of the focal organization. The study revealed a significant culture gap between the leaders’ intentions and employee perceptions, and the existence of subcultures by organizational level (head office versus club). The strength of the respective subcultures was inversely associated with employee intentions to leave the organization, however club subculture had little association with performance in terms of profit margin or client retention rates. The findings suggest that culture has a more direct influence on employees and a less direct influence, if any, on organizational performance. The results extend our understanding of the nature and influence of organizational culture and subcultures, and have implications for their management within the focal organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]