Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Of Recreation Management and Youth Leadership'

This study examined executives’ subjective experiences playing golf to identify what they have learned about being leaders from playing the game. Twenty executives were interviewed. Participants reported that golf strongly enhanced their leadership. They reported developing approaches, attitudes, and skills that enhanced their ability to manage themselves, manage others, and react to changing conditions. Participants noted that golf had transformative aspects and that it could be adapted for leader development, team building, and relationship building purposes. Based on these results, it can be concluded that golf is an effective tool for leader development. Leaders are advised to begin playing golf as a means for cultivating their own leadership abilities, and organizations are advised to support their efforts in doing so. Organization development professionals and the golf industry are advised to design innovative offerings using golf as a leader development tool. Additional studies are recommended to confirm these findings.

The purpose of this study is to determine if a league guided sportsmanship program will have an effect on the sportsmanship behaviors of youth sports athletes. The sample will draw from 8-14 year old participants in an 8-week volleyball program in a Southern California School District's youth volleyball program. The study will assess whether there will be measurable change in the sportsmanship behaviors including: respect for the game, rules, opponents, authority, playing fair, leadership and personal conduct.

An observational study methodology will be used with a modified version of the Sportsmanship Observation Sheet. Observers will use the adapted sportsmanship observation sheet to measure the sportsmanship behaviors of the players during the first week of the season. Observations and implementation of the league guided sportsmanship curriculum will take place during the first week of the season. A second day of observations will take place the sixth week of the season and data will be collected and analyzed to examine if the sportsmanship curriculum had an effect on the sportsmanship behaviors of the players, parents, and coaches.

Nigeria is a country blessed with human and natural resources; but, due to the miss-management of her resources, Nigeria is crippled with massive unemployment an issue that continues to exact a considerable toll on its socio-economic prospects. The population that is mostly affected with the situation is the youth, who are unable to secure decent employment and progress in life. The immediate symptoms of the socio-economic situation in the country are evident in the palpable rise in organized crime, armed insurgency, vandalism, terrorism, kidnapping and drug trafficking. Given the abundant natural and human resources that Nigeria possesses, she can attain her full potential and bring development to the citizens by overcoming the following challenges: poor utilization of oil money, bridging the widening gap between the urban rich and the rural poor, and encouraging talented Nigerians to stay in the country. To respond adequately to the challenges, the present leadership style has to change, and a new form of learning and engaging people in leadership is required. The proposed group presented in this

The role of the national park ranger is to protect, conserve, and to provide for the enjoyment of our nation's heritage. Unfortunately, today's rangers are challenged with problems in the organizational leadership of the National Park Service. The agency is currently ranked in the bottom third of federal agencies in workplace health and leadership.

As some of the most visible leaders in the National Park Service, chief park rangers were queried through a descriptive qualitative design. The open-ended survey instrument was designed to answer the following two research questions: "Assuming that formal training in leadership influences successful leadership practice, what are the perceived results and outcomes of this training?" and "What are the factors, other than training, that influence an individual's desired practice of leadership?" A total of 29 chief park rangers of an eligible 51 chief park rangers in the Intermountain Region of the National Park Service responded to the survey conducted in January 2014. Their responses were categorized as to (a) the impact of the agency's training efforts on chief park rangers; (b) the barriers to the practice of leadership as experienced by chief park rangers; and (c) considerations for improvement in the leadership of the National Park Service.

The research concluded that training, although perceived to be limited in availability, was beneficial. However, training absent experience negatively influenced leadership practice. The predominant barriers to the desired practice of leadership were the lack of training, unfavorable organizational culture, and burdensome administrative practices. Although the survey was designed to focus on the issues of empowerment, fairness, senior leadership, and direct supervision, the respondents indicated that the barriers mentioned above were of primary concern rather than problems with these specific issues. The research suggested that the efforts of the National Park Service need to focus on enhancing leadership training program management and on initiating comprehensive reform of leadership practices to include active leadership development, enhanced accountability at all levels, and specific messaging from senior management.

Tourism and Sport
M.S.
This thesis provides a review of after school research with a special focus on selected research methods. It identifies several important methodological issues in the literature which have contributed to a sometimes confusing body of research for after school program coordinators and service staff to interpret. The potential utility of evaluability assessment (EA) in the field of after school program research is discussed, and EA is proposed as a pre-evaluation method to be adapted as the first step in the scientific process for subsequent evaluative research. EA techniques are then applied in the initial phase of a partnership with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation's after school program. Structural and theoretical recommendations are provided, and specific topics for future research initiatives are identified. The incorporation of a specified EA criteria into the evaluative process is recommended, so as to provide timely, relevant, and useful information for both practitioners and academics. This thesis aims to further reduce the disconnect between research and practice in the field of after school, out-of-school-time, and youth recreation research.
Temple University--Theses

In this thesis, in which I use the stand-alone paper format, I employ a Foucauldian lens to examine Alberta’s Future Leaders (AFL), an Aboriginal youth leadership development program. In the first paper, I identify how power relations shape AFL, including its ambitions and struggles towards developing sustainable programming. In the second paper, I examine AFL’s cross-cultural approach to mentorship and the ways in which failing to address issues of culture (re)produces colonial relations of power. Overall, my findings highlight the importance of recognizing and problematizing the power relations at work within Aboriginal youth leadership development initiatives.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A major societal challenge in post-1994 South Africa is that of questionable public leadership and the scarcity of ethical and effective leadership. Coupled with this are high expectations from the public directed at government institutions, which need to respond to the basic needs of citizens, and private business institutions, which need to create and sustain economic activity in an often uncertain environment. These transitional challenges call for outstanding leadership in public and private institutions. However, one can make a justified and evidence-based argument that the state of leadership in South Africa, particularly in the public sector, is not living up to these expectations. Added to this challenge of poor leadership is a youthful population that faces numerous challenges. However, from the youth of today the leaders of tomorrow are to emerge. South Africa and Africa as a whole are experiencing a youth population boom; a phenomenon that has been classified as having the potential to either be a demographic dividend or a ticking time bomb. In order to promote the development of youths, the South African government has attempted to respond to the multiplicity of challenges facing the youth by instituting the National Youth Act; a National Youth policy; the National Youth Service and a National Youth Development Agency (NYDA). This research submits evidence that the effectiveness of these interventions has not been satisfactory and that they do not include the intentional development of emerging South African leaders. The question, therefore, arises as to whether intentional development of future emerging leaders should not be taking place on a greater scale and in such a manner so as to ensure an improved leadership landscape in the future. This question necessitates exploratory inquiry into the phenomenon of youth leadership development in South Africa and represents the central theme of this research. Non-governmental organizations and university-based institutions have created leadership development programmes that target an emerging leaders' cadre in South Africa. These programmes are structured in different ways, but all have a leadership curriculum with theoretical and practical elements in common. The goal of this research will be to conduct an exploratory analysis of this emerging South African youth leadership development practice and to provide a theoretical and programmatic perspective on it based on an analysis of two case studies. The research is divided into four sequential phases. The first phase consists of a theoretical review of the concepts of leadership and youth leadership development. The second phase analyzes the context and challenges of South Africa’s youth and youth leadership development. The third and fourth phases transpose the theoretical and contextual analysis with youth leadership development practice in South Africa. This is done by means of the analysis of two case studies and the responses gathered from a semi-structured questionnaire answered by a sample population of emerging South African leaders. The cases analyzed are the South Africa Washington International Programme, a non-governmental organization specialising in developing emerging South African leaders, and the Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development of Stellenbosch University. The research showed that the concept of youth leadership development is theoretically underdeveloped, and limited information could be derived from the American literature on college student development. The research also indicated that the scale of youth leadership development in South Africa is relatively small. However, programmes developed and implemented by non-government organizations and tertiary-based institutions suggest an emerging practice of youth leadership development in the country. This emerging practice is not well researched in the South African context. In response, this study succeeds in highlighting a number of knowledge gaps that could address this lack. The research concludes with evidence that suggests that an investment in the professionalization of youth leadership development programmes will result in a future generation of ethical and effective South African leaders that will bring about positive transformational change in the Republic.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Twyfelagtige openbare leierskap en die skaarsheid van etiese en effektiewe leierskap is ’n wesenlike maatskaplike uitdaging in post-1994 Suid-Afrika. Tesame met hierdie het die publiek hoë verwagtinge vanaf die regering, wat nodig het om te reageer op basiese behoeftes van landsburgers, en vanaf ’n sakesektor, wat ekonomiese aktiwiteite moet bewerkstellig in soms volatiele omstandighede. Hierdie oorgangsuitdagings vra vir uitstaande leierskap in openbare en private instellings. ’n Regverdige en bewys-gebaseerde argument kan gemaak word dat die toestand van leierskap in Suid-Afrika, veral in die openbare sektor, nie aan verwagtinge vir goeie leierskap voldoen nie. Bykomend tot hierdie uitdaging van swak leierskap is ’n jong bevolking wat talle uitdagings in die gesig staar. Die jeug van vandag is egter die groepering waaruit toekomstige leiers te voorskyn kom. Suid-Afrika en Afrika in geheel beleef ’n oplewing van jeug populasie en hierdie verskynsel word deur sommige geklassifiseer as ’n moontlike demografiese dividend of ’n tydbom met negatiewe implikasies vir sosio-ekonomiese stabiliteit. Ten einde die jeug te bevorder wend die Suid-Afrikaanse regering pogings aan om te reageer op die verskeidenheid van jeug uitdagings deur die instelling van die Nasionale Jeug Wet, Nasionale Jeug beleid, die Nasionale Jeugdiens en ’n Nasionale Jeugontwikkelingsagentskap. Hierdie navorsing lê bewyse dat die doeltreffendheid van hierdie intervensies nie bevredigend is nie en fokus nie op doelgerigte ontwikkeling van opkomende Suid-Afrikaanse leiers nie. Die vraag ontstaan dus of doelgerigte ontwikkeling van toekomstige opkomende leiers nie op ’n groter skaal en op so ’n wyse moet plaasvind om ’n beter leierskapslandskap in die toekoms te verseker nie? Hierdie vraag skep ’n geleentheid vir ’n verkennende ondersoek na die verskynsel van jeugleierskapsontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika en verteenwoordig die sentrale tema van hierdie navorsing. ’n Beperkte aantal nie-regeringsorganisasies en universiteit-gebaseerde organisasies is geskep om jeugleierskapsontwikkeling programme te bestuur wat gemik is op die ontwikkeling van ’n opkomende leierskader in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie programme is gestruktureer in verskillende maniere, maar het elk ’n leierskapskurrikulum met teoretiese en praktiese elemente in gemeen. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om ’n verkennende analise te doen oor hierdie opkomende Suid-Afrikaanse jeugleierskapsontwikkeling praktyk en om ’n teoretiese en programmatiese perspektief hiervoor te verskaf, gebaseer op ’n ontleding van twee gevallestudies. Die navorsing is verdeel in vier opeenvolgende fases. Die eerste fase bestaan uit ’n teoretiese oorsig van die konsep van leierskap en jeugleierskapsontwikkeling. Die tweede fase ontleed die konteks en uitdagings van Suid-Afrika se jeug en jeugleierskapsontwikkeling. Die derde en vierde fases integreer die teoretiese en kontekstuele analise met jeugleierskapsontwikkeling praktyk in Suid-Afrika. Dit word gedoen deur middel van ontleding van twee gevallestudies en ontleding van terugvoer verkry deur ’n semi-gestruktureerde vraelys wat beantwoord is deur ’n steekproef bevolking van opkomende Suid-Afrikaanse leiers. Die gevalle ontleed is die Suid-Afrikaanse Washington Internasionale Program (SAWIP), ’n nie-regeringsorganisasie wat spesialiseer in die ontwikkeling van opkomende Suid-Afrikaanse leiers, en die Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Instituut vir Studente Leierskapsontwikkeling van die Universiteit Stellenbosch. Die navorsing het getoon dat die konsep van jeugleierskapsontwikkeling teoreties onderontwikkeld is met beperkte studies wat in die Amerikaanse literatuur oor studente-ontwikkeling gevind is. Die navorsing het ook aangedui dat die skaal van jeugleierskapsontwikkeling in Suid-Afrika relatief klein is, hoewel programme wat ontwikkel en geïmplementeer word deur nie-regeringsorganisasies en tersiêr-gebaseerde instellings dui op ’n opkomende praktyk van die jeugleierskapsontwikkeling in die land. Hierdie opkomende praktyk is nie goed bestudeer in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks nie. In reaksie slaag die studie daarin om ’n aantal kennisgapings in hierdie verband te beklemtoon. Die navorsing sluit af met bewyse wat daarop dui dat ’n belegging in die professionalisering en formalisering van jeugleierskapsontwikkeling as ’n praktyk sal lei tot ’n toekomstige generasie van etiese en effektiewe Suid-Afrikaanse leiers wat positiewe transformasie in die Republiek teweeg sal bring.

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between the positive youth development constructs of character and caring with achievement goal orientation and ability level, variables associated with achievement goal theory, in the context of organized American football. A multiple methods-mixed data approach to the research was utilized with self-administered web-based questionnaires and face-to-face interviews in an effort to provide increased understanding of the relationship between these theoretical perspectives. Participants were male adolescents attending an intercollegiate football skills camp. Significant findings included a relationship between increased self-reported ability level and measures of character and support for an interaction between ability level and orthogonal achievement goal orientation on measures of character. Recommendations for the field and future research are included in light of the limitations of the study. This initial examination of the relationship between an emerging theoretical framework in positive youth development and achievement goal theory provides an important first step towards development of an applied and conceptual model for youth development through organized sport.

Denna rapport syftar till att presentera, hur ledare och lärare inom fritidsverksamhet bland barn och ungdomar, anser att ett framgångsrikt arbete kan och bör utformas, samt vilka mekanismer som de anser kan vara av betydelse för resultatet.   Undersökningen är baserad på kvalitativa intervjuer med sex ledare inom fritidsverksamhet - musikskola samt idrotts- och friluftsföreningar - av varierande storlek och omfattning. Undersökningen refererar också till befintlig forskning om föreningsliv såsom fritidsvane-undersökningar, idéprogram samt analyser av föreningsliv och ungdomar.   Resultatet visar bl.a. att social fostran anses vara centralt för ett lyckat arbete och detta ligger också till grund för en stor del av de verksamheter som undersökts. Andra faktorer såsom föräldrar och kompisar har också stark inverkan på resultatet, då de å ena sidan har stor betydelse vid medlemsrekrytering, och å andra sidan bär upp ett pedagogiskt ansvar.   Resultatet visar även att organisationerna delar en gemensam problematik kring ett minskat medlemsantal, främst bland ungdomar i de senare tonåren, där de också tycks sakna strategier för hur man ska kunna nå dessa ungdomar.
The aim of this study is to map out and present how leaders and teachers in extracurricular activities think that their work should be designed for success and what mechanisms they see as significant to the outcome. The investigation is based on qualitative interviews with six leaders in leisure activities such as municipal music school, sports and leisure clubs of varying size and scope. The study also refers to existing research on clubs and societies, for instance, studies on recreational habits, policies and leisure time activities.   The result shows that social education is considered to be central to a sense of job satisfaction and this is also the basis for a great part of the activities studied. Other factors such as parents and friends also have strong influence on the outcome as they play a part in the recruitment as well as the instruction.   The result also shows that the organizations share common concerns regarding membership reduction, particularly in the number of young adults, a category for which they also seem to lack strategies for attracting.

Thesis (MPA (Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Swartland Municipality is situated in the West Coast of the Western Cape Province as one of the thirty municipalities in the province. Swartland Municipality, like other municipalities, is faced with socio-economic challenges such as crime, unemployment and low levels of education. although the unemployment rate is not so high when compared with some of the municipalities in the province, Swartland amongst other challenges is faced with the problem of access to tertiary education. As a result the agricultural sector dominates as the main economic activity. As part of the effort to address some of its socio-economic challenges, Swartland Municipality’s Youth Development programme was established in partnership with Umsobomvu Youth Fund and named Youth Advisory Centre (YAC). It was established mainly to uplift the living conditions of youth in Swartland by assisting them with career guidance advice, CV writing, and to start own businesses. To achieve this two officials were employed, one as Career Guidance Advisor, and the other one as an Outreach Officer. These two officials had the same duties but the Outreach Officer was appointed mainly to bring services to Swartland areas which are far from where the Youth Advisory Centre is located. However, to ensure that the programme achieves its goals, programme evaluation has to be carried out. Programme evaluation assists in determining the programme’s shortcomings and the areas that need improvement. In this study programme evaluation has been carried out to determine if what is planned gets implemented, and the extent to which programme plans are achieved. In doing so, the researcher used the YAC’s plans, reports, Swartland Municipality annual reports and held semistructured interviews with two senior officials of Swartland Municipality who are involved in the YAC and with the two appointed YAC officials mentioned above. These data collection instruments provided the researcher with the information on what the YAC planned and what it achieved from July 2006 to April 2009. The researcher analysed this data and found that not all YAC plans and reports were available and some contradictions existed in targets between YAC plans, the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between Swartland Municipality and Umsobomvu, and Swartland Municipality’s Annual reports. Despite these findings, it was found that the YAC plans correspond with the YAC results reported; therefore the YAC has been implementing its plans. Although the YAC did not meet all of its targets, the difference between the planned outputs and achieve outputs was not big. On the basis of these findings, the researcher recommended that there should be an integrated planning process to set up YAC’s performance standards and the YAC has to improve its performance in most of its key outputs, especially in supporting the youth in business development and opportunities.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Swartland Munisipaliteit is aan die Weskus van die Wes-Kaap Provinsie as een van die dertig munisipaliteite in die provinsie. Soos ander munisipaliteite, staar Swartland Munisipaliteit sosio-ekonomiese uitdagings soos misdaad, werkloosheid en lae vlakke van opvoeding in die gesig. Swartland staar, onder andere, die uitdaging van toegang tot tersiêre opvoeding in die gesig, alhoewel die werkloosheidsyfer nie so hoog is as dit met dié van ander munisipaliteite in die provinsie vergelyk word nie. Gebrek aan toegang tot tersiêre opvoeding veroorsaak dat die landbousektor oorheers as die hoof ekonomiese aktiwiteit wat die meeste van die mense in die Swartland gebied in diens neem. Swartland munisipaliteit se Jeugontwikkelingsprogram is in samewerking met die Umsobomvu Jeugfonds as deel van die inisiatief om van die sosio-ekonomiese uitdagings aan te spreek gestig en die Jeug Raadgewende Sentrum (JRS) het tot stand gekom. Dit is hoofsaaklike gestig om die lewensomstandighede van die jeug in Swartland te verbeter deur hulle by te staan met loopbaanvoorligting, die skryf van CV’s en om hul eie besighede op die been te bring. Twee beamptes is aangestel om hierdie doelwit te bereik, een as Loopbaan Voorligting Raadgewer en die ander as Uitreikbeampte. Hierdie twee beamptes het dieselfde pligte, maar die uitreikbeampte is hoofsaaklik aangestel om dienste wat ver vanaf die Jeug Raadgewende Sentrum geleë is, nader aan die Swartland areas te bring. ’n Evaluasie moet uitgevoer word om te verseker dat die program sy doelwitte bereik. Programevaluering het ten doel om die program se tekortkominge en die areas vir verbetering te bepaal. Programevaluasie is in hierdie studie uitgevoer om te bepaal of dit wat beplan is, geïmplementeer word, en in watter mate die program planne verwesenlik word. Die navorser het gebruik gemaak van JRS planne, verslae en Swartland Munisipaliteit se jaarverslae. Semi-gestruktureede onderhoude is met twee senior beamptes van die Swartland Munisipaliteit wat by die JRS betrokke is, en die bogenoemde aangestelde JRS beamptes gevoer. Hierdie data insameling instrumente het aan die navorser die inligting gegee oor wat die JRS beplan en wat dit vanaf July 2006 Tot April 2009 vermag het. Die navorser het hierdie data ontleed en gevind dat nie alle JRS planne en verslae beskikbaar was nie. Daar was ook teenstrydighede in doelwitte tussen JRS planne, die Oorenkoms Memorandum tussen Swartland Munisipaliteit en Umsobomvu en Swartland Munisipaliteit se Jaarverslae. Ten spyte van hierdie bevindings is daar bevind dat die JRS planne met die JRS resultate soos gerapporteer in die verslae ooreenstem, dus het die JRS hul planne geïmplementeer. Die JRS het egter nie al die doelwitte bereik nie, maar die verskil tussne die beplande en werklike uitsette was nie groot nie. In die lig van hierdie bevindings stel die navorser voor dat daar geïntegreerde beplanning moet wees om die JRS se prestasie standaarde op te trek, en die JRS moet hul prestasie in die meeste van die sleutel uitsette verbeter, veral in die ondersteuning van die jeug in besigheidsontwikkeling en geleenthede.

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of and attitudes toward social networking as a tool for use by NASCAR speedways and to gauge track perceptions on the effectiveness of social media as a marketing tool. Individual NASCAR tracks were surveyed (n=22, 84.6% response) to explore current track social media practices and the potential impact of social networking sites on NASCAR marketing and consumer relations. Results found that individual tracks as well as the two major ownership groups highly agreed about issues concerning the use of social media to increase sales and to develop fan bases. However, they also agree there are other marketing tactics that are still more effective than social media at this time.

Youth sport is acknowledged as an ideal setting for promoting positive youth development. In particular, youth sport participation has been linked to life skills development and psychological well-being. The coaching climate has been proposed to play a role in facilitating such positive outcomes. Nonetheless, few measures exist to examine life skills development through sport and it is unclear how positive youth development may be facilitated by the coach. Using existing and newly developed measures, this thesis examined how the coaching climate is related to life skills development and psychological well-being in youth sport participants. Phase 1 of this programme of research investigated Benson and Saito’s (2001) conceptual framework for youth development theory and research within sport. Study 1 examined a model whereby the coaching climate is related to life skills development (personal and social skills, cognitive skills, goal setting, and initiative); which, in turn, is related to participants’ psychological well-being (self-esteem, positive affect, and satisfaction with life). Data from 202 youth sport participants suggested that an autonomy supportive coaching climate was positively related to all four life skills. Further analysis revealed that the development of personal and social skills mediated the relationships between coach autonomy support and all three indices of psychological well-being. However, the validity of the scale used to measure life skills was brought into question during this study. Therefore, the studies which follow developed and validated a new scale which could accurately assess eight key life skills young people learn through sport. Phase 2 of this programme of research involved developing and validating a scale which measures life skills development through sport. Study 2 outlines the initial development of a scale which would assess whether young people learn the following life skills through sport: teamwork, goal setting, time management, emotional skills, interpersonal communication, social skills, leadership, and problem solving and decision making. This study involved defining each of the eight life skills, deciding what components made up each life skill and developing items which could assess each life skill. The initial item pool was reviewed by 39 academics, with between two and seven experts assessing the items for each of the eight life skills. Using the ratings and comments provided by experts, the first version of the Life Skills Scale for Sport (LSSS) was developed. Study 3 reduced the number of items contained within the LSSS from 144 to 47 items using both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and descriptive statistics. For this task, 338 youth sport participants completed the LSSS. EFA results supported the unidimensional factor structure of each of the eight subscales. Each subscale also displayed adequate internal consistency reliability. Study 4 examined the factor structure of the LSSS using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with an independent sample of 223 youth sport participants. After the removal of four emotional skills items, seven of the eight subscales and the revised 43-item scale displayed adequate model fit. Results supported both the convergent and discriminant validity of the LSSS and each of the eight subscales displayed adequate internal consistency reliability. Study 5 assessed the test-retest reliability of the LSSS with an independent sample of 37 youth sport participants. Each participant completed the scale on two occasions which were two weeks apart. Results revealed that time 1 and time 2 scores were relatively unchanged over this two-week period, providing evidence of test-retest reliability. Phase 3 of this programme of research involved re-testing Benson and Saito’s (2001) framework. Study 6 retested the coaching climate – life skills development – psychological well-being model from Study 1 using the LSSS. Data from 326 youth sport participants suggested that an autonomy supportive coaching climate was positively related to young people learning teamwork, goal setting, time management, emotional skills, interpersonal communication, social skills, leadership, and problem solving and decision making. The total amount of life skills a young person developed through sport was positively related to their self-esteem, positive affect and satisfaction with life. Again, the factor structure and reliability of the scale was supported. The findings from this PhD research suggest that the coaching climate plays an important role in young peoples’ development through sport. Specifically, an autonomy supportive coaching climate was positively related to life skills development and psychological well-being in youth sport participants. This thesis also provides researchers with a valid and reliable measure of life skills development through sport. Future research using the LSSS should examine other factors (e.g., peer relationships) which may promote positive youth development through sport. Additionally, future studies can use the LSSS to examine the efficacy of existing programmes (e.g., the SUPER programme) which teach life skills through sport. Such research will help guide coaches and sports programmes efforts to promote positive youth development through sport.

The purpose of this study is to develop a better understanding of the industry employment intentions of the undergraduate freshmen majoring in tourism and hospitality management, their motivation for choosing these programs, and the relationship between their industry employment intentions and their motivation as well as demographic profiles. The 1140 undergraduate freshmen who were enrolled in the tourism and hospitality management programs at Shanghai's 13 higher educational institutions in the fall of 2013 were recruited to participate in the study. In the pilot study, 244 students among 250 recruited completed the survey developed by the researcher using Self-determination Theory as the theoretic framework. In the formal study, 685 out of 890 students completed the modified survey. Data analysis techniques included descriptive statistics, one-way between-subjects factor ANOVA, and multiple regression. Results of the study showed that: (1) on average, students' motivations for choosing a tourism and hospitality program were slightly above a moderate level of autonomy; (2) students' intentions to find job placements in the tourism and hospitality industry after graduation were at a moderate level; (3) there were significant differences among students majoring in tourism and hospitality management from the three different tiers of higher educational institutions regarding their family SES, motivations for choosing tourism and hospitality programs, and industry employment intentions; (4) among students' demographics, gender, family SES, and tier of higher educational institutions were significant predictors of their industry employment intentions, though only explaining 4.0% of the variance in students' industry employment intentions; (5) degree of autonomy of students' motivation for choosing their academic programs was a significant predictor of their industry employment intentions, explaining 15.3% of the variance in students' industry employment intentions; (6) degree of autonomy of students' motivation in choosing their academic programs was still a significant predictor of their industry employment intentions after controlling for demographics, leading to a 15.2% increase in explained variance; and (7) the degree of autonomy of students' motivation in choosing their academic programs and their demographics combined predicted 19.2% of their industry employment intentions. Implications for researchers, educators, policy makers and industry, as well as recommendations for further study, were discussed.

碩士
國立臺灣師範大學
運動休閒與餐旅管理研究所
103
This research is based on the perspectives of more than 100 E-Commerce Business leaders, and their opinions on the effectiveness to apply recreation in their internal training on leadership and entrepreneurship. Besides stereo types of recreation, this study would also like to offer the business leaders an interesting and effective approach to train their employees. The research conducted semi-structured interviews on top 10 business owners selected by 2014 Alibaba’s BEST E-Commerce Businesses index, who have previously attended recreation camp activities designed by this research, and share with us the successful stories after their experience. This study also looks for other 90 E-Commerce business owners who have also participated in the same activities to answer the questionnaire, using SPSS software running ANOVA to reach a specific conclusion that recreation can help the internal visionary leadership in comparison to other entities when choosing a training program. Research result: after having interviewed business owners, the outcome is very positive and apparent. According to those owners, employees started taking more initiatives and the workplace ambiance transformed into more harmonious atmosphere. To conclude: recreation is an activity which enables team players as well as individuals to enhance their leadership skills. Moreover, it can also help business leaders to retain specific results furthering advance overall competitiveness. Recommendation: recreation is originated in Taiwan which can be customized to inspire different target results of a business entity in spite of its differences from other reputable training programs with standard operation procedures. Since it might better serve the purposes for local companies, therefore, it is better recommended for Taiwanese companies to take this effective and appealing alternative to raise the leadership skills among employees and management level towards building a sustainable, dynamic business.

This study examined youth participants in a structured leisure activity and their perceptions regarding the benefits accrued as a result of participation. 4 male and 12 female youth between the ages of 13-16 participated. Data was collected through focus group discussions and analyzed using a thematic analysis. The perceived benefits of participation and the characteristics of the program that caused this accrual were identified. Perceived benefits included improvement in school marks and self-confidence, increased volunteer participation, and the development of prosocial behaviours, social competencies and cognitive skills. Program characteristics included meaningful and supportive relationships, opportunities to build an identity, and involvement in unique learning opportunities. The study was not generalizable to other programs and focused solely on the benefits of participation; not the negative repercussions. It has implications for program design and implementation, and provides support for the need to develop programs that incorporate a positive youth development philosophy.

While many non-governmental organizations provide leadership training in inter-ethnic conflict management to Kenyan youth, relatively little is known about what goes into such training. This dissertation is a case study illustrating how the training structure operates. The purpose of this dissertation is to address the challenges associated with youth leadership training in inter-ethnic conflict management, how these challenges are managed, what differences the training makes, and how it is transferred back into the real-life of the youth. To better understand these issues, a two-month qualitative study was conducted divided in two phases involving trainers, youth participants, program designers, and community leaders. Twenty two interviews and 2 focus groups were completed. Results demonstrated four communicative challenges involved in the design of youth leadership training were: (1) audience analysis, (2) material resources, (3) participant challenges, and (4) diversity. Results showed that trainers addressed the communicative challenges by using the following management strategies: needs assessment, financial management, stakeholder education, and dialogue facilitation. The analysis suggested that the conditions that facilitate transfer of training were: participatory models, training organization, and trainee motivation. Similarly, conditions that inhibit training transfer included: resource constraints, youth motivation, environmental conditions, and diversity. Finally, results also suggested that the differences that leadership training made in the lives of the youth were: behavioral transformation, participant input, improved peaceful relationships, and skill development. Successfully managing the communicative challenges in the design and implementation of the training were the main goals of trainers, and the more they took ownership of these goals the more likely the training would be successful. This dissertation suggests that managing the communicative challenges associated with the design and conduct of youth leadership training is the first step to ensuring the training transfer for youth participants and achieving a workable leadership training in inter-ethnic conflict management.

abstract: Resettled refugees face numerous challenges including unsafe living conditions, loss of permanent shelter, adjustment to a new culture, loneliness, and separation from family, friends, and community. Of particular importance is the lack of a feeling of sense of community (SOC) within their new surroundings. SOC is not only worthwhile as an outcome of its own, but may also predict additional positive outcomes such as resilience and cultural adjustment. Literature has shown participation in sport can develop youth positively and build social skills, while studies in other regions of the world have also found a sport team setting to be a place for immigrants to experience SOC. In this study, I use a congruent mixed methods approach to both explore the experience of SOC for youth refugees in a soccer club, and examine the relation of SOC to resilience and cultural adjustment. Using photo-elicitation and semi-structured interviews with 11 youth participants, the qualitative portion of the study explored SOC among youth participants. Findings note the presence of SOC as matched to theoretical frameworks both specific to sport, and to a more general theory of SOC. Further data were collected through questionnaires distributed to club members. Results from the quantitative analysis indicate a significant positive relation between SOC and resilience, and SOC and perceived acculturation. This study’s contribution is to illustrate how refugee youth in a sport club in the United States experience SOC, and the impact of that SOC. Results suggest practical implications for sport managers who wish to provide positive sport experiences for youth refugees.
Dissertation/Thesis
Masters Thesis Community Resources and Development 2018

The non governmental organisation (NGO) sector has a lengthy legacy in Malawi going back all the way to the period of colonialism. However, the growth of the sector was restricted in the two key political eras of colonial rule and post independence under the first republic which ended in 1994. The new dispensation of multiparty politics has facilitated the growth of the sector in terms of numbers. However, the local NGO (LNGO) sector has largely remained underdeveloped due to a poor skills base and low funding among others. While the International NGOs (INGOs) have enjoyed better funding with the leverage of foreign social capital, the LNGO sector remains underfunded and vulnerable to manipulation by donors because they have not managed to attain considerable financial autonomy to leverage on. This study has confirmed that although most LNGOs consider sourcing funds from a narrow base, mostly donors, they can tap into various opportunities for revenue generation with creativity and strategic thinking. Malawi has a very enabling legislative framework for NGO funding and this provides room for growth of NGOs in the area of fundraising. However, there is very limited knowledge and capacity among LNGOs in terms of being able to explore alternative sources of funding that are less restrictive in nature. Most NGOs already apply single-loop learning which allows them to monitor pre-set indicators within a certain operational framework. However this type of learning does not allow them to actually ask fundamental questions about the appropriateness of the very operational framework they are using. Additionally, by bringing on board double-loop alongside single-loop learning, the NGOs have an opportunity to develop and apply their operational frameworks while being able to throw them out when necessary. In other words double-loop learning helps them to think outside the box. The dominant existence of single-loop learning in most NGOs has also contributed to inadequacies or absence of strategies to deal effectively with the question of autonomy. Some of the NGOs have potential to generate considerable levels of income from unrestricted sources but have not managed to do so because the prevailing mental models overshadow their ability to think out of the box. The Active Youth Initiative for Social Enhancement (AYISE) as a case study has showcased the potential for innovation in NGO enterprise development. In some instances, the sector line in which an NGO is operating can be a factor in the choice of business enterprises to embark on. In other instances, this may not be the case. For example, AYISE is a youth focused organisation and this means that as it pursues its business objectives, it should not engage in activities that may antagonise what it represents. Business activities such as selling of alcohol or cigarettes are inappropriate for an NGO like AYISE. Furthermore, NGOs such as the Ekocenter of Yugoslavia embarked on organic wine production, as a way of promoting their sector line authority (environment) through showcasing of environmentally friendly crop production processes. This implies that there is also an ethical or moral dimension to fundraising which NGOs must consider. However, other alternatives to fundraising can go across the board, for instance desktop publishing. It is a business activity that can be done across the board although limitations are also possible in terms of content to be published. To reinforce this point, a youth NGO such as AYISE, may not publish posters advertising alcohol while an environmental NGO may not put an embargo on such content. It is therefore fundamental that an NGO should be careful and conscious of what it is planning to do and how its actions would affect its image and values. The corporate world remains largely untapped as a source of funding for LNGOs and yet it has potential to offer funding with fewer strings attached.
Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2009.

Text in German
In dieser Forschungsarbeit wird die Führung von Mitarbeitern, die eine Burnout-Entwicklung erlebten, empirisch-theologisch untersucht, um herauszufinden, ob und welche Führungsprinzipien und -maßnahmen dazu dienen, eine Burnout-Entwicklung zu verhindern oder aufzuhalten. Als Grundlagen werden der Forschungsstand zu Burnout und burnoutpräventivem Führungsverhalten dargestellt und eine biblisch-theologische Betrachtung vorgenommen. Als Schwerpunkt wurden Führungskräfte christlicher Non-Profit-Organisationen interviewt, die dem Ring Missionarischer Jugendbewegungen angehören. Dem Forschungsansatz lagen vier Hypothesen zugrunde, die überprüft werden sollten. Das Ziel der Arbeit ist es, auf Grundlage der Ergebnisse, Führungskräfte in ihrer Personalführungsaufgabe mit dem Schwerpunkt Burnout-Prävention durch Empfehlungen zu unterstützen. Die qualitative Studie will einen Beitrag dazu leisten, dass dem Belastungszustand Burnout seitens der Führungskräfte fachlich kompetente Aufmerksamkeit zukommt und eine burnoutpräventive Führungsarbeit entwickelt wird.
This research investigates aspects of leading employees who have experienced burn-out. The aims of this theoretical and empirical research are to determine whether there are leadership styles that can prevent or stop burn-out and to establish principles to accomplish this. An overview of research to date concerning burnout and preventative measures of leaders is taken as point of departure, also reflecting biblical and theological aspects of these topics. The main research focus is on interviews with leaders from non-profit-organisations that belong to the Ring Missionarischer Jugendbewegungen (a German umbrella organisation for youth mission organisations). Four hypotheses are examined. Based on the results, the research aims to offer support to leaders who have human resource responsibilities and who wish to prevent burnout in their staff. This qualitative study also aims to create appropriate and professional awareness of the topic of burnout and its prevention by leaders and to serve as a basis for the development of a burnout-preventative leadership model.
Systematic Theology & Theological Ethics
M. Th. (Theological Ethics)