Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Sports Management|Management'

There are many reasons why smaller businesses should have an environmental management system, but also many difficulties, such as limitations in the time and resources available, and the size of the environmental impacts. How can a small business providing intellectual services make environmental improvements by creating and implementing an environmental management system (EMS)? This report is a case study on how to create an EMS. It was carried out with the management consultancy Radical Sports Management (RSM), a UK registered company based in Chamonix, France. Background studies on EMS, international standards of certifications of EMS, green procurement and carbon offsetting were carried out. With this background knowledge an EMS was developed in association with the company on site in Chamonix, France, and by correspondence. The environmental management system itself included An environmental policy A baseline assessment where the activities were divided into different areas, and their environmental aspects were scored from 1-5 on significance, potential and manageability to separate the more relevant aspects from the not so relevant. The process revealed that the most important environmental aspects were linked to production and handling of waste, transport and development of sports equipment. An investigation of the concerned legislation in France (which handles waste and chemicals) A research of how to decrease the environmental impact of relevant aspects An action plan where the chosen solutions to the environmental problems and the environmental targets were listed together with the methods to implement these and make them functional A monitoring document where the management can rate the progress of the different actions An auditing document to aid in the evaluation of the EMS Recommendations of how to make continuous improvements The following conclusions were made during this project: A small actor is dependent on its partners, suppliers, and other actors around it. It can make a difference by influencing its partners by providing information to open their eyes to existing possibilities and supporting them when they choose to take steps towards environmental solutions. The input from both management and employees is vital to have an organic EMS that evolves with the company. Establishing responsibilities at all levels of the enterprise is an effective method to reach a higher level of involvement, but it is also important that there is a feedback in the system, and lines of communications that are in function. The level of detail, the number and size of improvements to be made, the cost of the improvements and the documentation of the EMS must be kept at a level where it feels manageable to the company. Environmental Management Systems Tove Fritzell For a company such as RSM, that doesn’t have any large costs of material, energy and handling emissions and waste, the primary benefits of the EMS will be competitive advantage, attracting new customers and markets; and improved image towards public, regulators, investors and lenders, which make communication, marketing and advertising essential. Quantification of activities associated to environmental is important to perform a good baseline assessment, achieve better target formulations, monitoring and reviews of environmental performance.

The word talent is becoming more important nowadays in a world where every-thing is getting globalizing. Along this thesis, the authors take a close look to the definition of talent and the role of the talent management theory. It is also mentioned other topics such as knowledge management and human resources management, and how both are connected to talent management through tal-ent itself. This process is mainly structured in three key elements: To find, develop and retain a talent. During the whole process, the concept of leader-ship and leader will be present. The authors use the world of sports as illus-tration to make the talent management and leadership topics more visible to the reader. Several experts were interviewed from different fields and with their knowledge and experiences, Íñigo and Andreas come to the final conclusion where it can be appreciated how business can learn and beneficiate from sports and vice versa.

The aim of this study was to formulate an integrated disease management (IDM) strategy for winter sports turf. (Winter sports turf, or coarse turf, consists primarily of perennial rye grass, Lolium perenne, which is used for football, rugby and hockey pitches because of its wear tolerant characteristics). IDM involves the use of a number of control strategies to suppress disease economically and efficiently. Such strategies incorporate cultural, biological, genetic, legislative and chemical control. In order to formulate a successful disease management strategy, all the significant diseases affecting winter sports turf and the effects of different management strategies on these target pathogens needed to be identified and collated. This was achieved by a comprehensive questionnaire survey to professional football clubs (who require a high level of turf maintenance) and local authorities (moderate/low maintenance). The questionnaire sought information regarding disease, pest and weed incidence, control measures employed and general problems, e. g. drainage, wear and routine management practices. Red thread, Laetisariafiiciformis, and Fusarium patch, Microdochium nivale appeared to be the most ubiquitous diseases on winter sports turf. Some important management practices that suppress red thread can, however, encourage Fusarium patch, e. g. the application of nitrogenous fertiliser. A series of experiments and field trials have been initiated to identify a number of specific factors which manage to effectively suppress both diseases. A field trial involving the use of species mixtures, perennial rye grass and smooth stalked meadow grass (Poa pratensis), illustrated that genetic diversity can help to reduce both red thread and Fusarium patch compared to turf grown in monoculture. The amount Fusarium patch and red thread cover indicated that disease severity was significantly lower in dual species stands as compared to monoculture. A mixture comprising 50% perennial rye grass and 50% smooth stalked meadow grass appeared the most effective at suppressing disease incidence. Similarly, mixtures of three perennial rye grass cultivars appeared more successful at suppressing slight outbreaks of red thread as compared to bi-blends and monoculture. In addition, individual perennial rye grass cultivars also vary in tolerance to red thread. One hundred and ten cultivars, under three different nitrogen regimes were assessedto determine which were the most disease resistant. The cultivars, received artificial football type wear treatment throughout the winter, to determine if red thread incidence predisposes rye grass to be less wear tolerant. The results indicate that a number of cultivars tolerant to red thread throughout the summer were also more resistant to wear. These cultivars included Quickstart, DelDwarf and Brightstar. Wear tolerance was also increased under a moderate nitrogen level (150 kg/ha/yr). Finally, a field trial investigating the effect of nitrogen rate on red thread and Fusarium patch incidence on five different constructions for football pitches was set down. Both diseases appeared to be efficiently suppressed under a moderate/high nitrogen level (N=225 kg/ha/yr). The 'pipe/slit' construction type also appeared to contain both diseases effectively, whilst sustaining a healthy, vigorous sward throughout the Winter when subjected to artificial football-type wear treatment. In addition to the field studies, an investigation to isolate potential microbial antagonists for use as biocontrol agents against Fusarium patch was undertaken; Fusarium patch was identified as the most economically important disease on winter sports turf from the original survey. A number of known antagonists and indigenous fungi and bacteria isolated from the phylloplane and rhizosphere of Lolium perenne were screened in vitro on turfgrass extract agar against Fusarium patch. This in vitro assay identified which species effectively suppressed disease growth. These potential antagonists were further tested in vivo to determine efficacy under field conditions. Fungi from the genus Trichoderma and bacteria from the genera Bacillus and Pseudornonos appeared the most effective antagonists against Fusarium patch in the in vivo study. In all cases where an antagonist was present, Fusarium patch severity was significantly lower than the untreated control, e. g. the indigenous Bacillus sp. reduced disease severity by 76.1 %. The results obtained from the field trials are encouraging and suggest that the use of species/cultivar mixtures, disease tolerant cultivars and a balanced fertiliser regime on a freely-draining construction type can successfully be incorporated into an IDM plan. An IDM strategy will help to effectively suppress both red thread and Fusariurn patch on winter sports turf. Biological control of Fusariurn patch was successful on an experimental basis, although further research is required to identify an appropriate formulation and optimum application technique for successful commercial use. The use of IDM on winter sports turf will help reduce reliance on chemical control, may delay the onset of fungicide resistance and reduce non-target impacts of fungicides. IDM will also help limit the need for potentially hazardous chemicals in recreational areas open to the public.

This comprehensive study of Coastal Aquatic Sports (CAS) has been undertaken because recorded evidence suggests that the growth of CAS is beginning to hinder the interconnectivity of dynamic coastal and estuarine systems. Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and Sustainable Development were selected as the framework for the development of this research. One of the main CAS related areas of concern was first exposed from a pilot study which indicated site saturation is occurring, causing conflict and confliction. Furthermore, evidence suggested that CAS is evolving in isolation from terrestrial sport and social recreational management procedures. Social change and government initiatives have caused an upsurge of participation in CAS. Contributing factors included the redistribution of wealth, new technologies, cultural change, accessibility and the 'sport for all' initiative instigated by the Sports Councils in the 1970s. Further to this CAS economic drivers have become intensely operational and these are stimulating further growth. For instance, the coupling of 'outdoor sport and CAS' to tourism and the outdoor leisure market, as well as the attachment of CAS to the manufacturing and service industries (particularly the fashion industry) have all created the climate for the commercialisation of CAS. The work reported here demonstrates that economic developments are aggravating the sustainable progression of CAS development. For instance, economic drivers encourage cultural division and this impacts upon the social cohesions of CAS. Because of the complexity that exists within CAS, this work examined both grass root and executive management structures that govern it. Evidence indicates that Government legislation and CAS related management initiatives, such as bylaw or self regulation, are inadequate for the current CAS. Compounding this is the emergence of newer technologies that are affecting CAS speeds and manoeuvrability. These developments are clearly out of step with the development of contemporary CAS management programmes and guides for good practice. This study demonstrates that one cause for this is a lack of marine and maritime expertise in CAS related government departments and the low priority given to CAS by local authority. Lack of marine expertise within the management hierarchy has been further aggravated by the blurring of executive management roles and also by numerous barriers to free communication. For instance, the role of National Governing Bodies (NGB) is endorsed by central government to produce Sport Codes of Practice. This NGB role is frustrated because NOB are commercially driven, leading to a high probability that the associated economic drivers and potential internal competition (two NOB claiming responsibility over one CAS) will negatively impact upon the sustainable development of CAS management practices. This study therefore suggests that there has been little progress by central Government towards a clearly defined framework to underpin the sustainable development of CAS and that an overarching CAS/Marine Transport management structure with a clear mechanism for a transparent communication process is lacking. Hence, the work reported here examines a number of solutions generated through systematic qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. In this study it is argued that the implementation of these solutions will contribute to the development of sustainable management practices for multi-use CAS and recreation. The solutions are represented by two distinctive models. The first is based on comparability matrices and recommendations for their implementation into grass-root CAS management structures. The second provides an executive management model that will act as a catalyst for the development of sustainable CAS management practices.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors that influence parents in selecting post-workout team snacks for children playing in an organized basketball program. Additionally, this study investigated parental perception of the current snack environment and explored how parents define “healthy snack.” Parents of children participating in the Orange Coast Optimist’s youth basketball organization were eligible to participate. A survey containing closed and open-ended questions was created to answer research questions. Parents were recruited on site the day of their child’s practice. A total of 99 survey responses were obtained. Commonly identified drivers for snack selectin included: health, convenience, child’s snack preference, and cost. A majority of parents did not wish to see changes made to current team snacks. Parents often stated fruit was an acceptable snack, whereas snacks high in added sugar and/or contained common allergens should never be given.

Excerpt: Hiring innovative employees and promoting an innovative workplace culture is often cited as critical to organizational success (Evangelista & Vezzani, 2010; Rubera & Kirca, 2012; Sapprasert & Clausen, 2012; Walker et al., 2010).

This study determines whether the institutional size has any relationship to institutional concerns for risk management and if institutional size is related to the effectiveness of sound risk management guidelines within collegiate sport club programs. A risk management self assessment instrument consisting of twenty-five sound risk management guidelines and a ranking of the five most important and most difficult to implement was developed. Using the risk management self-assessment instrument, this nation-wide study asked collegiate sport club administrators to assess the extent to which their programs effectively adhere to sound risk management guidelines and to determine what they deem to be the most important and the most difficult risk management concerns to implement. Between institutional population sizes of 0-3000, 3001-10000, 10001- 20000, and 20001-60500, no significant differences were detected in regards to overall effectiveness of risk management guidelines. Six of twenty-five individual statements had significant differences between institutional sizes. These statements' concerns were in regards to equipment, physical examinations, waivers, travel itineraries, site communication accessibility, and manuals. Analysis of the ranking of most important and most difficult concerns to implement indicated there was no significant differences between the institutional sizes in regards to risk management concerns for sport club programs. The most important concerns were: 1) Waivers, 2) Litigation prevention, 3) Facility inspection, 4) Travel-drivers, and 5) Manuals. The most difficult to implement concerns were: 1) Physical examinations, 2) First aid at competitions, 3) Coaching standards, 4) Equipment inspections, and 5) Travel-drivers. With no significant differences between institutional size groupings in either effectiveness or types of concerns, a standard of care regarding risk management appears to be in place across the country.

Författare:

Lars Jennfors

Titel:

Sport Managers, Vad gör de? - En studie kring de arbetsuppgifter som innehas och de kvalifikationer som krävs för att arbeta som sport manager

Innehåll:

Sport Management är ett förhållandevis outforskat område i Sverige. Därmed är det inte alldeles självklart vilka personer som har ett arbete som kan kallas sport manager. Definitionerna som därmed blir av central roll i studien är idrottssektorn, idrottsorganisationer och sport manager. Att ta del av dessa definitioner är viktigt för att kunna ta till sig av det resultat som framkommit.

Syftet med undersökningen är att ta reda på vilka kvalifikationer som krävs på idrottens arbetsmarknad inom yrket sport manager, samt vad en sport manager har för arbetsuppgifter. Detta utforskas genom två skilda men samtidigt kompletterande delstudier.

Detta leder till följande två frågeställningar:

• Vilka kvalifikationer efterfrågas hos den jobbsökande och vilka arbetsuppgifter anger idrottsorganisationerna att den jobbsökande kommer att få i sin managertjänst?

• Vilka arbetsuppgifter och kvalifikationer krävs i det vardagliga arbetet för de personer som har managertjänster inom idrottssektorn?

I delstudie ett har 25 jobbannonser undersökts för att ta reda på vad idrottsorganisationer betonar gällande arbetsuppgifter och kvalifikationer. I delstudie två har intervjuer gjorts med tio sport managers för att få deras bild av vilka arbetsuppgifter man har och vilka kvalifikationer som behövs.

Resultatet från delstudie ett visar att man som sport manager framförallt jobbar med/behöver kvalifikationer inom följande femton områden: planering och organisering, leda, erfarenhet, kunskap kring idrottssektorn, ansvar, personalhantering, ekonomi, utbildning, utveckla, projekt, intresse/engagemang, samarbetsförmåga, kontakter externt, initiativrik och kunna kommunicera.

Resultatet från delstudie två visar att man som sport manager framförallt jobbar med/behöver kvalifikationer inom följande tio områden: ekonomi, personalhantering, externa kontakter, projekt, utveckling, överblick över alla delar, leda, kunskap kring idrottssektorn, utbildning och erfarenhet.

Ingenting från de två studierna motsäger varandra. Båda studierna visar att som sport managers anses det viktigare att ha kunskap kring idrottssektorn än att ha en formell akademisk utbildning. Samtidigt framhävs just generalistkunskapen för sport managers, dock i olika stor omfattning beroende på vilken chefsposition som besitts. Vissa sport managers kan dessutom behöva specifik kunskap inom något område.

Globalization has opened up new markets. Companies have now endless opportunities to expand their business reachwith sportsclubs being no exception. Internationalization in sports has its beginnings with foreign players joining a team and changed in 1995 with the Bosman ruling. After the Bosman ruling, the transfer of international players became easier. Not only can one notice the internationalization of sports teams by the transfer of players but also by the expansion of the sports itself. The NFL plays home games in London, the NBA in Mexico City and FC Bayern Munich has opened subsidiaries in the US and China. Yet, this all seems like the whole sports industry is expanding. However, the influences behind this drive are unclear. The purpose of this thesis is to gain an understanding of internationalization in the sports industry. As the current literature indicates several gaps regarding the internationalization of sports clubs such as the limited view on one sport at the time or the data usage of clubs in their internationalization process, this thesis focuses on offering a broaderpicture. Therefore, the research question formulated for this thesis is:What influences the internationalization in the sports industry?For answering the research questions and fulfill the purpose of this thesis, an inductive approach was selected with a qualitative exploratory research study. By mixing the pur-posive and self-selected sampling, six semi-structured interviews were conductedamong different sports clubs. The findings indicate that there are several different influences in the internationalization process of sports clubs. Leagues and their ambitions are one direct influence. Here, the leagues statutes seem to be guidelines forthe clubs and their perspec-tives on growing. Another influence are the market conditions, where one can distinguish between the home market and foreign market conditions. There are some markets that do not allow much for further grow, as another sport is dominating the industry. For that reason, expanding internationally becomes necessary. Yet, some clubs see more potential on the home market to expand their scope and are thus, not thinking of internationalizing soon. Also influencing the internationalization are partnerships. Partnerships, either new or existing ones, offer the benefit of having knowledge or a business network the club can potentially benefit from. This study contributes to the literature of sports teams’ internationalization by adding the underlying concept of influences in the process. Understanding the influences will not only support the eventual internationalization but also offers the opportunity to unite or-ganizations in their efforts.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In social psychology, social scientists have become interested in explaining social behaviour: how and why individuals become attached and why they pursue on-going close relationships. The investment model was developed that suggests how attachment to a relationship is formed. It has been suggested that the investment model can be applied to a wide variety of interpersonal relationships. In the same way as a relationship is formed between two individuals, the attachment that supporters have to a sports team is also formed. To understand the psychological connection supporters have to a sports team, the Psychological Continuum Model (PCM) was developed. PCM suggests supporters first become aware of a sports team, then supporters may become attracted, this leads to attachment to the sports team and allegiance to the sports team may then occur. Past research has focused on different aspects of the PCM. However, very few studies have yet explained how supporters become attached to a sports team. This study combines the PCM and the investment model to assess how supporters become attached to a sports team. Understanding the psychological connection that supporters have to a sports team was required thus, the Psychological Continuum Model (PCM) was used. How supporters become attached (based on the PCM) to a sports team was further understood by the investment model variables. Thus, the PCM was adapted and applied with the investment model. The study comprised of a 2x2x2 full factorial experimental research design. For the purposes of the study, respondents were first made aware of the sport, fistball. Respondents completed a questionnaire that was used to measure their attraction and attachment to a fistball team. During the interview, respondents were shown one of eight treatments, in the form of a newspaper clip on a poster that was manipulated using the investment model variables. The eight posters comprised of fictitious fistball teams to avoid any bias that may have been formed had another sport been chosen. There were 36 respondents per treatment group, ensuring that respondents could be split between the different levels of supporters. A repeat group was also conducted to ensure the validity of the study. The realised sample comprised of 318 respondents. The target population was South African supporters in LSM groups 8 to 10. Judgement sampling was used as no sampling frame exists for supporters. Respondents were selected in shopping malls in Gauteng due to the culturally diverse nature of the province. The results revealed that based on the level of support, attachment to a sports team varies. The results suggested that low supporters have a higher attraction than high supporters. High supporters are already attached to a sports team, and are not necessarily interested in being attracted to a different sports team. It would be recommended to attract high supporters by having initiatives that involve teams, where supporters‟ attachment to the team already exists. High supporters were considered to be those who were attached to a sports team. To package and deliver products and/or services most effectively, sport marketers should appeal to high supporters‟ attitudes, as it is their attitude that guides their behaviour. Based on the findings, there is an opportunity for sport marketers to encourage low supporters to become attached to a sports team by using the investment model variables. By incorporating social psychology with sport consumer behaviour, a better understanding of sport supporters was attained. In the same way that a dating relationship has various stages of courtship that may eventually lead to marriage, the relationship that supporters have with a sports team also goes through stages which may lead supporters who show allegiance. The study reveals that, similarly to a dating relationship where an attraction to an individual first needs to be formed, the type of sport plays a role in attracting supporters to a sports team. Likewise, whether an individual pursues a relationship depends on the investment model variables, which is also the case for supporters.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die sosiale sielkunde stel sosiaal-wetenskaplikes toenemend daarin belang om sosiale gedrag te verklaar: hoe en waarom individue geheg raak aan sosiale objekte en waarom hulle voortgesette verhoudings nastreef. Die beleggingsmodel, wat aan die hand doen hoe gehegtheid deur middel van ʼn verhouding tot stand gebring word, is ontwikkel. Daar word voorgestel dat die beleggingsmodel toegepas kan word op ʼn wye verskeidenheid van interpersoonlike verhoudings. Op dieselfde wyse waarop ʼn verhouding tussen twee individue gevorm word, word die verbintenis wat ondersteuners met ʼn sportspan het, ook verwesenlik. Ten einde die psigologiese verbintenis tussen ondersteuners en ʼn sportspan te verstaan, is die Psigologiese Kontinuummodel (PCM) ontwikkel. Die PCM suggereer dat ondersteuners eerstens van ʼn sportspan bewus word, dan moontlik aangetrokke voel tot die sportspan. Dit lei tot ʼn gehegtheid en moontlik uiteindelik getrouheid aan die sportspan. Vorige navorsing het die soeklig op verskillende aspekte van die PCM laat val, maar baie min ondersoeke het al verduidelik hoe ondersteuners ʼn verbintenis vorm met ʼn sportspan. Hierdie studie kombineer die PCM en die beleggingsmodel om vas te stel hoe ondersteuners ʼn verbintenis vorm met ʼn sportspan. Die PCM is gebruik omdat dit nodig was om die psigologiese verbintenis te verstaan wat ondersteuners met ʼn sportspan tot stand bring. Deur die veranderlikes van die beleggingsmodel in ag te neem, is daar verder lig gewerp op hoe ondersteuners geheg raak aan ʼn sportspan (gebaseer op die PCM). Die PCM is dus aangepas en tesame met die beleggingsmodel toegepas. In die studie is gebruik gemaak van ʼn 2x2x2 volle faktoriale eksperimentele navorsingsontwerp. Vir die doel van die studie is respondente eers bewus gemaak van die sport vuisbal. Die respondente het ʼn vraelys voltooi wat gebruik is om hul aangetrokkenheid tot en gehegtheid aan ʼn vuisbalspan te meet. Tydens die onderhoud is agt afsonderlike behandelings aan die respondente vertoon, elk in die vorm van ʼn koerantknipsel op ʼn plakkaat wat gemanipuleer is met die gebruik van die beleggingsmodel se veranderlikes. Die agt plakkate het fiktiewe vuisbalspanne uitgebeeld om enige vooroordeel uit te skakel wat moontlik sou voorkom as ʼn ander sportsoort gebruik was. Daar was 36 respondente per behandelingsgroep om te verseker dat respondente tussen die verskillende vlakke van ondersteuners verdeel kon word. ‟n Herhalingsgroep is ook gebruik om die geldigheid van die studie te verseker. Die gerealiseerde steekproef het uit 318 respondente bestaan. Die teikenpopulasie was Suid-Afrikaanse ondersteuners in LSM-groepe 8 tot 10 aangesien hulle die meeste mediablootstelling ontvang het. Daar is gebruik gemaak van oordeelsteekproefneming, aangesien geen steekproefraamwerk vir ondersteuners bestaan nie. Respondente is in groot winkelsentrums in Gauteng geselekteer vanweë die kultuurdiverse aard van die provinsie. Die resultate het getoon dat, gebaseer op die vlak van ondersteuning, die vlak van gehegtheid aan ʼn sportspan varieer. Die resultate suggereer dat laevlakondersteuners meer geneë is om ʼn verbintenis te vorm as hoëvlakondersteuners. Hoëvlakondersteuners het reeds „n band met ʼn sportspan en voel nie noodwendig die behoefte om ʼn verhouding met ʼn ander sportspan te vestig nie. Daar word dus aanbeveel dat hoëvlakondersteuners aangetrek word deur inisiatiewe aan te bied waarby spanne betrokke is wat reeds vaste aanhangers het. Hoëvlakondersteuners is beskou as diegene wat ʼn verbintenis met ʼn sportspan het. Ten einde produkte en/of dienste op die effektiefste wyse te verpak en te lewer behoort sportbemarkers op hoëvlakondersteuners se ingesteldheid te fokus, aangesien dit hul ingesteldheid is wat hul gedrag rig. Volgens die bevindinge bestaan daar ʼn geleentheid vir sportbemarkers om, deur van die beleggingsmodel se veranderlikes gebruik te maak, laevlakondersteuners aan te moedig om hulle aan ʼn sportspan te verbind. Deur sosiale sielkunde met sportverbruikersgedrag te kombineer is ʼn beter verstaan van sportondersteuners bereik. Net soos daar tydens ʼn liefdesverhouding verskillende stadiums van hofmakery is wat uiteindelik tot ʼn huwelik kan lei, gaan die verhouding wat ondersteuners met ʼn sportspan het ook deur stadiums wat uiteindelik getroue ondersteuners kan oplewer. Die studie toon ook dat, net soos in ʼn verhouding waar individue eers net met mekaar uitgaan, en hulle later sterk aangetrokke raak tot mekaar, daar in sport ook ʼn dieper verhouding moet ontwikkel. Dit blyk dat die soort sport ʼn belangrike rol speel wanneer ondersteuners tot ʼn sportspan aangetrek word. Net soos by ʼn liefdesverhouding, hang die sportondersteuner se verbintenis ook af van die veranderlikes van die beleggingsmodel. produkte en/of dienste op die effektiefste wyse te verpak en te lewer behoort sportbemarkers op hoëvlakondersteuners se ingesteldheid te fokus, aangesien dit hul ingesteldheid is wat hul gedrag rig. Volgens die bevindinge bestaan daar 'n geleentheid vir sportbemarkers om, deur van die beleggingsmodel se veranderlikes gebruik te maak, laevlakondersteuners aan te moedig om hulle aan 'n sportspan te verbind. Deur sosiale sielkunde met sportverbruikersgedrag te kombineer is ʼn beter verstaan van sportondersteuners bereik. Net soos daar tydens 'n liefdesverhouding verskillende stadiums van hofmakery is wat uiteindelik tot 'n

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has Division I, Division II, and Division III athletic levels, and the role responsible for the athletic programs at Division I, II, and III colleges and universities are the Athletic Directors (ADs). The title of ADs is the same at all three levels, but research shows that the job description of the ADs at all three levels remains different. From the number of programs offered to the amount of tuition a student athlete is allowed to receive, there are many differences that the AD must be cognizant of because these stipulations can have an impact on the success of the student-athletes. Research on roles and job descriptions of the ADs at all three levels has been limited in regards to providing pertinent information. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to compare the roles of the ADs at the Division I, Division II, and Division III level of the NCAA and the effects on student athletes. This study included a minimum of 10 ADs from an eastern state in the U.S. who are engaged in the daily programs and procedures of an athletic department within the past year. Through interviews, ADs were interviewed to gain further insight on how the various levels of the NCAA structure effect the ADs and student athlete experiences and the effect on the school sports programs. In addition, curriculum writers for institutions will need to understand the differences of the athletic directors’ role at each level and adjust their coursework accordingly. School administrators and the NCAA need to understand the differences in the roles of the athletic director at each level and the potential impact these roles will have upon the success of student athletes that attend the schools that correspond to the three levels of NCAA competition.

The study utilized the logic model evaluation to ascertain the effectiveness of the Student-Athlete Academic Support Services (SAASS) unit at a NCAA Division I research university located in the Western United States. The logic model evaluation provided a process to determine the extent to which the unit achieved its purpose and outcomes. The logic model evaluation can be tailored to the exact unit based on the short-term and long-term goals of the program. Based on the tenets of flexibility and adaptability, the logic model evaluation was selected as an appropriate tool for the study. Overall, the SAASS unit was perceived to be effective by its key constituent groups. The evaluation highlighted the importance of the athletic academic advisor in keeping students on track to graduation and communicating issues to administrators, coaches, and professors. Recommendations are provided to potentially improve the SAASS unit under study.

Tanking, the incentive for a sports team to lose game(s) at the end of the regular season to secure a favorable draft position, is a researched problem in multiple major sports leagues. Attempts to diminish the incentive to tank have been implemented through draft lottery policies in leagues such as the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). NHL game outcomes from gambling market money lines and game characteristics from the 2005-2006 through 2015-2016 seasons are analyzed using a multinomial logit model. Results show that tanking is taking place in the NHL with teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention having a higher probability of a loss outcome and a lower probability of a win outcome, relative to other outcomes. International implications of the research on tanking can be applied to sports markets world-wide to maintain league integrity, fan interest, and maximize revenue.

Master of Landscape Architecture
Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning
William P. Winslow III
Sports venues require large amounts of parking to facilitate the number of spectators attending an event. The parking, mostly surface, is underutilized when compared to traditional parking lots accommodating daily use. Large parking surfaces alter the natural hydrological cycle by generating large volumes of runoff. Over time, pollutants build up on a parking surface and are discharged into a stormwater drainage system during a rain event. The intent of the research is to investigate the use of Best Management Practices that ultimately reduce the pollutant loads created by stormwater runoff while creating amenities for spectators that could potentially generate revenue. The focus of the study will be on a 400 acre sports venue in Kansas City, Missouri, the Truman Sports Complex. To understand retrofitting stormwater management practices, one must understand how large parking lots are constructed and understand successful examples. Through the use of archival research, interviews and analysis of two parking lot case studies, Northgate Mall in Seattle, Washington and US Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois, the research analyzed how retrofitting design solutions are utilized to reduce stormwater pollutant loads. Each case study documents a distinct type of retrofitting strategy; bioswales at Northgate Mall and permeable concrete pavers at US Cellular Field. Using the Design Point Method developed by the Center for Watershed Protection, the research analyzes each case study retrofit design solution - conceptually and post construction. The Design Point Method allowed the research to measure the success of retrofitting strategies and informed the research to as to how the strategies could be implemented at the Truman Sports Complex. The conclusion of the project is a retrofit design solution of a surface parking lot at the Truman Sports Complex. Using the Design Point Method as an analysis tool, the final study provides compelling evidence that retrofitting existing surface parking lots at sports venues using Best Management Practices provides a sustainable solution to reducing pollutant loads while creating the potential for enhancing the tailgate experience for the sports fan.

The purpose of this study was to explore the current scenario of interscholastic athletics in terms of the existence and enforcement of risk management plans within high school athletic departments. Another purpose was to identify the common practices related to risk management currently utilized. The present study had a response rate of 16.7%. The results showed that 76.2 % of the respondents (N=816) conduct interscholastic activities with the support of risk management plans, but there are still 23.8% of those interscholastic athletic departments where risk management plans are nonexistent. In addition, from those who indicated having a risk management plan, 28% do not enforce it. A majority of respondents seem to be employing risk management best practices consistently, but there is an indication of a less than desired level of adoption of some practices (i.e., informed consent forms, pre-season sport specific meetings, ADA compliance, coach evaluation and written criteria, safety training, accessibility of AED’s, and warning signs). The results of our study showed a statistically significant relationship between the athletic directors’ years of experience and the adoption of certain risk management practices (i.e. coach evaluation, evaluation criteria, risk management enforcement, and hazard abatement), but (surprisingly) not to the adoption of other similarly important practices. This study provides high school athletic administrators and principals with relevant information that can be used to support their decision to adopt and enforce risk management plans for interscholastic athletic activities.

The results generated by this research argue that, in the future, communities should take into account crime and other social costs as they analyze the merits of investing in new sports complexes and that a failure to consider these factors could constitute a serious dereliction on the parts of the public officials who are ultimately responsible for new facility investment decision making. Moreover, both this research and previous studies of the economic effects of new sports facilities, strongly indicate that public entities considering funding new facilities do a more in depth independent study of the likely economic consequences of their prospective investments before moving forward.

This thesis investigates the issue of Canadian economic and cultural dependence upon the United States by focussing on the origins of the Simon Fraser University athletic program in the mid 1960's. Simon Fraser was chosen for this study because of the abrupt shift its athletic policy took from the traditional Canadian model of university athletics (no athletic scholarships, less commercialization) towards the dominant American model featuring athletic scholarships and professionalized coaching. The thesis examines the historical, economic and cultural context in which the university was situated and provides an overview of Canadian-American sporting relations in the commercial and non-commercial spheres. With regard to the Simon Fraser case study, a detailed outline of the development of athletics at the University of British Columbia, British Columbia's oldest and dominant university, will provide necessary background. As well, research centers upon how the SFU athletic program was initially created and who the key personnel were in its founding. The concluding chapter evaluates the implications of the Simon Fraser policy move in light of developments in government spending over the past two decades.
Education, Faculty of
Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of
Graduate

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Reflecting a general trend in modern society, the world of sport has become information driven, with effective information management becoming an essential part of all sports organisations and sporting activities. The sophistication oflarge, multi-sport events - mega-games - such as the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games demand a high standard of information management to help ensure the smooth running of such events. This is also true of the managing of national teams participating in them. In this thesis a model of an information management system (IMS) is developed for managing certain types of information in such events and the national team participating in them. The model is based on two conceptual frameworks: Intellectual capital, and secondly the information management cycle. The model is then tested using a number of case studies where a specific information management system was used to manage the information of different sports teams and events. The degree to which the information management system was effectively implemented in each case is evaluated and the results used to measure the correctness and accuracy of the model. Lastly suggestions are given as to how the model can be improved in view of the case study findings, and what the future role of information management in sports events may look like in light of the results.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die feit dat inligtingsbestuur 'n noodsaaklike deel geword het in sport organisasies en aktiwiteite is 'n weerspieeling van 'n algemene tendens in die moderne, informasie-gedrewe samelewing. Die ingewikkeldheid van groot, multi-sport byeenkomste - "mega-games" - soos die Olimpiese Spele en die Gemeenskapspele vereis 'n hoe standaard van inligtingsbestuur om te verseker dat sulke byeenkomste glad verloop. Dieselfde geld in die geval van die bestuur van die nasionale spanne wat daaraan deelneem. In hierdie tesis word 'n inligtingbestuursmodel ontwikkelom sekere tipes inligting van verskillende sportbyeenkomste en nasionale sportspanne te bestuur. Die model is geskoei op twee konseptueie raamwerke: Intellekteuie kapitaal, en tweedens die inligtingsbestuursiklus. Die model word getoets deur middel van 'n aantal gevallestudies waartydens 'n besondere inligtingstelsel gebruik is on sportspanne en byeenkomste se inligting mee te bestuur. Die mate waartoe die inligtingbestuurstelsel effektief geimplementeer is word ge-evalueer en die resultate gebruik om die korrektheid en akkuraatheid van die model te meet. Ten slotte word voorstelle gemaak oor hoe die model verbeter kan word in die lig van die gevallestudiebevindinge, en wat die moontlike toekomstige rol van inligtingsbestuur by sportbyeenkomste kan wees in lig van die bevindinge.

La recherche a pour objet d'elaborer une nouvelle maniere d'envisager l'amenagement et le management des espaces publics urbains tenant compte des pratiques sportives autonomes. L'etude des politiques d'amenagement engagees depuis une trentaine d'annees met en evidence leur inadaptation aux evolutions des comportements sportifs urbains. Inspirees par une demarche fonctionnaliste et de planification a priori, elles s'inscrivent dans une logique de l'offre. L'introduction recente de demarches faisant appel au marketing ne repond pas de facon satisfaisante au probleme pose. Le recours a une approche ethnologique comme point de depart des politiques d'amenagement et de management des espaces publics urbains peut permettre de prendre enfin en compte les usages sportifs autonomes de la ville.

Includes bibliographical references.
The incidence of concussion injuries is high irrespective of player ability, from professional to semi-professional and schoolboy rugby players. Concussion injuries are considered difficult to diagnose, particularly in an on field environment, and are often under-reported or unrecognised. In the South African setting medical professionals are often not present at practices and matches and coaches are therefore often required to identify and manage concussed players. Previous studies have identified that the risk of concussion may be reduced through coach education and subsequent implementation of skills training and the education of players. The aim of the study is to determine South African rugby coaches’ knowledge of the prevention, identification and management of concussion.

Synthetic sports surfaces have increased in popularity since their introduction into the United Kingdom in the early 1970's. In many sports, such as hockey and athletics, they have become the standard for play. The benefit of synthetic turf is commonly judged to be lower in maintenance requirements and operating costs, and having an increased quantity of play, when compared to natural turf. Synthetic turf has, historically, been perceived to be 'maintenance free' and there has been little or no research into the effect that maintenance has on its performance and physical characteristics. The aim of this thesis was to develop a fundamental understanding of the mechanical wear and decline in hydraulic performance of second generation synthetic turf surfaces, its impact on technical performance characteristics, and economic costs in relation to maintenance and usage.

This thesis deals with the management activities of the hockey club HC Lev Praha, which operates in a multinational league KHL. The aim of this thesis is to identify the causes of poor management performance, clarify and determine the consequences of assumptions (hypotheses) for future developments in the club. Finding the necessary information ensures environmental observation and communication with the personnel responsible aforementioned club. Additional facts and data will be detected directly from the suppliers of products and services. The benefit of the thesis will uncover so far unknown areas internationally, which by means of analysis and description will find out the current situation and help outline possible direction of development. A bonus of this thesis is the publication of the costs that workers had to face before the start of the first season of the Prague club.

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, February 2014.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. "November 2013."
Includes bibliographical references (pages 81-83).
A major component of the highly lucrative sports business is the content delivery value chain consisting of a number of players including the content creators - sports leagues; content aggregators - TV networks; content distributors - pay TV providers; advertisers - one of the main financiers in the value chain; and consumers. The relationships between the value chain players have been both cooperative and competitive, especially when the borders separating them became less defined due to backward and forward integration efforts of players. With the advancements in Internet content delivery and electronic devices, a new form of sports content consumption has emerged that has the potential to re-define the borders between the value chain players and to disrupt the industry. This new form of sports content consumption is Sports over IP (SpoIP, sports content consumption over the Internet). This thesis lays out four different scenarios about how the SpoIP disruption could play out in the value chain. It uses information from similar disruption in other industries and system dynamics modeling to present the ramification and likelihood of each scenario. This work predicts that the consumers will be the winner of SpoIP disruption because they will have access to good quality and cheaper sports content going forward.
by Halil Kiper.
S.M. in Engineering and Management

Primary purpose of this project was to address lack of resources for the special needs population pertaining to sports and recreation. Well known organizations within the special needs community, Special Olympics and Boys and Girls Club, provide programs for the population with intellectual and developmental disabilities but can only provide so much when it comes to additional resources. For our able bodied athletes, millions of dollars throughout each year are spent in order to make sure that elite athletes in top professional sports organizations are well taken care of. From million dollar stadiums and practice facilities to knowledgeable sports medicine staff and certified conditioning coaches, professional athletes seem to have a wealth of resources. This project proposes the creation of a facility that would provide the same resources as those of the professional athletes to those with special needs.

Lower extremity injuries are common among collegiate female basketball players. Limited ankle dorsiflexion has been linked to multiple injuries of the lower extremity and is a common movement deficit among basketball players. Dynamic warm ups are known to increase general mobility and prepare athletes for subsequent activity; however, the effectiveness of dynamic warm up on increasing ADF ROM and decreasing injury is not known. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a dynamic warm up on ADF ROM. A second purpose of this study is to monitor lower extremity injury occurrence over the course of one competitive season. There were 10 Division I female basketball players who participated in this study. Participants were measured for ADF ROM along with straight leg raise range of motion. The warm up intervention was incorporated at the midway point of the season and was completed before every practice and game for the remainder of the season. Upon completion of the season, participants’ ROM was re-measured. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant increase in passive ADF ROM (p =0.014). There were no lower extremity injury occurrences after the intervention was incorporated, compared to 3 injury occurrences prior to the start of the intervention.

The primary purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the effect of emotions derived from the unique nature of spectator sport (e.g., intensive emotional responses, uncertainty of outcomes) on sport fans’ information processing and attitude formation regarding TV commercials presented in a sport broadcasting context. The current research advanced previous findings (e.g., Bee & Madrigal, 2012; Wang & Lang, 2012) related to the program-induced mood effect by making adjustments to the methodological approaches (e.g., real-time psychophysiological measures, mixed experimental designs) and by employing different theoretical approach (i.e., the limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing). The affective priming paradigm (Bower, 1981, 1991) was re-conceptualized from the theoretical perspective of the limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing (Lang, 2006a, 2006b).

In order to test the study’s hypotheses, a mixed method experimental design (i.e., game outcome [2] × uncertainty about outcome [2] × emotional tone of commercial [2] × video replication [2]) was employed. As hypothesized in this study, both the attitudinal formation and the information processing of emotional commercials by sports fans were significantly impacted by motivational systems which are activated by the outcomes (e.g., winning the game, losing the contest) and the closeness (e.g., tight game, lopsided score) of sporting events. The results of repeated measures of ANOVA indicate that the mood-inconsistent combination allocated more cognitive resource allocation to encoding. Moreover, the effects of commercials on attitudinal formations were significantly moderated by the game outcomes.

The current study provides several theoretical and managerial contributions in sport management and general motivated cognitive research. This study enriches our understanding of how sport fans process information and form attitudes relating to commercials. Furthermore, the results of this study related to the possible ways in which sport advertising influences consumers’ cognitive processing, attitudes, and so forth are of benefit to practitioners (e.g., sport team sponsors, sporting event advertisers) as well as scholars (e.g., sport marketing researchers). For example, by relying on the study’s findings, marketing professionals in the field are able to create effective advertising strategies in order to maximize their goals (e.g., drawing attention to the commercial, increasing the memory of the viewer regarding the advertised product and brand, persuading the viewer to buy a product).

The media coverage of female athletes has been an uphill battle ever since the passing of Title IX in 1972 over 40 years ago. However, with the ever-increasing popularity of social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, this new age model of communication remains the low hanging fruit for shaping the ways in which female athletes are represented to a mass audience. Analyzing the content of the aforementioned platforms from the 2016 WNBA Playoffs and Finals seeks to answer four questions regarding the themes espnW and ESPN are communicating, how their messaging differs, the ways in which female athlete stereotypes are fed into or challenged, and the responses from espnW’s and ESPN’s social media following. Together, the findings relevant to each question imply a step in the right direction for how female athletes are covered today—for their athletic accomplishments and not for their sex appeal—but the overall volume of this coverage remains low. The battle continues for female athletes far and wide to find their footing and prove their relevancy in a male-dominated industry.

Tourism and Sport
D.B.A.
The current research investigates pricing practices and consumer behavior in long-distance running events. Two studies address (1) current practices in pricing and registration policies for long-distance running events, and (2) factors that influence the decision-making process by which event organizers develop, adopt, and implement particular pricing policies. Study One involves a descriptive census of policies currently in use for a comprehensive list of running events in the United States that include races at the full or half marathon distance. Study Two adopts a multi-case study approach based on semi-structured interviews of running event organizers, supplemented by additional organizational documents, to investigate the pricing and registration policy development process. Collectively, these two studies examine the what, the why, and the how of pricing policy development in long-distance running events. Based on study findings, a conceptual model was developed incorporating major sources of influence (organizational, consumer, environmental, and event) on the pricing policy development process. This research contributes to sport management by providing deeper understanding of how participant sport, specifically long-distance running events, is priced and how pricing decisions influence consumer behaviors. Results additionally provide practical insight for running event organizers seeking to improve or enhance pricing policies and revenue management by understanding both common and atypical practices in use throughout the running event industry. Finally the current research lays a foundation for a stream of future research building on findings from two studies and data generated in the process of addressing the overarching research questions.
Temple University--Theses

This thesis serves as an examination of the relationship between players’ salaries and teams’ revenues for the American Major League Soccer and English Premier League. Historically, the salary cap imposed on teams playing in Major League Soccer has been heavily criticized of holding the league back. Comparisons have been made to leagues such as the English Premier League which assert that the limitation keeping Major League Soccer from attaining similar success is the presence of the salary cap. Data was gathered from the twenty teams in Major League Soccer and the twenty teams in the English Premier League for each of two seasons, those played in 2015 and 2016. A regression analysis was performed with a binary dummy variable which served to indicate the presence of a salary cap. At an α of .05, the presence of a salary cap was found to be statistically significantly related to the revenues earned by teams. Additionally, at an α of .05, there was strong evidence to indicate a relationship between total paid salaries and total revenues earned by teams. This study serves to show one viable path by which financially underperforming teams can begin to increase their revenue streams.

This study examined the effects of Cognitive-Affective Stress Management Training in reducing cognitive and somatic anxiety, while increasing self-confidence and athletic performance in a sample of male (n=10) and female (n=23) high school and college athletes. Only participants scoring moderate to high for trait anxiety on the Sport Competition Anxiety Test (Martens, 1977) were involved in the program. Cognitive-Affective Stress Management Training (CASMT) was a three week, six session program conducted during the preseason. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups (i.e., no treatment control group, treatment group, and one treatment group that met for one hour at mid-season to review the program, answer any questions, and refine any deficient skills). The athletes were administered the Competitive Sport Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) (Martens, Vealey, Burton, 1990) at preseason, at mid-season, and at the end of the season and their athletic performance times were recorded similarly. A multivariate approach to repeated measures was used to analyze the Competitive Sport Anxiety Inventory -2 and athletic performance data. Participants receiving CASMT did not significantly reduce their cognitive and somatic anxiety nor increase self-confidence. A significant main effect was found for athletic performance between the two treatment groups. More specifically, the treatment group receiving a "tune-up" session at midseason had significantly lower (i.e., faster times) than the treatment group that did not have a "tune-up". However, this difference represents a randomization problem since this difference existed prior to any treatment. No statistical differences were found between the treatment groups and the control group. Limitations of the present study include sample size, under-representation of males in the sample, time of CSAI-2 administration, and the variable length of seasons among the four teams. It is recommended that future research in this area extend the use of "tune-ups" during the season, assess the direction of perceived competitive anxiety, compare multiple performance variables, and utilize psychological interventions that can be extended beyond the athletic environment.
Department of Educational Studies