"Beyond number crunching" : applying qualitative techniques in sport marketing research

Valid and reliable research is pivotal to successful sport marketing strategy. Market research may be gathered via either quantitative or qualitative means. This paper explores the theoretical background and practical applications of qualitative research techniques. It explains the appropriate context for qualitative approaches, and discusses sampling procedures with particular emphasis on the powerful but simple technique known as theoretical sampling. In addition, it clarifies and explores data analysis procedures. The purpose of this paper is to provide sport market research practitioners with a model for implementing qualitative methodologies in sport marketing campaigns.

Give us a fair go! Legal obstacles to reporting sport on the internet

As the Internet becomes a mainstream conduit for business and communication, it can no longer be referred to as a “ lawless frontier" (De Zwart 1999, 112). The laws that regulate this environment, however, are not always obvious, particularly to reporters who have to collect stories for online newspapers, which are facing competition from their traditional sources of information. This article uses a case study of on-line sport to examine the legal pitfalls facing journalists reporting on-line.

Visitor loyalty in sport tourism: an empirical investigation

This paper reports research regarding the relationship between consumer loyalty, satisfaction,and novelty seeking, including an analysis of these constructs as reflected in the published literature. A telephone survey was conducted of 500 city residents, focusing on their visitation of special events, including sporting events. It was found that satisfaction was somewhat positively related to interest in attending the same sporting event, and the intention to actually visit the sporting event again. However, novelty seeking was virtually unrelated to both interest in attending the same sporting event, and the intention to actually visit the sporting event, and unrelated to satisfaction. Novelty seeking in general, or in relation to special events particularly,performed similarly as a predictor. Further research is needed to clarify the role of other moderating variables, such as the feeling of involvement in sporting events, and to investigate segmentation aspects which might be operating in relation to specific sporting events and tourists.

Location dependency and sport sponsors : a factor analytic study

Theories explaining the mechanics of sport sponsorship relationships arc underdeveloped (Gilbert, 1 988; Hock, Gendall, & West, 1990; Pope, 1 998), bolstered by studies lacking systematic methods (Kuzma, Shanklin, & McCall, 1993) and tending toward broad, descriptive, macro-level analysis (Sandler & Shani, 1993). This paper attempts to redress this empirical chasm in a small way by examining an element of the sponsorship relationship. Specifically this paper explores the importance of one particular mode of sponsorship delivery: the location of a venue containing sponsor affiliations or what has been named location dependency. Location dependency of sport sponsors has been shown to be a pivotal determinant when devising sponsorship proposals or when assessing the attractiveness of a sponsorship opportunity (Wester- beek, 2000). Factor analysis was used to determine if sponsors' response patterns would deliver a number of constructs that could be related to the concept of location dependency. Factor analysis revealed five factors that principally reinforced the notion of location dependency of sponsorship. T-tests delivered significant differences between location dependent and location independent sponsors on some of the factors. The results of this study suggest that appreciating the concept of location dependency may assist companies in the effective discharge of their sponsorship decisions.

The sport spectator satisfaction model : A conceputal framework for understanding the satisfaction of spectators

Customer satisfaction is associated with numerous positive business outcomes and is recognised as an important field of study. However, only limited research has addressed the satisfaction of sport spectators, with even fewer studies examining the determinants of this satisfaction. Yet an understanding of how spectators arrive at evaluations of satisfaction or dissatisfaction provides a useful insight for directing marketing and operational efforts. The Sport Spectator Satisfaction Model (SSSM) is an extension of the Disconfirmation of Expectations Model (DEM) accommodating unique aspects of the sport product, as well as accommodating the core and peripheral dimensions of the spectator service. The SSSM depicts club identification and the win/lose phenomenon as considerable influences on the satisfaction spectators derive from the game and its peripheral services. The SSSM integrates marketing theory, social identity theory and sport marketing theory to broaden our understanding of spectator satisfaction and provide a platform for further research.

Playing their part: the role of physical activity and sport in sustaining the health and well being of small rural communities

It is widely recognised that the health of rural Australians is poor in comparison with their urban counterparts. Similarly, the role played by physical activity in maintaining health has been well researched and is well documented. However, little appears to have been published in recent years about the links between physical activity and health in rural communities. The objective of this article was to begin to address that gap. To achieve this, the article drew on research conducted in two small rural communities in Victoria Australia, and highlighted the role that physical activity and sport played in sustaining the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities in rural areas. Taking the World Health Organisation's definition of health (a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease) as its measure, the paper highlighted the many ways in which physical activity and sport in rural communities contribute to physical health, mental wellbeing and social cohesiveness. Based this finding, the authors suggest that physical activity and sport make a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of rural people and their communities and suggest that further research is necessary to better define this apparent contribution.

A conceptual model for sport services marketing research : integrating quality, value and satisfaction

This paper advances our understanding of the relationship between quality, value and satisfaction in the context of spectator sport services. This is achieved through an analysis and examination of relevant secondary data culminating in a conceptual model Although extensive research has been conducted in the three separate areas of quality, value and satisfaction, to date no work has been reported attempting to develop macro models that capture the concepts and their potential interrelationships. Such macro models could enhance the communication and stimulate further research for sport marketing scholars. This paper proposes a model apposite for further research and in the process leads to the potential confirmation, rejection or, indeed, adaptation of the conceplualization of sport services.

Sport safety policies and practices in two rural Victorian communities

Australian football and netball are the predominant sports played in rural Victoria, Australia. This exploratory study is the first to report the sport safety policies and practices adopted by junior Australian football and netball clubs in small rural communities. Eleven informants from four clubs completed a semi-structured interview and survey. Whilst the clubs performed a range of injury prevention activiities, they did not have formal sports safety policies. Generally, netball informants reported fewer safety practices than football informants. Crucial factors influencing safety policies and practices were the reliance on volunteers and a lack of senior players. Barriers towards the adoption of safety policies and practices appeared to be related to rural population declines, a lack of qualified people and attitudes to injury in rural areas. Future research needs to identify how widespread this lack of sport safety policies and practices is across rural Australia and to identify strategies to overcome barriers to implementing them.

Determining the professional sport broadcasting landscape : an Australian football club perspective

The professional sport broadcasting landscape has received much attention from an economic and legal perspective. While the economic and legal focus has been the predominant association with sport broadcasting, there has been little research undertaken into the breadth of delivery and significance of broadcast coverage. The aim of this paper was to identify the professional sport broadcasting landscape in Australia. The sport broadcast landscape was examined from the perspective of two professional football codes. In-depth interviewing of senior managers of 11 AFL, and 10 NRL clubs was undertaken with the resulting data analysed, coded and emergent themes identified. Three core themes emerged: identified as territory, distribution and profile. A further seven sub-themes specific to the outcomes associated within each category were also identified. Major findings highlight the territorial nature of the Australian professional football league market, identifying the way in which clubs are representative of particular regions. Issues associated with free-to-air delivery, brand recognition and core market attributes were also identified. Results are presented; implications for management and opportunities for future research are discussed.

The role of the board in building strategic capability: towards an integrated model of sport governance research

Governance is a critical issue confronting sport organisations. Its importance in the management of sport organisations has been heightened due to the transition of many sports from predominantly volunteer administered organisations anchored in an amateur ethos, to professionally managed entities catering to a more sophisticated sport marketplace. This paper identifies four elements from the sport governance literature as the key research foci to date: shared leadership, board motivation, board roles, and board structure. Four generic themes (performance, conformance, policy and operations) are also examined and expressed as governance capabilities. The strategic role and performance of the board, while central to the practice of governance, is shown to be a weakness in many sport organisations. Further, the strategic role of the board is underdeveloped in the sport management and governance research literature. Finally, it is noted that the governance literature is shaped by a normative and prescriptive approach that may not fully encompass the diversity that exists within the sport setting. The paper concludes by identifying and affirming the critical gaps in our knowledge of sport governance. Future work should seek to understand sector-specific considerations, such as non-profit and commercial differences in sport; governance designs in response to changing environmental conditions; the impact of the CEO on the board's strategic contributions; and strategic activity by the board. More use of qualitative research methods to probe such issues is recommended