Understanding, developing and maintaining mental toughness in tennis

Eighteen (10 female and 8 male) recently retired top world-ranked Australian professional tennis players responded to a questionnaire that was developed to address future directions by mental toughness researchers. A series of inductive content analyses was conducted to analyze the qualitative data obtained from participants’ responses. These analyses revealed that mental toughness is a most sought-after dynamic attribute that encompasses a range of abilities (e.g., focus, work ethic) to consistently perform well under pressure. Further, mental toughness is thought to be ‘taught’ and/or ‘acquired’ over many years and can be influenced by factors that include injury, changes in a player’s technique and match results. Examples of mentally tough players were cited and reasons given as to their selection as outstanding mentally tough competitors. Sport psychologists, coaches, parents and other mentors were identified as significant members of a support team to guide and equip players to be mentally tough competitors. This study’s value to the tennis community includes practical benefits from gaining a fuller understanding of what is arguably one of the most important psychological skills in achieving excellence and enjoyment in tennis, namely mental toughness.

Performance score variation between days at Australian national and Olympic women's artistic gymnastics competition

We determined the inter-day variability in elite-standard women's artistic gymnastics competition scores. National (50 gymnasts for up to three days) and Olympic (24 gymnasts for up to five days) competition scores published in the public domain (‘Giant poster pull-out’, 2010; Gymnastics Australia, 2008) were evaluated using three statistical measures. Analyses of the inter-day differences in the mean scores as a percentage (MDiff%), coefficient of variation percentages for the mean score across both days (CV%), and Pearson correlation coefficients for the inter-day score (r) were interpreted using thresholds from trivial to large. National-class gymnasts' two-day performance variation was trivial for vault, small for floor and beam, and moderate for bars. When senior gymnasts competed for a third day the performance variation increased to moderate for vault. Across five days of Olympic competition there were trivial (e.g. CV%: vault = 0.8) to small (e.g. CV%: bars = 2.0) variations in performances between days on all apparatus. Olympians' performance score consistency is superior to senior, national-class competitors. The performance score consistency required for gymnasts who aspire to participate at the Olympics as a top-24 competitor is better than 3%.

Share corporate social responsibility best practice and forgo competitive advantage

Cross-sector partnerships are capable of achieving solutions to large scale societal problems, which when successful, are well-publicized. Partnering organizations not only reap reputational acclaim but garner valuable organizational benefits. Membership within successful partnerships would undoubtedly be considered a competitive advantage, yet several of these successful relationships have chosen to forgo this valuable position. Instead of retaining intellectual property, partnering organizations are sharing successful processes and practices with peers and competitors. This research examined three examples of best practice cross-sector partnerships to identify relationship success factors, how they involved other organizations and why they shared successful social responsibility initiatives with others.

The effect of an ultra-endurance running race on mucosal and humoral immune function

There are reports of the effect of endurance exercise on mucosal immune function and of the effect of short duration exercise on humoral immune function. However, little is known of the effect of endurance exercise on humoral immune function and the related risk of infection. This study examined the effects of an ultra-endurance running race on salivary immunoglobulin-A (s-IgA), serum IgA, leukocyte subset concentrations and the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). 

Factors affecting SME owner-managers' willingness to share knowledge online in rural local business networks

This article integrates typically separate SME research on e-commerce, business networking, and knowledge management into a model explaining factors influencing the willingness of SME owner-managers to share knowledge online in business networks in rural districts. This is important because e-commerce can assist owner-managers, often dispersed in rural districts, to share knowledge between face-to-face networking events. The main factors associated with willingness to share knowledge online were their willingness to share knowledge face-to-face and their intensity of Internet use. Entrepreneurial factors such as owner-managers' expectations of rapid growth, trading outside the district, and seeking information about customers/competitors were indirectly associated with online sharing via intensity of Internet use only. The model suggests network coordinators could encourage online knowledge sharing by assisting owner-managers to see the business value of e-commerce and by ensuring that networking events are suitable for owner-managers, whether or not they have entrepreneurial goals, to facilitate face-to-face knowledge sharing.

Convergence and divergence dynamics in British and French business schools: how will the pressure for accreditation influence these dynamics?

This paper focuses on convergence and divergence dynamics among leading British and French business schools and explores how the pressure for accreditation influences these dynamics. We illustrate that despite historical differences in approaches to management education in Britain and France, these approaches have converged partly based on the influence of the American model of management education but more recently through the pursuit of accreditation, in particular from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and the European Quality Improvement Standard. We explore these dynamics through the application of the resource-based view of the firm and institutional theory and suggest that, whilst achieving accreditation is a necessary precursor for international competition, it is no longer a form of competitive advantage. The pursuit of accreditation has fostered a form of competitive mimicry reducing national distinctiveness. The resource-based view of the firm suggests that the top schools need a more heterogeneous approach that is not easily replicable if they are to outperform the competitors. Consequently, the convergence of management education in Britain and France will become a new impetus for divergence. We assert that future growth and competitive advantage might be better achieved through the reassertion of national, regional and local cultural characteristics. © 2013 British Academy of Management.

The effect of herbivores on genotypic diversity in a clonal aquatic plant

In clonal plants, vegetative parts may outcompete seeds in the absence of disturbance, limiting the build-up of genotypic diversity through repeated seedling recruitment (RSR). Herbivory may provide disturbance and trigger establishment of strong colonizers (seeds) at the expense of strong competitors (clonal propagules). In the clonal aquatic fennel pondweed Potamogeton pectinatus, two distinct herbivore guilds may modify the dynamics of propagation. In winter, Bewick's swans may deplete patches of tubers, promoting seedling establishment in spring. In summer, seed consumption by waterfowl can reduce the density of viable seeds but grazing may also reduce tuber production and hence facilitate seedling establishment. This study is among the first to experimentally test herbivore impact on plant genotypic diversity. We assess the separate and combined effects of both herbivore guilds on genotypic diversity and structure of fennel pondweed beds. Using microsatellites, we genotyped P. pectinatus from an exclosure experiment and assessed the contribution of herbivory, dispersal and sexual reproduction to the population genetic structure. Despite the predominance of clonal propagation in P. pectinatus, we found considerable genotypic diversity. Within the experimental blocks, kinship among genets decreased with geographic distance, clearly identifying a role for RSR in the maintenance of genotypic diversity within the fennel pondweed beds. However, over a period of five years, none of the herbivory treatments affected genotypic diversity. Hence, sexual reproduction on a local scale is important in this putatively clonal plant and possibly sufficient to ensure a relatively high genotypic diversity even in the absence of herbivores. Although we cannot preclude a role of herbivory in shaping genotypic diversity of a clonal plant, after five years of exclusion of the two investigated herbivore guilds no measurable effect on genotypic diversity was detected. © 2014 The Authors.

Olfactory signalling in an avian species complex: the crimson rosella

 Through behavioural experiments, I discovered that crimson rosellas could discriminate between species, subspecies and sexes based on odour alone. Chemical analysis revealed that plumage odour differed between subspecies, season, sex and age. Finally, I found that putative mammalian competitors and predators of the species could detect the plumage odour.

Modelling of vocational excellence: An international perspective

This paper provides an overview of the findings from a Finnish Ministry of Education sponsored project called ‘Modeling of Vocational Excellence’ (MoVE) and an Australian application and adaptation of this research: ‘MoVE Australia’. The Finnish MoVE research project was conducted by the Research Centre for Vocational Education at the University of Tampere explored WorldSkills as a site for the development of expertise and pursuit of excellence. It addressed questions about the abilities and attributes of competitors, and the social and environmental factors which influenced their skill development. The Australian project administered the Finnish MoVE survey to the Australian international WorldSkills team which will compete in London in October 2011 and introduced a second survey about competitor experience, designed to give voice to the young people involved in WorldSkills. This survey was administered to competitors, trainers and judges participating in the WSA National Competition held in Brisbane in May 2010, and later to employers and families. The Australian extension of the Finnish research has generated a rich source of experiential data, providing fresh insights into career choice and training. The findings of the research offer opportunities for reviewing elements of trade training and raise questions about the role of a competitive community of practice in quality skill formation and about the current level of research on this aspect of Australia VET practice.

Competitive and cooperative behavior in embedded markets: developing an institutional perspective on bazaars

In an ethnographic study of a retail setting, we examine relationships among competitors. We find that competitors often emphasize various forms of cooperation, and we describe socio-economic behaviors that illustrate how cooperation transcends or mediates competition among retailers. Retailers selectively cooperate and compete for customers in ways that alter our understandings of concepts such as loyalty and market stability, and practices such as marketing communications and pricing. We highlight the significance of these institutional practices and the role they play in forming and maintaining community in a bazaar.

Kinanthropometric differences between 1997 World championship junior elite and 2011 national junior elite triathletes

OBJECTIVES: In 1997, anthropometry measures were made to determine the body size and shapes of both senior and junior elite triathletes. Since then, the junior event distance has changed and the optimal morphology of participants may have evolved. Thus the objective of this study was to compare the morphology of 1997 World championship junior elite triathlon competitors with junior elite competitors in 2011. DESIGN: Comparative study of junior elite triathlete kinanthropometry. METHODS: Twenty-nine males and 20 females junior elite competitors in the 1997 Triathlon World Championships underwent 26 anthropometric measurements. Results were compared with 28 male and 14 female junior elite triathletes who competed in the 2011 Australian National Junior Series, as qualifying for 2011 Triathlon World Championships. Comparisons were made on the raw scores, as well as somatotype, and body proportional scores. RESULTS: Both male and female junior elite triathletes in the 2011 group were significantly more ectomorphic than their 1997 counterparts. The 2011 triathletes were also proportionally lighter, with significantly smaller flexed arm and thigh girths, and femur breadths. The 2011 males recorded significantly longer segmental lengths and lower endomorphy values than the 1997 junior males. CONCLUSIONS: Junior elite triathlete morphology has evolved during the past 14 years possibly as a result of changing race distance and race tactics, highlighting the importance of continually monitoring and updating such anthropometric data.

An introduced competitor elevates corticosterone responses of a Native Lizard (Varanus varius).

Glucocorticoid hormone profiles are increasingly used as physiological markers to infer the strength of species interactions that can influence fitness and ensuing population dynamics of animals. Here we investigated two aims. First, we measured the effect of a 90-min capture stress protocol on the plasma corticosterone responses of a large native Australian lizard, the lace monitor (Varanus varius). Second, we compared the basal and postcapture stress corticosterone responses of lace monitors in habitats where they were exposed to high or low densities of the European red fox (Vulpes vulpes), an introduced competitor. Lace monitors responded to the capture stress protocol by significantly increasing plasma levels of corticosterone above basal at 45- and 90-min-postcapture blood-sampling intervals. In habitats with high fox densities, lace monitors produced a significantly greater basal and capture-stress-induced corticosterone response compared to individuals in low-fox density habitat. A significant interaction among fox density, time postcapture, and body condition was also found to influence plasma corticosterone values. These results suggest competition with red fox, perhaps via nutritional stress and increased hypersensitivity of the adrenocortical axis in lizards. At present, without further research, we do not understand whether such responses mediate lizard fitness or whether they have adaptive or maladaptive consequences for lizard populations in response to red fox competition. Nevertheless, our results help broaden understanding of the physiological implications arising from species interactions and specifically how introduced competitors could mediate diverse impacts on native biodiversity.

The distinctive politics of campaign finance reform

This article presents a unified theory explaining several conflicting empirical observations in the politics of campaign finance. It identifies those circumstances that foster or frustrate the enactment of financing laws that increase the competitiveness of elections. I argue that the competitiveness of financing laws is a result of three strong incentives when they operate in differently structured party systems. First, lawmakers have an incentive to make laws to protect their incumbency from competitors. This incentive generally overwhelms the (weaker) incentive to enact popular, competition-enhancing reforms. Secondly, lawmakers, when they act through political parties, have an incentive to cooperate with rivals to reduce the costs of political defeats. Thirdly, lawmakers seek to enact reforms that are consistent with their normative goals. These incentives combine with several party system variables to determine when campaign finance reform is likely to occur and how it will impact on the competitiveness of elections.

Selection on mitochondrial variants occurs between and within individuals in an expanding invasion

Mitochondria are critical for life, yet their underlying evolutionary biology is poorly understood. In particular, little is known about interaction between two levels of evolution: between individuals and within individuals (competition between cells, mitochondria or mitochondrial DNA molecules). Rapid evolution is suspected to occur frequently in mitochondrial DNA, whose maternal inheritance predisposes advantageous mutations to sweep rapidly though populations. Rapid evolution is also predicted in response to changed selection regimes after species invasion or removal of pathogens or competitors. Here, using empirical and simulated data from a model invasive bird species, we provide the first demonstration of rapid selection on the mitochondrial genome within individuals in the wild. Further, we show differences in mitochondrial DNA copy number associated with competing genetic variants, which may provide a mechanism for selection. We provide evidence for three rarely documented phenomena: selection associated with mitochondrial DNA abundance, selection on the mitochondrial control region, and contemporary selection during invasion.

The relationship between start performance and race outcome in elite 500-m short-track speed skating

Initial short-track speed-skating 14-m start performance has substantial influence on 500-m race outcome at the international level, yet the relationship has not been systematically quantified. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between rank position entering first corner (RPEFC) and race outcome and to understand how this relationship changes with competition round and absolute race intensity. Data were compiled from 2011-2014 World Cup seasons and 2010 and 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Association between RPEFC and race outcome was determined through Kendall tau-rank correlations. A visual comparison was made of how the relationship changes with relative competition level (race tau correlations were sorted by competition round) and with race intensity (race tau correlations were sorted by within-event winning time). A very large relationship between RPEFC and race outcome was observed (correlations for cohort, τ = .60; men, τ = .53; women, τ= .67). When examined by competition round (quarter- to A-finals), no substantial change in relationship was observed (men, τ= .57-.46; women, τ= .73-.53). However, when the start-performance relationship was considered by within-event winning time, the relationship strength increased with decreasing time (men, τ = .61 to .46; women, τ = .76 to .57; fastest to 7th- and 8th-fastest combined, respectively). These results establish and quantify RPEFC as an important aspect of elite short-track 500-m race outcome. RPEFC as an indicator of race outcome becomes increasingly important with absolute race intensity, suggesting that RPEFC capability is a discriminating factor for competitors of similar top speed and speed endurance.