"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.

Faster, richer, better: rapid appraisal techniques for the study of IS implementation in virtual communities

A major issue in Information Systems (IS) research is how to combine relevance and rigor (Benbasat and Zmud, 1999) and reduce the widening gap between research results and adoption (Dunn, 1994). Qualitative researchers make use of interpretivist methods to add richness and depth to their understanding of user problems. Interpretivist methods applied to IS implementations can thus result in research which communicates those findings more effectively. However standard interpretivist data-collection and analysis methods can be time-consuming and expensive. Findings based on these methods may be irrelevant to practitioners by the time they reach publication stage. A potential solution to this problem lies in Rapid Appraisal or RA, a qualitative appraisal methodology derived from rural development-related research. It offers IS researchers an additional technique for learning and acquiring relevant information in a limited period of time that  supplements current data collection and analysis techniques. RA adds value to the traditional approach for studying diffusion of innovation, supporting and extending the IS researcher’s qualitative ‘tool-kit’. In this paper we review an electronic gateway designed to facilitate the diffusion of an Australian government to business [G2B] export documentation system, EXDOC, which was first implemented with meat producers. RA techniques were used to collect and analyse data regarding the implementation of the first regional Electronic Trade Facilitation Center [ETFC] successfully established for Australian exporters in the horticulture sector. The findings from the original EXDOC implementation in the meat sector were confirmed and extended through this study. These include the importance of developing a governance structure that ensures all community members share the benefits of an implementation and the fact that virtual trading communities are attractive to users only if they add value to their business and extend standard ways of operating. Interactive interviews, part of the RA approach; also enabled us to expand our understanding of the way in which procedures developed in the course of implementing an electronic market represent value-adding opportunities for virtual trading communities. The paper has special relevance for researchers investigating adoption and diffusion issues experienced by small-scale producers with low exposure to technology in remote and rural settings.

Identifying supply chain management and e-commerce opportunities at PaperCo Australia

Established supply chain management techniques such as Quick Response (QR) or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) have proven the potential benefits of reorganizing an organization’s processes to take advantage of the characteristics of electronic information exchange. As the Internet and other proprietary networks expand, however, organizations have the opportunity to use this enabling infrastructure to exchange other, more varied types of information than traditional electronic data interchange (EDI) messages. This is especially true of companies with global operations and interests, which lead to a more diverse set of trading activities. This case presents the experiences of a large Australian paper products manufacturer in implementing an electronic document exchange strategy for supply chain management, including the drivers for change which spurred their actions, and describes the issues associated with trying to support existing and future requirements for document exchange across a wide variety of trading partners. The experiences of PaperCo will be relevant to organizations with diverse trading partners, especially small to medium enterprises (SMEs).

iTeach we learn via mobile apps : "a case study in a business course"

Mobile smart phones and Mobile applications (apps) can be seen as an added opportunity for education and for teachers in particular, this can be true if educational institutions are willing to enable this type of delivery mechanism. With the recent development of app technologies in today’s society and the shift towards mobile technologies (devices and applications), it seems hard to imagine better devices and tools that can grant students easy and on demand access to learning content. These smart devices and technologies are multitasking and can offer variety of educational apps that teachers and students are able to integrate into their daily learning activities and can carry with them anywhere. In this paper mobile apps and their integration in education are discussed, a case study on the use of three mobile apps (e-Lecture-Producer, Dropbox and QR Code) in an educational setting in a Business e-commerce course is described. Results and outcomes are discussed based on the results from the case study.

Paraoxonase (PON)1 Q192R functional genotypes and PON1 Q192R genotype by smoking interactions are risk factors for the metabolic syndrome, but not overweight or obesity

Background The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex of multiple risk factors that contribute to the onset of cardiovascular disorder, including lowered levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and abdominal obesity. Smoking, mood disorders, and oxidative stress are associated with the MetS. Paraoxonase (PON)1 is an antioxidant bound to HDL, that is under genetic control by functional polymorphisms in the PON1 Q192R coding sequence. Aims and methods This study aimed to delineate the associations of the MetS with plasma PON1 activity, PON1 Q192R genotypes, smoking, and mood disorders (major depression and bipolar disorder), while adjusting for HDL cholesterol, body mass index, age, gender, and sociodemographic data. We measured plasma PON1 activity and serum HDL cholesterol and determined PON1 Q192R genotypes through functional analysis in 335 subjects, consisting of 97 with and 238 without MetS. The severity of nicotine dependence was measured using the Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Scale. Results PON1 Q192R functional genotypes and PON1 Q192R genotypes by smoking interactions were associated with the MetS. The QQ and QR genotypes were protective against MetS while smoking increased metabolic risk in QQ carriers only. There were no significant associations between PON1 Q192R genotypes and smoking by genotype interactions and obesity or overweight, while body mass index significantly increased MetS risk. Smoking and especially severe nicotine dependence are significantly associated with the MetS although these effects were no longer significant after considering the effects of the smoking by PON1 Q192R genotype interaction. The MetS was not associated with mood disorders, major depression or bipolar disorder. Discussion PON1 Q192R genotypes and genotypes by smoking interactions are risk factors for the MetS that together with lowered HDL and increased body mass and age contribute to the MetS.

Expert in my pocket: creating first person POV videos to enhance mobile learning

Worldwide, there has been a rapid increase in both the use of mobile technologies as a conduit for student learning and the use of wearable cameras to record sporting and recreational activities. The Expert in My Pocket project (EiMP) has combined these two technologies to produce a repository of freely available short videos and supporting materials to enhance student development of psychomotor clinical skills. The videos are presented from a first person point of view (1PPOV) with expert health professionals ‘thinking aloud’ as they demonstrate selected skills. Research indicates that students and educators overwhelmingly support the concept of EiMP videos and more importantly value the 1PPOV as an authentic view. This paper demonstrates the techniques and equipment employed to produce these videos, which consisted of a chest or head mounted GoPro camera operated via an iPad. Additionally, the paper explains another innovative feature, Quick Response (QR) Codes, that when linked to the videos placed on equipment assists with “just in time” mobile learning.

Using hermeneutic phenomenology to investigate how experienced practitioners learn to communicate clinical reasoning

This paper is primarily targeted at doctoral students and other researchers considering using hermeneutic phenomenology as a research strategy. We present interpretive paradigm research designed to investigate how experienced practitioners learn to communicate their clinical reasoning in professional practice. Twelve experienced physiotherapy practitioners participated in this research. Using hermeneutic phenomenology enabled access to a phenomenon that is often subconscious and provided a means of interpreting participants’ experiences of personal learning journeys. Within the philosophy underpinning hermeneutic phenomenology, researchers need to design a research strategy that flows directly from the research question and goals of the research project. This paper explores such a strategy.

Accessibility impact of proposed Australian high speed rail

High speed rail (also commonly known as HSR) is highly regarded as one of the most significant innovation for mass passenger transportation to travellers willing to pay for reduced travel impediments (shorter travel time, convenience, safety, security, comfort, reliability, flexibility, uniqueness and attractiveness). The transport policy in Australia has until now focused primarily on private passenger car transport and air transportation to the degree that State and Federal Governments’ commitments and actions of rail-oriented mass transportation system still remains sketchy in spite of occasional political and public attentions into it. This has resulted in a limited use of passenger rail as a regional transport system. Using one of the several alternative HSR alignments proposed for the South-Eastern Coast of Australia connecting Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane, this study assesses the regional accessibility impacts of Australian HSR system by means of four indicators: location accessibility, economic potential accessibility, daily accessibility and commuting accessibility. These indicators are commonly used in transport geography literature and they offer different concepts of changes in regional accessibility conditions due to a long distance transport system. The results provide an understanding of differential effects on regional accessibility based on the geographical location and size of urban areas along HSR corridor.