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.

Regimes of risk: the need for a pedagogy for peer groups

Peer groups matter more than we think. In this paper we assert that peer group commitments and affiliations are often the primary social reference in determining the way young people think about and practice risk. It is, we argue, inappropriate to impose adult constructions of risk-taking and anti-social behaviour when trying to assert influence over the decisions and practices young people make in the context of their peers. Prominent in our discussion is a concern that mainstream educational theory and practice focuses disproportionately on the individual and their capacity to make rational and independent choices. We believe that within this individualizing framework, teachers have only a very limited capacity to influence the practices and decisions young people make in the presence of their peers, their friends. To ground this discussion we juxtapose the actions and interactions of two young male peer groups, to highlight their respective constructions of group identity.

Peer groups, power and pedagogy : the limits of an educational paradigm of separation

In contrast to the plethora of literature that suggests that the increasing gulf between teachers and young people is due to the shifting interests and expectations of young people, the focus of this paper is on the roles teachers play in this relationship. Provoking interest is a concern that some of the assumptions that underpin 'mainstream' pedagogic theory and practice might actually contribute, albeit unwittingly, to hardening rather than softening the communication divide. Drawing on an incident that took place between a group of 7–8 year old males in a primary school setting, the authors reveal the limits of a teaching paradigm that encourages teachers to adopt authoritative positions from which to separate and individualise student behaviour. In theoretical terms, they argue that the application of this paradigm asserts an exaggerated notion of agency to individuals in the construction of identity. In practical terms it promotes processes that individualise behaviour as a way of dealing with miscreance. Together these manifest themselves as a 'pedagogy of separation'. The process of building more productive pedagogic relationships, it is concluded, needs to begin with teachers better recognising and engaging with the collective investments of young people.

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.

Bad, mad and sad : developing a methodology of inclusion and a pedagogy for researching students with intellectual disabilities

A critical question for me as a teacher/researcher in the field of inclusive education is how to reposition children with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities as participants rather than subjects in the debate. In this paper, I develop a methodology of inclusion that comprises an ethics of consent and a pedagogy for research participation that is an opportunity not only to teach, but also to create a new discursive space for six children to speak. The discussion explores a range of methodological and interpretive strategies for including children with significant intellectual disabilities in research: issues of informed consent, the negotiation of power relations and the ways in which this innovative pedagogy can be empowering beyond the research situation. The use of this methodology has provocative implications concerning what might be learned about forging a link between the struggle for change and educational policy/practice if other researchers worked towards creating spaces for these most marginalized children to speak.

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

Examining integrated advertising and sponsorship in corporate marketing through televised sport

To determine how integrated TV advertising and event sponsorship should be best managed and evaluated, a theoretical framework derived from global exploratory research of academic literature and consulting reports was validated by 16 experts. To benchmark the current practices against the best practice integration methods, 12 campaigns, which had sponsored a televised event and placed advertisements during the broadcast of the event, were analyzed via case studies. The investigated competitions included the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament in London and the Olympic Games in Sydney. The examined brands comprised automotive, financial services, retail chain, office equipment, and consumer goods. A total of 24 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted-two for each case-one interview with an internal marketing executive from the promoted corporation, and a second with an external respondent from the advertising agency, event management organization, market research firm, or television channel. The study identified the key techniques that led to increased corporate sales-four steps and four objectives with necessary performance measures.

Creating spaces for pedagogy : research as learning

As teacher-educators, the authors designed and implemented a small study that mapped teacher-education students' understandings of their own identities and how they made sense of ethnicity and class differences among their secondary students while on teaching rounds. While the authors did not set out to 'teach' their research participants, it was during the analysis of data from the research project, that they began to realise the potential of research to create opportunities for learning. In this paper the authors speculate on the 'conditions' of knowledge production and suggest that the dialogic nature of interviews and focus group discussions can offer pedagogical spaces for learning. Research designs that incorporate opportunities for participants to re-tell narratives over periods of time, may position participants as experts in knowledge production and may reposition them and researchers in more equitable power relations. The authors present an example of one participant's narrative together with their interpretations to explore how research potentially offers 'evidence' of learning. While this is tentative only, the authors suggest there is a need to create spaces for pedagogy in the design and execution of educational research.