IJSM Contents & Abstracts Volume 22, (2021)

NUMBER 1, JANUARY, 2021
ISBN 978-0-89641-609-3

  • Playing for ‘Team America’: The Expectations and Experiences of American Postgraduate Athletes at One British University — Pete Schroeder — Athlete migration is a significant component of the sport-globalization nexus. While professional athlete migration is multifaceted, college athlete migration has flowed typically to the United States. Recently a new migration pattern has emerged as British universities have begun recruiting American postgraduate athletes. Using Love and Kim’s (2011) migrant athlete typologies, this paper presents a case study of the expectations and experiences of American postgraduate athletes at one British university. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 athletes in ten sports. Observational data were collected during practices, games, and social experiences. Transcriptions and field notes were interpreted using thematic analysis. Results indicated that the athletic, academic, and social experiences did not meet the varied expectations of American migrants. However, participants valued the transformative experiences as postgraduate athletes. These experiences are somewhat consistent with those of college migrants in the U.S., but the results better reflect perspectives conveyed in research on professional migrants. Keywords: labor migration, intercollegiate athletics (1-26)

  • The Application of Residual Control Rights Theory to the Entrusted Operating Agreements of Multi-Purpose Sports Complexes in China An Exploration Based on Content Analysis — Yunxia Ding, Yelena Y. Wang, Thomas A. Baker III — China places high expectations on reforming its sport industry through streamlined administration on the part of the government and increased delegation of authority to private actors (Pan, 2018). Public-private partnerships (PPP) in sport facilities produce positive effects but are not without serious complications that have undermined the reforming purpose. This study addresses the gap that exists because no studies have examined or evaluated practice reform outcomes with regard to the entrusted operation of multi-purpose sports complexes in China. Also, this study is the first economic theory-oriented exploration of Chinese sport-related contract law. Through a content analysis examination of 1) Contract Law and Law on Physical Culture and Sports; 2) a sample of entrusted operating agreements; and 3) semi-structured interviews with the multi-purpose sports complex operators, the authors found that the extant contract mechanism in China does not guarantee that service integrators can fully and autonomously operate within the law. Furthermore, this mechanism cannot fully ensure that the government achieves the goal of asset preservation and appreciation because of the bounded rationality of the government, the existence of contracting and dispute costs, and the lack of industrial eco-management thinking. Our findings underscore the significance of introducing residual rights of control (Hart, 1988) into entrusted operating agreements to optimize the transition of the Chinese sport industry. Keywords: Multi-Purpose Sports Complex, Entrusted Operating Agreement, Residual Control Rights, Service Integrator, Content Analysis (27-54)

  • Experiential Learning from an International Perspective: An Empirical Study of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand — Trish Bradbury, Eric C. Schwarz, Andrew Lenton — Curricular and co-curricular experiential learning has become a vital component of higher education degree programs. This study examines the evolution of experiential learning in sport management from an international perspective. Self-administered surveys were completed by 98 sport industry organizations in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to analyze industry practitioners’ perceptions of the importance of various general education/liberal arts, business management, and sport management competencies gained through the sport management curriculum. Furthermore, it aimed to determine whether there was an optimal level of experiential learning from industry practitioners’ viewpoints. The results highlight the continued and evolving importance of experiential learning within college/university degree programs, and that experiential learning builds beneficial partnerships that prepare students to become future sport management industry practitioners. Keywords: experiential learning, sport management curriculum, competencies, practica/internships (55-73)

  • Scarcity Effects on Sport Consumer Behavior — Derek R. Walton, Brian A. Turner — During times of product or service restriction, commodity theory has been used in disciplines such as psychology and marketing to explore how product scarcity affects consumer behavior (American Psychological Association, n.d.; Brock, 1968; Lynn, 1991). Although shown to be a beneficial strategy for marketing practitioners (Cialdini, 2008), this theory lacks presence in the sport marketing literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was three-fold: 1) introduce commodity theory to the sport marketing literature; 2) apply commodity theory directly to the sport product through reasoning; 3) analyze sport consumer behavioral responses to the scarcity of sport pertaining to perceived desirability, consumption, and willingness to buy. Results from the repeated measures ANOVA indicated a significant conditional effect, revealing an increase on all three constructs amongst participants after product restriction and therefore postulating support for commodity theory when applied to the sport product. Finally, implications of commodity theory in sport management are discussed. (74-93)

NUMBER 2, APRIL, 2021
ISBN 978-0-89641-611-6

  • Antecedents of Sport Team Identification: Testing for Invariance across Local and Distant Sports Fans — Yannis Lianopoulos, Nicholas D. Theodorakis, Antonis Gardikiotis, Nikolaos Tsigilis, Athanasio Koustelios — Although prior studies have reported that distant (i.e., foreign) team identification can predict several benefits for sport teams, few attempts have been made to examine the factors that can foster this construct. a great amount of research has helped advance the knowledge regarding the factors that can foster the levels of local (i.e., home) team identification, few have made efforts to explain such topics with respect to fans who prefer to identify with distant (i.e. foreign) sport teams. Moreover, limited research has explored the possible similarities or differences concerning the identification’s antecedents between these two fan categories. The purpose of the current study was to propose a hypothesized model that incorporates four well-established antecedents of local (i.e., home) team identification factors (e.g., vicarious achievement, history and tradition, team similarity, and domain involvement) that could be able to predict fans’ identification with local and distant teams and to test for invariance across the two fan groups. Data was collected from visitors of three Greek websites (one news site, one sport site, and one sport site that focuses exclusively on non-Greek football teams) (N = 1,142), consisting of 1,163 local and 279 distant fans. The results from the structural invariance analysis showed that the hypothesized antecedents significantly predicted team identification in both samples. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Keywords: Team identification, antecedents, local fans, distant fans, sport fan behavior. (97- 132)

  • Exploring Recreation Participation and Sense of Community in the Canadian Military — Hilary Pollock, Martha Barnes — Sense of community is believed to be greater when individuals are actively engaged in their communities. Attaining a sense of community for individuals working in the Canadian military can be challenging for a number of reasons including the high percentage of personnel who live off base, frequent moves, and continual deployments. Complicating these living conditions are concerns around alarming rates of increased mental health issues which encompass depression, suicidal thoughts, and traumatic brain injuries. Participating in recreation and sport activities can provide opportunities for engagement, thereby fostering a sense of community. However, scholars have noted that communities, including military communities across North America, are seeing a decline in community services participation (e.g., recreation, sport) which negatively impacts sense of community. The purpose of this research was to study the relationship between participation in recreational opportunities and sense of community in a Canadian military setting. Questionnaires were administered at a Canadian Armed Forces Base. Results indicated that three sense of community factors: voluntary action, common interest, and administrative consideration, predicted recreation participation among Canadian Armed Forces members. The results create a unique discussion for scholars and military personnel regarding the relationship among each of these factors, as these factors are all related to personal and group cohesion. Future research should explore sense of community in other military settings to further understand the role of recreation and sense of community. (133-150)

  • Examining a Sport-Based Youth Development Program’s Impact on the Resilience of Racially and Economically Marginalized Youth — Trevor Bopp, Joshua D. Vadeboncoeur, Melissa Weinsz — Sport-based youth development (SBYD) programs utilize sport to positively contribute to youth’s overall development. It is professed sport provides experiences and a context in which life skills and development assets can be learned and practiced, so as to transfer into other life occurrences. Resilience, the ability to positively act and adapt while coping with stress, anxiety, and adverse situations, is one such developmental asset. Thus, the overall purpose of this paper is to examine the role of a SBYD program in supporting and enhancing resilience among racially and economically marginalized youth. Interviews reveal that this particular SBYD program is having a positive impact on participants’ ability to better manage, interact with, and persevere in their current environments. One space in which this has been particularly helpful is the youths’ academic resilience. These findings are further discussed with regards to their practical and conceptual application to SBYD program design and curriculum. Keywords: academic engagement, youth of color, resilience, sport-based youth development. (151-170)

  • Service Learning and Travel Abroad in the Dominican Republic: Developing Competencies for International Sport Management — Cynthia M. Veraldo, Dan Yost — The expansion of the sport industry is a global phenomenon and international sport employment opportunities continue to grow. Students should gain the knowledge, communication skills, open-mindedness and cultural sensitivity to be prepared to successfully work abroad (Mumcu, Trendafilova, & Thibault, 2018). Significant deep learning can occur in students engaging in study abroad and service learning (Kuh, O'Donnell, & Reed, 2013). The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of six students who participated in service learning and travel abroad in the Dominican Republic to explore whether these practices are useful in gaining the competencies needed to work internationally in sport. This is a qualitative study in which the researchers used students' personal journals and focus groups to collect the data. Although sample size is small, the analysis revealed evidence that service learning and travel abroad can be useful for students to gain competencies to work internationally in sport. Keywords: qualitative methodology, sport management education, travel abroad, service learning. (170-194)

NUMBER 3, JULY, 2021
ISBN 978-0-89641-616-1

  • Examining the Relationship between Ethical Leadership and Moral Judgments of Sport Managers — Andrew Rudd, Sarah Stokowski — The frequency of unethical behavior in the sport milieu has led to calls for improved ethical leadership and fostering of stronger ethical climates. However, to date, little is known empirically concerning the influences of ethical leadership and ethical climate on ethical outcomes among sport organization subordinates. As a result, a study was conducted to assess the influence of ethical leadership and ethical climate on the moral judgments of sport organization employees. In addition, we examined the relationship between ethical leadership and ethical climate as well as the mediating effect of ethical climate between ethical leadership and moral judgment. The results showed that ethical leadership had almost no relationship with moral judgment. However, ethical leadership was related positively to ethical climate and ethical climate was related positively to moral judgment. Lastly, ethical climate mediated the relationship between ethical leadership and moral judgment. The potential reasons for these relationships are discussed. (197-220)

  • How Managers Influence Individual Player Performance in English Premier League Soccer — Chris Ronningstad — The study examines how manager changes in the English Premier League influenced the individual performance of elite soccer players. In the period 2010–2018, the findings describe how individual players (N = 350) on 27 teams performed during the season after a manager change compared with the previous season. The study tests four hypotheses concerning manager characteristics that may influence team performance and empirically tests whether the same characteristics may influence individual player’s performance. The study makes theoretical, ontological, cultural, and methodological arguments for the importance of considering individual player performance in the study of soccer managers and suggests several paths for future study. Keywords: manager characteristics, elite soccer players, team manager changes, player performance, team performance. (221-240)

  • The Collegiate Sport Club Model: Development of a Conceptual Framework — Leeann M. Lower-Hoppe, W. Andrew Czekanski, J. Patrick Marsh, Jeffrey Petersen, Shea M. Brgoch — Within the amateur sport system, collegiate sport clubs (CSCs) constitute a critical sport outlet across the globe. Despite their prevalence, the social structure of CSCs has yet to be empirically defined, limiting researchers’ and practitioners’ capacity to intentionally refine or reform the CSC model for the evolution and survival of collegiate clubs. The purpose of this study is to empirically define the CSC model using a logic model framework. Qualitative data were collected from 68 sport club officers, four recreational sport professional staff, and 29 university documents across three universities in the United States. Thematic analysis revealed the connections between CSC purposes and assumptions, inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and external factors influencing club operations. CSCs are compared with community sport clubs to position collegiate clubs within the broader amateur sport literature. Implications propose the utility of the CSC model, extension of research and practice, and organizational legitimacy of collegiate clubs. — Key Words: institutional theory; organizational legitimacy; collegiate sport clubs; community sport clubs; logic model. (241-271)

  • Volunteers in Sport Organizations and Events: A Source of Competitive Advantage? — Erik L. Lachance, Milena M. Parent — Using resource-based theory, the purpose of this study was to explore the role of volunteers as a potential source of competitive advantage in sport. Data were gathered from eight semi-structured interviews with four volunteers and four executives (executive director, president) from different sport organizations and events in the same community. Following an inductive and deductive thematic analysis, findings highlight the ability for volunteers to be valuable, rare, and inimitable resources supported by organizational practices, thus representing a source of competitive advantage in sport. These findings indicate how volunteers should be considered when planning and developing the strategic outcomes of sport organizations and events to outperform their competitors (e.g., as brand ambassadors/organizational representatives providing legitimacy to the sport organization or event). To gain a competitive advantage in sport, managers should develop formal human resource management practices and procedures, and incorporate volunteers into their strategic planning. Keywords: performance, success, strategic management, strategy, qualitative, sport management. (272-295)

NUMBER 4, OCTOBER, 2021
ISBN 978-0-89641-621-5

  • Sensitivity of Coach Pay to Team Performance: Evidence from Head Coach Compensation in College Football — Jin Dong Park, Yong-Yeon Ji, Kyoung Tae Kim, Keunsu Han — This study aims to fill the gap by examining the pay-performance sensitivity of NCAA football head coaches in the United States. Based on the NCAA head coaches' compensation data from 2010 to 2020, we explored a) whether the base salary or bonus is contingent upon team performance, b) whether the pay-performance sensitivity differs between public and private universities, and c) whether the pay-performance sensitivity varies between power and non-power conferences. We conducted a robustness regression analysis using alternative team performance measures such as: winning percentage, ranking, and bowl game appearance. The results show that a NCAA football coaches’ bonus is significantly sensitive to the previous year’s team performance among public universities, regardless of the conference to which they belong. This finding suggests that public universities attempt to resolve the conflict of interests by adopting a performance-based compensation plan. Keywords: Pay-performance sensitivity, College football, NCAA head coaches, Performance-based compensation. (297-317)

  • Big Data in Sport Organizations: Organizational Learning Perspectives — Yoseph Mamo, Damon P.S. Andrew — Regardless of the type of sport organization, an understanding of the advent of technology is critical for the exploration and exploitation of knowledge. Given that sport lies at the junction of continued advancement in media technologies, data-rich environments, and unique environmental and organizational features, expert intuiting of big data is the key to organizational learning. By applying an organizational learning perspective, the present study aims to discuss the specific ways in which sport organizations should bear on the topic of big data and its reciprocal impact on the field. More specifically, a greater understanding of the relationships among the unique features of sport in social media interactions, communication channels, and emerging technology can help improve domain operations. Our paper contributes to the sport management literature by highlighting the effects of organizational and environmental contexts on the learning processes of intuiting, interpreting, integrating, and institutionalizing big data in the sport domain. Keywords: big data big data analytics social media organizational learning. (318-335)

  • Impact of Mega Sport Events on Host Country’s Brand Personality: The Moderation of Involvement and Brand Familiarity — Jeeyoon Kim, Kiyoon Oh, Haoztou Pu, Patrick Walsh — With the 2018 Pyeong Chang Winter Olympics, and through the lens of brand personality, this study (1) investigates if Korea’s brand personality perceived by Chinese audiences changed over the event, (2) examines the moderation of event involvement and brand familiarity on the change, and (3) identifies which attributes of brand personality are predictors of behavioral intentions. Based on two-wave surveys and MANOVA, the main effects of time (pre- versus post-event) and the interactions of time x event involvement and time x brand familiarity on Korea’s overall and six attributes (i.e., Sincere, Exciting, Competent, Sophisticated, Outdoorsy, Unique) of brand personality were assessed. The effect of brand personality attributes on visit and purchase intentions were tested with SEM. Significant changes of Korea’s brand personality were reported over the event. Event involvement and brand familiarity moderated the changes. Brand personality positively influenced visit and purchase intentions; the influential brand personality attributes varied by intention-types. Keywords: Olympics, Winter Olympics, destination brand, country brand, brand personality, visit intention, purchase intention, event involvement, brand familiarity, moderation. (335-359)

  • Manuscript Guidelines for Authors — (360-362)

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