Sport Facilities III
338
sport management digest
Journal of Sport Management, 2015, 29, 338 -342 http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2015-0146 © 2015 Human Kinetics, Inc.
Fan Motivation and Social Media
Social media, or social networking websites and platforms, have had a profound impact on ways in which people communicate. Most notably, social media allows individuals with common interests and affiliations to form relationships and communities. This is perhaps most true in the sport context where sport fans, sport organizations, sport franchises, athletes, and the like have the opportunity to interact and communicate with great ease. Recognizing this, the purpose of this study was to investigate the motivation behind fan interactions, with each other and with the team, on eight National Basketball Association (NBA) team Facebook pages. Findings from the author’s netnography and content analysis revealed that fans are driven by passion, hope, esteem, and camaraderie when utilizing Facebook as a means to communicate. From a theoretical perspective, the authors suggest their findings contribute to the literature on the utility of social media in the sport context. Practically and managerially, the findings highlight the ways in which sport managers and marketers can more effectively use social media as a way to effectively reach sport fans.
Stavros, C., Meng, M.D., Westberg, K., & Farrelly, F. (2014). Understanding fan motivation for interacting on social media. Sport Management Review, 17, 455–469. doi:10.1016/j.smr.2013.11.004
A Content Analysis of Sociology of Sport Journals
The purpose of this work was to provide a systematic review of three leading journals in the field of the sociology of sport: the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, Sociology of Sport Journal, and International Review for the Sociology of Sport. Guided by five primary research questions, the author sought to thematically identify the topics, sports, countries, methodologies, and theories most prevalent over a 25 year time span. Utilizing content analysis as the primary research method and Wordle as a secondary research tool, the author provides both written assessments and visual representations of emergent themes for dominant topics, sports, countries of inquiry, methodologies, and theories for each journal, as well as for the three journals combined. Recognizing the impact of journal editors, editorial boards, and peer reviewers on the prevalence of these themes, the author encourages the readers of these journals to reflect upon the nature of the peer-review process and use the findings to critically examine the trajectory of works published in the field of the sociology of sport.
Dart, J. (2014). Sports review: A content analysis of the International Review for the Sociology of Sport, the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, and the Sociology of Sport Journal across 25 years. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 49(6), 645–668. doi:10.1177/1012690212465736
Sport for Development and HIV/AIDS Education
Sport for development and peace (SDP) initiatives and organizations view sport as an integral tool for helping persons in disadvantaged communities live better lives. While there are many avenues through which sport can be used as a vehicle to reach this end (e.g., sport and health, sport and peace, etc.), one of the primary focuses is using sport to empower young persons while simultaneously educating them in disease prevention. The author of this work sought to critically examine the curriculum within one specific initiative, Right to Play’s (RTP) Live Safe Play Safe (LSPS) HIV/AIDS prevention program. Aimed at teaching life skills presumed necessary to avoid contracting HIV and AIDS to young Africans in developing countries, the author noted that there was an overemphasis on individual responsibility and a lack of attention paid to larger, historical, political, and structural causes of the spread of HIV/AIDS. Thus, sport is used as a means to connect to individuals, but not used to solve structural issues associated with the disease. The authors suggest RTP continue to examine their purpose if they chose to not discuss and address the political, economic, historical, and structural factors associated with the spread and prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
Forde, S.D. (2014). Look after yourself, or look after one another? An analysis of life skills in sport for development and peace HIV prevention curriculum. Sociology of Sport Journal, 31, 287–303. doi:10.1123/ssj.2013-0103
Coaches and Administrators’ Understanding of Title IX Legislation
Title IX legislation was passed in 1972 in an effort to end gender discrimination in educational institutions; however, in the 21st century, gender equity continues to be an issue in intercollegiate athletic programs. Accordingly, this study explored Title IX literacy among 1,416 NCAA Division I, II, and III coaches and administrators. The study found that a sample of predominately male head coaches had very low knowledge of basic Title IX requirements; whereas
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administrators, comprised predominately of senior women administrators, had moderate knowledge of Title IX as a result of NCAA workshops. Recommendations for yearly Title IX education, the sharing of the annual EADA report with all athletic department personnel, and the formation of a committee to identity and resolve gender equity issues were advanced to encourage an athletic department culture that embraces Title IX mandates. Given evidence of low Title IX literacy among administrators and coaches, this study raises concerns about the impact that lack of understanding of the law has on institutional compliance with the legislation. Moreover, an assessment of the institutional role and benefit of Title IX coordinators may be warranted, as results of this study suggest that the majority of persons that occupy this role are not proactively providing coaches and administrators with Title IX education.
Weight, E., & Staurowsky, E. (2014). Title IX literacy among NCAA administrators and coaches: A critical communications approach. International Journal of Sport Management, 15(3), 1–29.
Whose Responsibility Is It to Educate Sport Coaches
In 2014, the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education met and discussed the roles and responsibilities of kinesiologists regarding sport. This article provided a synopsis of this important discussion, in which the plenary session leader asserted that kinesiologists are the leaders for everything in the kinesiology field, including sport and athletics. Session attendees felt that kinesiologists should not focus on “big-time” sport (i.e. college and professional) as their responsibility is to youth sport. It was further surmised that kinesiologists do not have a significant influence on organized sport because they have been reticent in their involvement. Interestingly, the synopsis of the plenary session did not include any comments about sport management faculty. Similar to kinesiology faculty, it is important for sport management researchers and educators to ask similar questions. Should we focus primarily on the management of higher levels of competitive sport and leave youth sport and coaching education to the kinesiologists? What are our roles and responsibilities regarding sport?
Stoll, S.K. (2014). The roles and responsibilities of kinesiology regarding sport. Quest, 66(3), 302–312. doi:10.1080/00336297.2014.918897
Calling a Technical Foul on Behalf of Female Officials
Similar to many leadership positions in sport, officiating is a male-dominated profession. This phenomenological study used a workplace incivility frame to investigate
the workplace experiences of eight former female basketball officials. The study found that all of the women experienced diminished respect compared to their male counterparts, and all expressed feelings of being an outsider, unwanted, and having their officiating knowledge and capabilities questioned. Moreover, they perceived a lack of transparency and inequities in the allocation of game assignments and endured constant chastisement from coaches, spectators, and players. The study also reported that the lack of female role models and mentors had an adverse impact on their careers. The totality of these experiences resulted in the women sensing a lack of community and subsequently leaving the officiating profession. This study provides pivotal and foremost information on the experiences of female officials. It advances practical recommendations to increase the recruitment and retention of female officials; and is a point of departure for future research on incivility in sport.
Tingle, J.K., Warner, S., & Sartore-Baldwin, M.L. (2014). The experience of former women officials and the impact on the sporting community. Sex Roles, 71, 7–20. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0366-8
Secondary Market Behavior at March Madness
Sport event pricing has drawn significant attention over the last several years due to the growth of the secondary ticket market. Previous research has highlighted the fact that sport organizations price tickets in the inelastic portion of the demand curve. Examining the secondary market provides an opportunity to confirm this notion and understand differences between resale prices and the face value for tickets. The current study examined secondary market ticket prices in a unique environment where several micro-events lead up to a large scale event. In this environment, teams for this event are not known until the week of the micro and main events. The authors of this study examined 2,160 secondary ticket market prices for the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Findings showed the NCAA does not price all of their March Madness micro-events in the inelastic range of demand. Additionally, secondary market behavior was significantly influenced by perceptions of event significance and the attractiveness of an event’s draw, the latter of which being influenced by consumers’ perceptions of the quality of participating teams and the proximity of participating schools from the host site of their competition. Sport managers can use this information to understand consumer value for individual events that are part of a large-scale tournament. Additionally, this research illuminates some of the determinants of price in the secondary market.
Rishe, P.J., Mondello, M., & Boyle, B. (2014). How event significance, team quality, and school proximity affect secondary market behavior at March Madness. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 23, 212–224.
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How College Athletes Used Twitter to Help Save Their Teams
Social media plays a significant role in sport communications and marketing. Previous research has demonstrated how the sports world has become enamored with social media and how networks such as Twitter have proven successful when used for advocacy purposes. The purpose of this study was to analyze how members of the UNCW swimming and diving teams used social media to elicit support in an attempt to prevent their swimming and diving teams from being eliminated. A total of 25 UNCW athletes were interviewed and 1,775 tweets were analyzed. The results suggest that Twitter can be used to raise awareness and create grassroots support for sport initiatives. Through social media usage, UNCW athletes became opinion leaders in the two-step flow of information and used weak ties to get followers of other accounts to rally behind their cause. From a sport management perspective, this study provides evidence of the influence social media can have on policy and administrative decision-making. Social media is more than a tool for marketing and general communication. It can help individuals or groups have a voice that previously may have gone unheard.
Hull, K. (2014). #Fight4UNCWSwimandDive: A case study of how college athletes used Twitter to help save their teams. International Journal of Sport Communication, 7, 533–552. doi:10.1123/ijsc.2014-0030
The Art of Giving and Receiving Advice
Two vital components of effective leadership and decision-making are seeking and giving advice. Those who take advice often make more informed decisions compared to what they would have done on their own. Those who give advice have the opportunity to shape important decisions while empowering others to act. However, these tools are perceived as organic and are seldom taught. This article highlights some important challenges related to giving and receiving advice and how managers can overcome these obstacles. Flawed logic and misinformation can make the process more difficult. The authors highlight challenges when receiving advice such as thinking you already have the answers, choosing the wrong advisors, defining the problem poorly, and discounting valuable advice. Challenges also exist for those giving advice such as overstepping boundaries, misreading the problem, providing self-serving advice, and communicating poorly. These challenges can be overcome by developing the right fit between advice receiver and giver, coming to a mutual understanding of the problem, crafting alternatives, and putting advice into action. Sport managers can use this information to from both a leadership and subordinate role. The values of decisions developed through multiple interactions with people are much stronger than individual decisions. Seeking and giving advice opens the door to well rounded decision making throughout an organization.
Garvin, D.A., & Margolis, J.D., (2015). The art of giving and receiving advice. Harvard Business Review, 93(1/2), 60–71.
Exploring the Gendered Nature of Sport Fandom
While gender equality for athletes has been an important research topic in sport sociology, gender equality amongst sports fans has not garnered as much research attention. There is a prevailing belief that women can not legitimately be sport fans because they cannot properly understand the rules of the game; their interest in men will always exceed or impair their appreciation for sport; and because femininity and sport are diametrically opposed. As a result, women are excluded from sport fan communities. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine the gendered nature of sports fandom from the perspective of 11 women between the ages of 22–65 who identified themselves as sport fans. The participants were asked questions related to their personal and societal definitions of sport fandom, their inclusion or exclusion as a sports fan, and stereotypes of women sport fans. The findings suggest that gender profoundly shapes how the women were understood, the extent to which they identified themselves as sport fans, and the extent to which they are included in sport communities. These findings demonstrate a need for social change in sport fandom.
Esmonde, K., Cooky, C., & Andrews, D. (2015). “It’s supposed to be about the love of the game, not the love of Aaron Rodgers’ Eyes”: Challenging the exclusions of women sports fans. Sociology of Sport Journal, 32, 22–48. doi:10.1123/ssj.2014-0072
The Relationship Between Well-Being and Sport
Researchers and policy-makers have suggested that participation in sporting activities can have positive effects on an individual’s physical and mental well-being. However, there has been limited research exploring well-being as a result of sport participation from the participants’ perspective. The current study used the phenomenological approach to explore how sport may provide opportunities for participants to experience well- being. This study highlights the dimensions of well-being and offers a range of well-being experiences that are possible through sport. These include a sense of dwelling, mobility, or dwelling-mobility within the life-world dimensions of temporarily, spatiality, mood, embodiment, inter-subjectivity, and identity. This work contributes to the existing literature by focusing on subjective human experiences and identifying different pathways in which sport can foster well-being. Thus, providing a framework for future sport research concerned with well- being.
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Mayoh, J., & Jones, I. (2014). Making well-being an experiential possibility: The role of sport. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 7(2), 235–252. doi: 0.1080/2159676X.2014.893901
Twitter and Concussion Awareness
The popularity and prevalence of social media has provided doctors, journalists, and activists with an outlet to draw attention to the dangers of concussions from playing football. In this study, the authors sought to understand how advocates utilized Twitter to spread their message during the 2013 Super Bowl. The framework for this study was grounded in the concept of digital activism, the history of concussion awareness in the NFL, and the usage of Twitter as an integral part of sport culture and advocacy. The study utilized tweets from 92 public Twitter users that were considered advocates. Data were collected during the entire day of 2013 Super Bowl. This resulted in 289 tweets that were recorded and categorized. While social media during the Super Bowl provided an important platform for activists, the data demonstrated that the sample did not take full advantage of the opportunity. This article offers insight on how sport and health advocates can better use social media to spread their message.
Hull, K., & Schmittel, A. (2015). A fumbled oppor- tunity? A case study of Twitter’s role in concussion awareness opportunities during the Super Bowl. Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 39(1), 78–94. doi:10.1177/0193723514558928
Role of Social Exchange in Athlete Performance
Social exchange theory (SET) has been studied in sport management at the athlete-coach, coach-employer, and athlete-team levels. However, there is limited literature on testing the interactions between athlete-coach and athlete-team within intercollegiate athletics. This study’s aim was to explore the impact of multiple exchange relationships on overall performance, while bridging a gap in literature on intercollegiate athletic dyads and offering practitioner-based comprehension of social exchange. Results indicated that student-athletes perceive greater role fulfillment and commitment when multiple interpersonal relationships with coaches and teammates
were positive. When examining multiple dyadic relationships in sport, the use of the SET was validated in athlete role fulfillment. From a practical application standpoint, the results indicate that for student athlete’s to feel a sense of role fulfillment and athletic success there is a direct correlation with positive interaction with coaches and teammates.
Czekanski, W.A., & Turner, B.A. (2014). Social exchange and performance in intercollegiate athletics. Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, 7, 367–389.
Fantasy Sport Participation in Non-Fans
Fantasy sport participation has often been studied from a sport fan consumer perspective. However, there is limited literature on testing the participation and consumption habits of self-identified, non-fans. This study examined non-fan perceptions, attitudes, and intentions towards NASCAR. Using fantasy sports as an intervention tool to spur attitude change, a mixed-method investigation was framed through the use of the path analytic model to examine the variables. The pre-post time-series survey results indicated that attitudes towards NASCAR influenced word-of-mouth while focus group data noted that non-fan attitudes were strengthened via fantasy participation. Practitioners can find this study useful when looking at alternative avenues for converting non-fans into active consumers. Specific to NASCAR, practitioners can form partnerships with local retail to solidify fandom and repeat consumer behavior patterns while including interactive activities for non-fans to stimulate attitudinal change.
Goldsmith, A.L., & Walker, M. (2014). The NASCAR experience: Examining the influence of fantasy sport participation on ‘non-fans.’ Sport Management Review. doi:10.1016/j.smr.2014.06.001
Edited by Jeremy S. Jordan
Digest Contributors Melanie Sartore-Baldwin Jacqueline McDowell Stephen Shapiro Matthew Walker Stacy Warner
Copyright of Journal of Sport Management is the property of Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
Copyright of Journal of Sport Management is the property of Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.