Alison Doherty

The volunteer legacy of a major sport event

The purpose of this study was to understand the volunteer legacy of a major sport event and identify aspects of the event that shaped future voluntary action in the host community. Social exchange theory framed the examination of volunteers’ positive and negative experiences with the event as a predictor of future behavioral intentions. A total of 1098 volunteers involved with the 2001 Canada Summer Games completed a post‐event survey. In general, planning volunteers’ future volunteering was particularly influenced by experienced costs of the event (task overload, personal inconvenience), although contributing to the community and a positive life experience were also predictive of their future involvement. In contrast, on‐site volunteers’ future volunteering was more influenced by experienced benefits of the event, including social enrichment, community contribution, and a positive life experience. However, personal inconvenience and task underload were also predictive of their future involvement. The findings have implications for event policy and management that should acknowledge the potential for major sport events to engender a legacy of volunteering.

Managing Our Human Resources: A Review of Organisational Behaviour in Sport

Human resources, which are critical to organisational effectiveness, must be effectively managed. Human resource management relies on the ability to explain and predict organisational behaviour (OB), which is the attitudes and behaviours of individuals and groups in the organisation; their satisfaction, commitment, performance, and so on. OB research is directed toward identifying the determinants of these attitudes and behaviours, and further outcomes including organisational effectiveness. This paper examines what we know about OB in sport, according to the nature of the research conducted (variables, analyses, contexts, research methods). A conceptual model of the relationships among work environment factors, as determinants of OB, and important affective and behavioural outcomes at the individual and group levels, is presented. The model provides a framework for an extensive review of OB research in sport, and encourages discussion about the trends and gaps in our knowledge of OB and human resource management.

Sport and physical recreation in the settlement of immigrant youth

Abstract Post‐migration sport and physical activity experiences may assist young people with the impact of migration and settlement. To investigate the role of sport and physical recreation in the process of “fitting in” to a new country, focus group interviews were conducted with 40 ESL high school students from various ethnic backgrounds who were recent immigrants to a regional city in Canada. Findings revealed that sport and recreation are perceived to be fun, healthy, and helpful in the development of language skills and in providing orientation to the mainstream culture; factors that have been identified elsewhere as key to successful immigrant settlement (e.g., Scott & Scott, 1989; Seat, 2000). However, participation in sport may lead to feelings of social exclusion on the part of young newcomers, because of language difficulties, unfamiliarity with mainstream sports, and prejudice on the part of their peers. The findings have implications for policy and programming that includes sport and physical recreation activities that can enhance the impact of migration.

Learning From the Experiences of Older Adult Volunteers in Sport: A Serious Leisure Perspective

Abstract A sample of older adult volunteers (N = 20, 65 years and older) in community sport organizations was interviewed in order to understand their experiences with volunteering. An interdisciplinary framework of serious leisure, older adult volunteering, and older adult leisure was used to interpret the findings. Volunteering in this context was found to be consistent with serious leisure based on characteristics such as substantial involvement, strong identification with the activity, and the need to persevere. Older adults viewed their experience as extremely positive, enabling them to make a meaningful contribution and to receive several benefits of participation. The most frequently noted negative experience was interpersonal relations, yet overall, this was not enough to drive participants away from this activity. Implications for enhancing older adult volunteering are discussed and avenues for future research are provided.

Adolescent sport, recreation and physical education: experiences of recent arrivals to Canada.

This paper explores the perceived benefits and challenges of sport, recreation and physical education participation of culturally diverse adolescent girls and boys who are recent arrivals to Canada. The aim of the research was to further our understanding of the attitudes and experiences of English as a second language (ESL) students. Following from the Ethnicity and Public Recreation Participation Model (Gómez, 2002), we examined the language acculturation, sub-cultural identity and perceived discrimination of ESL students, as well as the perceived benefits and challenges to participation in physical education, sport and recreation. To that end, a questionnaire was completed by 87 upper-level ESL students, and focus group interviews were conducted with a further sub-sample of 40 students, from three metropolitan schools. Drawing on both sets of data, we discuss how perceptions of benefits, challenges and other considerations interplay with gender, ethnicity and participation in sport, recreation and physical education.

Leader Intentions and Employee Perceptions of Organizational Culture in a Private Fitness Corporation

Abstract Understanding “how things are done around here” is an integral part of managing any organization. Organizational culture may impact the attitudes and behaviour of members, and the performance of the organization as a whole. Thus, the indoctrination of positive values, that become widely understood, is the likely intention of the organizations leaders. This study examined leader intentions and employee perceptions of organizational culture, as well as the existence of distinct subcultures, and the further influence of subculture on staff behaviour (intent to leave) and organizational performance (profit margin, client retention). Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to describe the specific culture of the focal organization. The study revealed a significant culture gap between the leaders’ intentions and employee perceptions, and the existence of subcultures by organizational level (head office versus club). The strength of the respective subcultures was inversely associated with employee intentions to leave the organization, however club subculture had little association with performance in terms of profit margin or client retention rates. The findings suggest that culture has a more direct influence on employees and a less direct influence, if any, on organizational performance. The results extend our understanding of the nature and influence of organizational culture and subcultures, and have implications for their management within the focal organization.

Managing People in Sport Organizations : A Strategic Human Resource Management Perspective

1. Introduction 2. Managing Human Resources in Sport Organisations 3. Job Analysis and Design in Sport Organisations 4. Recruiting and selecting candidates in Sport Organisations 5. Orienting New Employee and Volunteers in Sport Organisations 6. Training and Development in Sport Organisations 7. Performance Management and Appraisal in Sport Organisations 8. Motivation and Reward Systems in Sport Organisations 9. Sport Organisations and Managing Outsourcing Arrangements 10. Sport Organisations and Succession management11. Sport Organisations and Diversity Management 12. Sport Organisations and Employee Relations 13. Managing Change and Future Challenges

Temporary Work, Underemployment and Workplace Accommodations: Relationship to Well‐Being for Workers with Disabilities

This study examines whether employment status and workplace accommodations are associated with perceived well-being among workers with disabilities. Data from the 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey conducted by Statistics Canada were used to test the relationship between employment status, receipt of workplace accommodations and well-being. Findings indicated that fully utilized permanent employees showed greater life satisfaction and less perceived disability-related discrimination than either temporary workers or permanent workers who were underemployed. These findings support the theory that inadequate employment is associated with deleterious effects on employee well-being due to inferior need fulfilment and reduced social status. Workplace accommodations were associated with higher levels of well-being for all workers with disabilities and helped to mitigate the negative effects of temporary status and underemployment. These findings supported the theoretical extension of main effect and buffering models of workplace stress to the prediction of perceived workplace discrimination.

Toward a Multidimensional Framework of Capacity in Community Sport Clubs

Community sport clubs are a type of membership association largely run by member volunteers who organize and deliver opportunities for recreational and competitive sport participation. These clubs are where people are most likely to engage in organized sport, and have become a focus for achieving social policy objectives. It is important to understand the structures and processes that enable these organizations to meet their member-focused mandates. The purpose of this study was to develop a framework of organizational capacity in this context by uncovering critical elements within multiple capacity dimensions, namely, human resources, finance, infrastructure, planning and development, and external relationships. Focus groups with presidents of 51 sport clubs across Ontario revealed key strengths and challenges that impact the ability of these organizations to achieve their sport delivery goals. Variation by club size was observed. Implications for practice and future research on community sport clubs and membership associations are presented.

“It’s Not Conflict, It’s Differences of Opinion” An In-Depth Examination of Conflict in Nonprofit Boards

To properly manage conflict, the mechanisms of the complex conflict process must be understood. Building on existing research, the purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the conflict process by examining nonprofit board member experiences with task, process, and relationship conflict, identifying latent conditions that influence the likelihood of these conflict types, and exploring the impact of conflict within nonprofit boards. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 provincial sport organization (PSO) board members. The findings revealed that board members downplayed conflict because of its negative connotation. Furthermore, task, process, and relationship conflict were each described according to continuums of intensity ranging from respectful and professional discussion to heated and rigorous debate. The intensity of each type of conflict was perceived to be influenced by specific latent conditions and to influence both group and individual outcomes. These findings highlight the complex nature of intragroup conflict in this setting and demonstrate the need to identify intensity when examining task, process, and relationship conflict. Implications for research and practice are presented.