Christopher John Auld

The Role of Leisure in Determining Quality of Life: Issues of Content and Measurement

Traditional approaches to themeasurement of leisures relationship toquality of life have emphasised place-centredindicators (e.g., the frequency of leisurefacility usage) and tended to ignoreperson-centred criteria (e.g., satisfactionwith leisure experiences). Moreover, theunderlying assumption in subsequent policyoutcomes has been that increasing the number offacilities and services will automaticallyenhance peoples QOL. This paper focuses onboth the content and measurement of leisure andits relationship to quality of life. Itreports the results of a study that examinedthe relative importance of selected place andperson-centred leisure attributes in predictingquality of life. The study tested a set ofobjective and subjective indicators that peopleare most concerned with in their leisure lives. Overall, it was found that the person-centredleisure attribute, leisure satisfaction, wasthe best predictor of quality of life. Place-centred attributes failed to influencequality of life. Further analysis revealedthat people who engage in social activitiesmore frequently and who are more satisfied withthe psychological benefits they derive fromleisure, experience higher levels of perceivedquality of life. The results suggest thatthere is a need to reconcile objectiveknowledge with subjective perceptions ofleisure in order to achieve greaterunderstanding and comprehensive measurement ofthis complex domain and its relationship toquality of life.

Predicting the behavioral dependability of sport event volunteers

The dependability of volunteers in completing work assignments can impact upon the financial and operational success of major sport events and presents a significant challenge for event organizers. Despite the short-term nature of many events and the apparently manageable level of commitment, volunteers sometimes exhibit less than satisfactory levels of compliance to assigned tasks. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study examined the behavioral dependability of operational-level volunteers at major sport events. A preevent and postevent survey protocol was used to gather data from volunteers (n = 391) at five events. The study measured the attitudes and beliefs of event volunteers and their self-reported level of behavioral dependability. Using multiple regression analysis, the study found that a number of attitudinal beliefs about volunteering, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predicted behavioral dependability. It was concluded that the TPB was a useful theoretical framework for conceptualizing and predicting the behavior of major event volunteers but the generalizability of these findings was limited because the significant predictors of dependability were not consistent across all of the events studied.

Perceptions of Role Ambiguity by Chairpersons and Executive Directors in Queensland Sporting Organisations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of role ambiguity experienced by the chairpersons and executive directors of Queensland State Sporting Organisations, specifically how role ambiguity was related to organisational design, satisfaction with organisational communication, and tenure. Data were collected by means of a mailed self-administered questionnaire from a sample of 118 paid executive directors and volunteer elected chairpersons. A response rate of 68% was obtained. The results indicated that there was no significant difference in the perception of role ambiguity by chairpersons and executive directors. However, role ambiguity was negatively related to organic organisational design, satisfaction with communication, and tenure.

Career volunteering in commodity-intensive serious leisure: motorsport events and their dependence on volunteers/amateurs.

RESUMELa principale motivation du benevolat dans le domaine des loisirs est le desir d’avoir une experience recreative. Cependant, un engagement soutenu dans le travail benevole ( « benevolat professionnel »), l’amateurisme et les activites recreatives ont en commun les traits des « loisirs serieux » (Stebbins, 1997b), et avec le temps, de tels enthousiastes en viennent a partager le meme monde social (Unruh, 1979; Stebbins, 1997a). Stebbins a concu le modele des loisirs serieux a trois composantes independantes – les professionnels, les amateurs et les publics (le systeme P-A-P) – pour analyser les univers sociaux des amateurs. Yoder (1997) a modifie ce systeme en remplacant les « agents professionnels / agents de services » et « amateurs / publics » du modele de Stebbin. La presente recherche examine la pertinence des travaux de Yoder pour une etude des benevoles amateurs de la course Queensland 500 V8 SuperCar qui ont ete interroges sur la nature de leurs activites benevoles dans le cadre des sports mo...

Managing Volunteers to Enhance Legacy Potential of Major Events

The dependence of major events on volunteer labour is well established. Vol-unteers are an essential component of the success of major events and, more-over, the scale and scope of the event volunteer workforce frequently makes volunteers the most visible element of events and the one with whom most participants and/or spectators interact. For example, the Sydney Olympic Games utilized approximately 47,000 volunteers (SOCOG, 2000) and a fur-ther 15,000 volunteers contributed their skills to Sydney’s Paralympic Games. Cashman (2006), however, reported that the total volunteer workforce for both events was over 70,000. Cuskelly et al. (2006) also indicated that the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and the 2006 Doha Asian Games each utilized more than 15,000 volunteers and that even single-sport events, such as the 2007 Rugby World Cup (3000 volunteers) and the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup (3500 volunteers), require considerable numbers of volun-teers. Furthermore, there has been a trend of increasing involvement of volun-teers in events. This includes the operations of the Olympic Games, where there were around 28,000 volunteers at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Summer Games compared with an estimated 60,000 at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 100,000 at Beijing in 2008, with the latter two including both Olympic and Paralympic Games volunteers (Karlis, 2003). While the Winter Olympics have fewer volunteers than their summer counterpart, they have also demonstrated a trend towards an increasing level of volunteer engage-ment (from just under 7000 at Lake Placid in 1980 to an estimated 20,000 in Turin in 2006).

Should I stay or should I go? Retention of junior sport coaches.

Abstract Coach retention is a crucial issue for sport delivery systems in most countries. Studies directed towards understanding why volunteers choose to remain involved have tended to focus on personal motivations and dispositions with generally less attention given to the organisational setting in which volunteers work. Using data from focus groups and archival material, the aim of this research was to examine the extent to which interactions between volunteer coaches, the immediate club setting, and the broader AFL context influenced the decision of coaches to either leave their club or remain involved in coaching. The findings reveal that the decision by volunteer junior football coaches to leave is not driven by the same underlying factors as the decision to stay. Enjoyment, success (manifested through either team wins and/or player/team improvement), and the nature and level of support from parents, the club, and the league, were identified as the key factors contributing to the decision to stay involved as a volunteer coach.

The role of intragroup dynamics in nonprofit governance models: a systematic quantitative literature review

Nonprofit governance models rarely incorporate board intragroup dynamics as a significant board factor that influences performance. However, intragroup dynamics such as cohesion and conflict have demonstrated a relationship with board performance suggesting that board intragroup dynamics play a larger role than previously thought. In order to better understand the relationship between intragroup dynamics and performance, a systematic quantitative literature review was conducted. Through an extensive search process and the application of a series of inclusion criteria, 43 papers were identified and reviewed. Three types of intragroup dynamics (cohesion, the board–CEO relationship, and boardroom climate) were shown to have a positive relationship with performance whereas the relationship between performance and two other intragroup dynamics (conflict and power patterns) was mixed. It was concluded that intragroup dynamics should be a central factor in board governance models. Using the findings of this review, directions for future research were identified.

A Social Psychological Investigation of the Relationship between Christianity and Contemporary Meanings of Leisure: An Australian Perspective

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships between the Christian religion and the meanings of leisure in contemporary Australia. Data were collected via a self‐administered questionnaire from a sample of 475 residents of Brisbane, Australia. Three main findings concerning leisure and the Christian religion were established. Firstly, the meanings that religious people associated with leisure were largely no different from other members of the population. Secondly, there was evidence to suggest that specific Christian denominations were linked to particular meanings. Thirdly, when leisure was focused towards either recuperating or finding fulfillment, leisure and religion were significantly related. For example, some people may use leisure to express their religion.

Using transdisciplinary research to examine talent identification and development in sport

Abstract Effective sport talent identification and development (TID) programmes are integral to a nation’s success in international sport. Using a transdisciplinary approach that involved sport practitioners and researchers with diverse theoretical perspectives, we investigated TID factors in four Australian sports (Australian rules football, cricket, kayaking and tennis). A transdisciplinary approach allowed us to isolate and explore a range of factors critical to successful sport TID. This methodological article explores how this project moved TID research beyond its paradigmatic, quantitative, sport science lens and advanced knowledge and practice in TID from both theoretical and applied perspectives. The use of a transdisciplinary approach in future TID research is recommended.

New strategies for supporting ‘leisure’ research: leveraging opportunities through the Australian Research Council Linkage Projects scheme

Abstract A major challenge facing both researchers and end-users of research is how to resource research projects via cash and in-kind support. The Australian Research Councils (ARC) Linkage Projects scheme supports collaborative research projects between higher education organizations and industry. As such, the scheme offers a mechanism for leveraging funding of research that can support policy development, planning and decision-making in relation to areas of leisure provision, as well as assisting universities to demonstrate the value and impact of their research. Following a review of the ARCs Linkage Projects scheme, this paper uses two case studies to demonstrate how the scheme might be used to fund leisure-related research. Key features of the scheme are reviewed with a view to providing some context to the scheme and its potential to support research through collaborations between universities and service providers interested in using leisure to promote economic, social and cultural benefits to Australia.