Jane Summers

The practice of quality in assuring learning in higher education

There remains a lack of published empirical data on the substantive outcomes of higher learning and the establishment of quality processes for determining them. Studies that do exist are nationally focused with available rankings of institutions reflecting neither the quality of teaching and learning nor the diversity of institutions. This article describes two studies in which associate deans from Australian higher education institutions and focus groups of management and academics identify current issues and practices in the design, development and implementation of processes for assuring the quality of learning and teaching. Results indicate that developing graduate attributes and mapping assessments to measure outcomes across an entire programme necessitates knowledge creation strategies and systems as well as inclusive decision processes. Common elements supporting consistently superior outcomes include inclusivity of a range of teaching and support academics; embedded graduate attributes; consistent and appropriate assessment; digital collection mechanisms; and systematic analysis of outcomes used in programme review.

Sponsorship leveraged packaging: An exploratory study in FMCG

Packaging and sponsorship have been recognised as key tools for gaining competitive advantage, with worldwide packaging expenditures reaching US

Digital literacy in higher education: the rhetoric and the reality

500 billion and sponsorship investments reaching US

Can Regional Communities Successfully Participate in the Smart State? The Case of Maranoa Online Regional Community Portal

37 billion. Evidence highlights the importance of supporting sponsorship with additional leveraging, yet little research has addressed the integrative effects of sponsorship with leveraging. This paper examines consumer response to sponsorship leveraged packaging (SLP), a marketing tool widely used in the Australian fast moving consumer goods industry. Exploratory research suggests that SLP is processed peripherally and is impacted by sponsored property identification and sponsor brand loyalty. With multinational corporations allocating hundreds of millions of dollars to sponsorship activity alone, it is crucial that marketers understand how to maximise their packaging and sponsorship investments. This research begins the process of empirically testing how consumers respond to sponsorship leveraged packaging.

Australian Muslim women and fitness choices – myths debunked

Two interrelated myths arise from the way practitioners in higher education respond to an increased emphasis on technological delivery. One myth stems from the view that tertiary education students are digital natives who have universal and uniform digital experiences. This myth presumes that the technological experiences of these students are homogeneous and linked to a sophisticated knowledge and understanding of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The second myth emanates from the idea that the Internet is a panacea for the issues of increasing costs of higher education and increasing demand by students for authentic and interactive learning opportunities. The assumption here is that technology underpinning online learning is quick, easy to use, can be accessed by everyone, and is appropriate for all learning activities.

The Impact of Digital Communications on Consumer Perceptions of Sport Celebrity Transgressions

This paper presents a case study of the initial planning and implementation of an emerging e-model, community portals, in a regional Queensland community, focusing on the adoption of this model by the two key stakeholder groups of businesses and consumers. Our study was undertaken in two stages: an initial exploratory stage utilising depth interviews with businesses and focus groups of consumers to identify key reasons for participation, followed by a survey of all businesses and households in the region. Two key implications for successful planning and implementation of regional community portals include the need to focus on not only the establishment and start up phase of the portal but also on the longer term growth and development of the portal and secondly, the importance of considering and addressing the needs of all stakeholder groups at initial planning and implementation phases, rather than focussing on one stakeholder group. Overall the results question the viability of regional community portals if they are to be self-funding, hence necessitating a commercial focus.

Motivating intention to take action on behalf of an out-group: implications for the use of advocacy messages in social marketing strategies

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to better understand the underrepresentation of Muslim women living in Australia in physical activity and in group-fitness classes in particular. The authors contend that the Australian fitness industry has ignored the needs of this group through stereotypical islamophobic views focusing on religious dictates as the prime barrier for participation of this group. This study debunks this myth showing that motivations for exercise are complex and multi-faceted. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted interviews and a focus group with 27 Muslim women living in Australia. Through this method, the authors explored the role of religiosity and national culture in attitudes towards participation in exercise, gym attendance and group fitness classes. Findings The authors confirmed that while religion impacted the form and place of exercise options, it did not impact the overall motivation to engage in exercise. This study found that group-fitness classes offered by gyms did not particularly appeal to this group of women, partially due to their religion (this form of exercise being too aggressive and immodest) and partially due to their ethnic background. Exercise options that were more social were favoured. The authors found that notions of femininity and culturally embedded expectations for the role of women were more powerful predictors of exercise engagement and choice of exercise type. Research limitations/implications This research is exploratory in nature and as such its findings are restricted to the small sample. To extend this study’s implications, a larger empirical study should be conducted and needs to also consider the intersection between national culture and religiosity on decision-making. Practical implications This study has practical implications for the fitness industry attempting to attractive new markets in a multi-cultural population. To attract Muslim women, gyms and fitness centres need to consider providing appropriate areas for women to exercise that allow them to maintain their modesty. To attract this segment, fitness products that are focused on a holistic approach to wellness and highlight opportunities for social interaction should be developed. Focusing on this group as a market segment needs to include a broader contextualisation of their lifestyles and individual situations and should not just focus on their religion. Social implications The requirements of the Muslim religion for women to adopt conservative dress and to avoid contact with men do hinder their ability and also their desire to exercise to maintain a healthy mind and body. Many of these women would like to exercise but find it difficult to find the right settings and form of exercise that suits their needs. Engaging in exercise with others is also an important way for these women to integrate into their communities and to assimilate with the national culture. Originality/value This research is original in that it is one of the first to explore attitudes of Muslim women towards exercise and group-fitness classes in Australia. In particular, it includes an examination of the impact of religiosity on motivations and attitudes towards fitness and is the first to consider the relationship between religion, ethnic background and notions of femininity in the context of fitness. The influence of religiosity is an area heavily impacted by cultural bias and stereotyping, and it is therefore important for a deeper understanding of this issue in the services domain.

Segmentation of the Australian Sport Market

ABSTRACT Whilst the use of sport celebrities in marketing strategies is growing in popularity it is not without risk. The increasing reliance on scandal by the news media to capture audience attention, has accelerated the interest in sport-celebrity transgressions. This research adopts an netnographic method to analyze over seven thousand comments from online forums about sport celebrity transgressions. We found that consumers were more likely to express negative comments in relation to transgressions that violated moral, ethical and/or legal norms and that this in turn was most likely to effect the perceived role model ability of a sport celebrity. We provide evidence that the communication behavior of sport fans in a digital communication medium extends the life of a transgression in the public domain. Finally, we noted sport fans exhibited higher levels of engagement and willingness to participate in debate in these mediums than observed in other types of online communities.

Essentials of marketing, 3rd ed.

ABSTRACT In psychological research, the Social Identity Theory has been used to explain people’s motivation to take action in support of causes predominantly with a focus on in-group action. This study takes up the call to extend the limited attention given to intent-to-act on behalf of an out-group. Our research investigates support for the legalisation of medical marijuana (an out-group) and concludes that message structure is critical to increasing the likelihood of intent-to-act in support of an out-group. Specifically, we show that messages delivered from a legitimate advocate for the issue will generate empathy towards those affected and anger towards the perceived injustice, motivating intent to take action. Social marketers, charged with engaging communities to support programmes targeted at disadvantaged minority groups within the population, will benefit from the results of this research.

More than just the media: considering the role of public relations in the creation of sporting celebrity and the management of fan expectations

A more detailed understanding of individual differences in fans, likely participation levels, attendance rates and general consumption behaviors of target markets is becoming necessary for sport organizations. This study explores the individual characteristics of a large sample of the Australian population. Cluster analysis was used to identify four major segments, which could be discriminated through the level of sport enthusiasm as well as through personality variables such as sought levels of stimulation and arousal and aggression.