Jill Fjelstul

Competencies and Opportunities for Entry Level Golf and Club Management Careers: Perceptions from the Industry

Abstract Employee recruitment in the golf and club management industry is a significant and challenging issue. This study examined the expected competencies and career opportunities for entry level management positions. Evidence revealed a broad spectrum of competencies, including food and beverage, leadership and strategic management, and financial accounting. Recruitment strategies to reduce vacancies and attract qualified applicants were generated, including credentialing, internships, and opportunities for current employees in the hospitality industry.

A comparison of motivators and inhibitors for association meeting attendance for three generational cohorts.

This study is the first to examine the similarities and differences in what motivates and inhibits meeting attendance within generational groups. Three generational cohorts were identified as the older Generation Xers, the younger Baby Boomers, and the older Baby Boomers. The members of four professional associations were surveyed. The results suggest that motivations and inhibitors to conference attendance by all three cohorts were relatively similar, contradicting some literature depicting specific differences between generations.

Golf and club entry level management competencies

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to determine competency expectations for entry level supervisory employees in the golf and club management industry.Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted with members of a Chapter of the Club Managers Association of America. A 20‐question survey was developed for the study to identify desired competencies to be acquired by the next generation golf and club management professional. The survey was distributed electronically.Findings – Competencies identified for entry level golf and club management positions were similar to those required for current effectiveness of club managers already in practice and comparable to the more recognized hospitality industries of restaurants and hotels. The findings also demonstrate the overall impressions of practitioners concerning levels of preparation for entry level positions in the industry.Practical implications – The paper presents conclusions and suggestions for collaborative initiatives aimed at improving the ...

Increasing Minority Golf Participation Through PGA Education Initiatives

The article provides a report on the successful acquisition of the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) golf management university program by the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore (UMES). The PGA’s accredited program is housed at 20 universities with UMES being the first predominantly Black college to offer the coveted program. The article provides interview excerpts on the process undertaken by UMES. The article also identifies initiatives by programs and associations to increase minority golf participation.

Information communication technologies: usages and preferences of generation Y students and meeting professionals.

Researchers have been investigating the meeting and convention industry for many years. Recently, attention has been given to the attitudes and perceptions of stakeholders who represent the different generations. Generations’ views on information communication technology, in particular, are now of interest to academics and industry practitioners. The present study considers the preferences and usages of information communication technologies by Generation Y students and meeting professionals. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Findings confirm similarities and differences between the groups.

Building association attendance: differences between chapter, regional and annual meetings from the perception of the association members.

The objective of this study was to identify meeting patterns and trends related to chapter, regional, and/or annual conference attendance. Factors likely to increase attendance, attendance trends over a 5-year period, recommendations by association members, and the preferred mode of delivery were identified. Results will assist meeting planners in providing maximum benefits to association members and to potentially increase attendance at each conference level.

The Role of Social Representations in Shaping Tourist Responses to Potential Climate Change Impacts: An Analysis of Florida’s Coastal Destinations

Beside the physical impacts of climate change, society’s perceptions of climate change and its reactions at different stages of decision-making levels have become critical issues. This study presents the perspective of tourists who have previously visited Florida, in a hypothetical scenario of changed climatic conditions. It is proposed that existing social representations about climate change, and therefore individuals’ attitudes, views, and beliefs about this phenomenon, need to be taken into account when examining tourists’ stated responses to climate change and subsequent potential shifts in tourism demand. The existence of a relationship between tourists’ visitation intentions toward a destination impacted by climate change and the social representations they hold with respect to climate change itself offers an alternative way to look at tourists’ stated responses. This study concludes that predicting shifts in tourism demand based on tourist visitation intentions requires caution when dealing with climate change.

RV Traveler’s Pull Factors to Campgrounds in Leisure Tourism

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to identify the underlying structures of RV traveler’s pull factors to campgrounds and confirm the results by using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis with multiple data sets. The results identified the following five dimensions of the campground traveler’s key attributes: Activity, Amenity, Essentials, Price, and Store. The “Essentials” factor had a grand mean of 4.47, which was the highest among the five factors. Therefore, campground owners and managers should pay extra attention to maintaining a high quality on those essential attributes first, before considering adding or promoting any other items.

Robert L. Johnson: From Media Mogul to Developing the Largest African-American Owned Hotel Investment Company

Abstract Robert L. Johnson is the co-founder of RLJ Development, the largest African American hotel investment company. At the start of 2008, the company owned 144 hotels with a total of 4,061 guestrooms. Prior to forming RLJ development, Mr. Johnson enjoyed business success as the founder of the iconic media brand, Black Entertainment Television. This article presents the life and entrepreneurial activities of Robert L. Johnson, from his early entrepreneurial activities to the founding of RLJ Development.