Timothy B. Kellison

The adoption and diffusion of pro-environmental stadium design

Research question: Owners and architects face mounting pressure to incorporate environmentally sustainable features in new arenas, ballparks, and stadiums. In this study, we apply Rogers’ diffusion-of-innovations framework to highlight the key influencers and factors contributing to the decision to adopt pro-environmental initiatives. Research method: We conducted interviews with 13 senior architects whose portfolios collectively contained over 25 eco-friendly sport facilities spanning Europe, Australia, Africa, and North America. The facilities discussed were used for a variety of leagues and events, including FIFA World Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games, college football and basketball, Major League Baseball (MLB), and the National Football League (NFL). The data were transcribed and analyzed following the open, axial, and selective coding sequence. Results and findings: The results of the study indicated that owners and quasi-owners reviewing green facility proposals considered the input of several groups, including the design firms, the media, political leaders, environmental activists, and local citizens. According to interviewees, the primary incentives for owners and quasi-owners to adopt sustainable designs were economic savings over the life of the facility, perception-management opportunities, and demonstration of their innovativeness. Finally, facility designers predicted the diffusion of pro-environmental sport facilities would continue in the immediate future. Implications: Innovation diffusion is driven by early adopters, who prioritize an innovations relative advantage and compatibility over its complexity, lack of trialability, and lack of observability. Additionally, pro-environmental facilities are being used by organizations to demonstrate both environmental stewardship and their cultures of innovation. Future research should explore both the decision-making process and barriers to sustainable design adoption in further depth.

Do Snow-Based Sport Participants Intend to Purchase Products from Environmentally Friendly Companies?

ABSTRACT To extend the literature on consumer pro-environmentalism, this study explores the relationships between individuals’ participation in outdoor, snow-based sport; their pro-environmental behavioral intentions (PBIs); and their intentions to purchase from environmentally friendly companies (PI-EFCs). Participants were recruited from an international ski resort in Japan (N = 286). The results indicate that snow-based sport involvement influences PI-EFCs through PBIs when associated actions were perceived to be directly relevant to the outdoor sports environment (i.e. PBI to reduce CO2 emission). Conversely, the relationship was not mediated by PBIs when environmental issues were less relevant to a snow-based sport environment (i.e. air pollution, water pollution). The findings imply that pro-environmental marketing efforts can be an effective approach to increase PI-EFCs when corporations focus on sport-specific environmental issues germane to snow-based sport participants such as global warming.

A Conceptual Examination of College Athletes’ Role Conflict Through the Lens of Conservation of Resources Theory

ABSTRACT In this conceptual article, we seek to extend the domain of the conservation of resources (COR) theory to the collegiate student–athlete population in the context of academic–athletic role conflict and stress. Aside from reviewing the direct effects academic–athletic role conflict may have on psychological strain, this conceptual study also continues to build on the theory by proposing mediational pathways of role conflict, and the moderating effects of personal characteristics and social support on the stressor–strain relationship. Although this theoretical framework has been mainly applied in the work–family context, it could be proven useful in alleviating the pressures resulting from student–athletes’ competing roles by providing stress-coping strategies. Focusing on addressing student–athletes’ challenges in managing their college careers, the study provides a theoretical foundation for enhancing student–athletes’ well-being and collegiate experiences. Implications for managerial practices and research are discussed.

Framing democracy: stadium financing and civic paternalism in Test Market, USA

Abstract The vast majority of North America’s professional sport arenas, ballparks and stadiums are publicly subsidized without direct approval from voters. In this article, we examine the discursive constitution of ‘no-vote subsidies’ within the public sphere, and in particular problematize the twinned production(s) of citizenship and democratic process in framing public subsidization of these sites of private accumulation. To do this, we examine the recent no-vote subsidy occurring in Columbus, Ohio – thereby providing a context-specific interrogation of the mediations of participatory citizenship, political decision-making and the institution of democracy as related to sport stadium funding. As part of this analysis, we discuss the public production of civic paternalism – a political ideology focused on urban growth and unconcerned with future electoral consequences – in the Columbus arena financing case. We conclude the article with a call for increasing scholarly engagement in, and intervention into, the political processes that result in the public subsidization of professional sport venues.

Public attitudes towards no-vote stadium subsidies: the development and validation of an ex post proxy referendum

ABSTRACT In most cases, professional sport stadiums are financed through a mix of public and private investment. The amount of public subsidy allocated for a stadium can vary greatly by project, as can the role of citizens in deciding such matters. With respect to public-stadium financing, research has focused chiefly on citizen participation through direct democracy (e.g. referendums and initiatives). However, the vast majority of stadium projects across North American professional sport receive public financing without any form of citizen vote. Cases of the so-called no-vote subsidy may be problematic to citizens, especially if public policy does not correspond to the public will, a fundamental principle of a democratic system of governance. Given the lack of research in this area, the purpose of this study was to develop a scale that measured citizens’ attitudes towards and consequences of a no-vote stadium subsidy. In this article, we introduce the Proxy Referendum on Public Stadium Appropriation (PROPSA), a 26-item instrument designed to measure 7 constructs: support of financing plan, perceived stadium impact, trust in civically paternalistic leadership, team attendance intentions, congruence with democratic norms, political apathy, and voting intentions. Three associated propositions are introduced, and the scale is tested using a sample of 401 voters registered in a county impacted by a recent no-vote subsidy. In the absence of a public vote, the PROPSA provides a tool for ascertaining the impact of the public will.

Brand management in top-tier college athletics: examining and explaining mark-usage policies

Purpose – The practice of an interscholastic athletic department reproducing the logo of a collegiate team for its own use is becoming increasingly visible. In response to this growth, many collegiate licensing departments have begun actively enforcing zero-tolerance policies that prohibit third parties from using their respective colleges’ trademarks. Conversely, other institutions have exercised discretion by allowing high school programs to use their athletic departments’ logos only after receiving assurances from the high school that it will adhere to strict usage guidelines. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a thorough discussion on the concept of brand dilution and its application to sport. More specifically the study gives an account of the strategies employed by trademark specialists to protect (and in some cases, enhance) the equity of their brands. To identify these strategies, a qualitative questionnaire was employed, which was completed by...