Suchergebnisse

The aim of this book is to provide an overview of perspectives and approaches to sports development focusing on sport systems, sport participation and public policy towards sports. It includes twelve European countries covering all regions of Europe and eleven countries from around the globe. The objective is to present an overview of the diversity of approaches taken to sport development, focusing on the different sport systems and how sport is financed, the underlying applications of sport policy and how it is reflected in sport participation. This book takes a comparative approach which is reflected in each chapter following a similar structure. The diversity of sports systems in Europe and other continents and their (historical) context is shown. Thereby a range of policy approaches underpinning sport development around the world are presented, making it of interest to both academics and policy-makers concerned with sports economics and policy.

This study examines how volunteer and club characteristics impact the decision to volunteer and the time allocated to volunteering. We collected primary data from members of 15 tennis clubs in New Zealand (N = 230) and secondary data about their tennis clubs. Individual and club characteristics impacted the decision to volunteer and how much time was allocated to volunteering. The number of members impacted volunteering negatively, as did working hours. Time spent volunteering correlated positively with the role of board/committee member, serving in other roles and the share of junior members. Managers are encouraged to develop volunteer pathways, so that volunteers can draw on past experiences as a foundation for future roles. Well-defined, non-time-intensive and non-threatening roles will provide a foundation upon which more significant commitments can evolve.

Theory recognizes the need to account for the allocation of time across activities as a potential constraint on volunteering. Drawing on the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), for the first time, this article examines the decision to volunteer by males and females accounting for their engagement in other leisure activities that also involve discretionary time. Instrumental variable panel-data estimates reveal that it is only for females that volunteering is influenced by the choice of other leisure activities. This implies that males have more autonomy over their volunteering decision relative to their other leisure behavior compared with females. For males, this greater autonomy suggests that volunteering is more closely linked to the concept of "serious leisure" and a form of work as it is more distinct from other leisure activities. These differences have implications for volunteer recruitment.

This book provides an overview of perspectives and approaches to the cultural meaning of sport volunteering in different countries. The main objective is to reflect on the diversity of meanings with regard to volunteering in different cultures and societies. Additionally, this book will shed light on volunteering practices and the impact of volunteering from both an economic and a sociological perspective. The book begins with an introductory section that gives an overview of the rationale of the text and the diversity of sport volunteers in general. From there, the book's 25 chapters each discuss a specific country case study provided by researchers from the respective country. These studies provide a comprehensive overview of volunteering in each country, such as motivations of volunteers, satisfaction of volunteers, their perceived cost and benefits, and many other areas related to the overall study. By having twenty-five different countries represented and a native of each country authoring the respective chapters, this book serves as a comprehensive and diverse review of sports volunteering around the world and can be incorporated into courses in economics - particularly those dealing with sports economics - and can also be used as a reference for volunteer organizations and sports economists worldwide.

The paper presents a novel approach to assess athlete brand identity by introducing the concept of brand congruence, which measures the alignment between an athlete's intended brand image and consumer perceptions. This study leveraged five case studies involving elite athletes and their brands, with the participation of n = 794 consumers through an online survey. The application of Confirmatory Factor Analysis not only validated the effectiveness of the scale in evaluating athlete brand identity from the consumer perspective but also demonstrated its value in bridging the gap between athlete and consumer opinions. The measurement of athlete brand congruence serves as a crucial tool for gauging the harmony between desired and perceived brand attributes, providing valuable insights into athlete brand performance and specific areas for enhancement. This research contributes to the ongoing exploration of athlete branding and its implications for athletes, marketers, and consumers alike, adding to the broader discourse on this pertinent and relevant topic within today's sports industry landscape.

AbstractThis study explored the occupational devotion of lifestyle entrepreneurs and their well-being. Although the number of enterprises in the sports industry increased over the past years, limited literature exists on this topic. Therefore, this paper focused on lifestyle entrepreneurs who turned their sports into their occupations. We conducted semi-structured interviews and a follow-up survey with lifestyle entrepreneurs (N = 13) from various sports (e.g., yoga, kiting, football). The thematic analysis revealed a strong connection between the individuals' choice of career and well-being. Other themes (and sub-themes), such as mental and physical health and value (co-)creation, were identified, corroborating the authors' assumption that these lifestyle entrepreneurs started a career in their sports to reach a higher quality of life. The results uncovered that well-being and occupational devotion are closely linked. Co-creation is connected to well-being, and this can accrue social capital in the community. Thus, the results recommended support for lifestyle entrepreneurs as they provide community benefits.