Tahereh Hasani and Norman O'Reilly
The purpose of this paper is to depict the effects and relative importance of technological, organizational, environmental and managerial factors on the organizational performance…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to depict the effects and relative importance of technological, organizational, environmental and managerial factors on the organizational performance of start-up businesses.
Design/methodology/approach
This research’s primary data was collected from 389 start-up companies in Malaysia. Principle component analysis and the orthogonal model with Varimax rotation method are used to perform exploratory factor analysis test. Structural equation modelling is also used in confirmatory factor analysis to explore the relationships between independent and dependent variables.
Findings
The findings suggest positive effects of technological and environmental characteristics on the organizational performance of start-up businesses. The managerial characteristics do not have any positive effect on the organizational performance of start-up businesses. The organizational characteristics split into two parts: the availability of internal financial resources, which positively affects the organizational performance of start-up businesses; and the availability of business incubation, which does not have any important effect. Moreover, start-up companies should choose the one with the highest perceived advantage as it would have the most significant positive effect on their organizational performance. In addition, it was detected that venture capitalists’ (VCs) support has the most positive influence on organizational performance and social customer relationship management adoption even more than governmental supports in the context of Malaysia.
Originality/value
The proposed framework of this research can be used not only as a research tool for examining determinant factors affecting organizational performance of start-up businesses but also by governments, VCs and other investors to detect best-performing start-up businesses.
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J. Terence Zinger and Norman J O'Reilly
This paper responds to the need for more investigation into the "conceptual underpinnings of sponsorships" (Gardner & Shuman, 1988, p.44) by investigating the spectrum of…
Abstract
This paper responds to the need for more investigation into the "conceptual underpinnings of sponsorships" (Gardner & Shuman, 1988, p.44) by investigating the spectrum of opportunities that are available to small firms - whether as sports donors or as bona fide sponsors - through the prism of small business Stages of Development theory. A multiple case study approach is employed to explore the nature of sponsorship activities being undertaken by small enterprises and to contribute to the advancement of the authors' 'philanthropy-sponsorship' continuum.
This research makes two contributions. First, it presents the classifications of 'patronage' versus 'semistrong sponsorship' versus 'fully functioning sponsorship' relationships, based on the nature of the expected benefits. Second, it evaluates the small business/sports property interface from the perspective of small business phases of development and proposes a framework for linking the small firm to sports sponsorship outcomes.
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David J. Finch, Norm O'Reilly, David Legg, Nadège Levallet and Emma Fody
As an industry, sport business (SB) has seen significant growth since the early 2000s. Concurrently, the number of postsecondary sport management programs has also expanded…
Abstract
Purpose
As an industry, sport business (SB) has seen significant growth since the early 2000s. Concurrently, the number of postsecondary sport management programs has also expanded dramatically. However, there remain concerns about whether these programs are meeting the demands of both employers and graduates. To address these concerns, this study examines the credential and competency demands of the SB labor market in the United States.
Design/methodology/approach
Researchers conducted an analysis using a broad sample of employment postings (N = 613) for SB positions from two different years, 2008 and 2018.
Findings
Results support that a complex set of SB qualifications exist, and the credentials and competencies included in SB employment postings have evolved over the past decade.
Originality/value
A noteworthy finding is that meta-skills are found to be particularly important for employability, including items such as communication, emotional intelligence and analytical thinking and adaptability.
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George Foster, Norm O'Reilly, Jim Best Devereux and Matias Shundi
This article seeks to enhance the understanding as to why head coaches and general managers (GMs) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League…
Abstract
Purpose
This article seeks to enhance the understanding as to why head coaches and general managers (GMs) in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL) exit from their positions.
Design/methodology/approach
Three hypotheses were investigated using a series of quantitative and qualitative data from the past 30 years. The samples analyzed are comprised of 891 GM and coach annual observations for the NBA clubs and 949 GM and coach observations for the NFL clubs. Analyses include a logit analysis for coach exit/retention, a logit analysis for GM exit/retention and textual analysis via topic modeling via latent Dirichlet allocation.
Findings
Results show a correlation between a coach exiting and a GM exiting simultaneously, thus amplifying the importance of these two roles in enhancing or destroying the success of a club and supporting the need for a deeper understanding of both roles, particularly the GM. The results further highlight cultural differences across clubs in terms of GM and coach turnover, a factor that often is heavily influenced by club ownership.
Originality/value
The results support the role of owners in exits, confirm the importance of winning in avoiding an exit, find a high level of interrelationship between GM and coach exits and show that past culture of firings influences future exit decisions.
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John Nadeau, Norman O'Reilly and Louise A. Heslop
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent that marketers are using place-based images to promote their brands within the host city of the Olympic Games. It is thought…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent that marketers are using place-based images to promote their brands within the host city of the Olympic Games. It is thought that non-sponsors may use place imagery as an alternate way to affiliate with the event or sponsors may use place to enrich their sponsorship activity.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses an observation-based approach to collect a sample of place-based promotional activity that is accessible to pedestrians during the 2012 Olympic Games.
Findings
Results reveal that official sponsors and non-official sponsors are both using place-based imagery in their promotions within the host city of the Olympic Games. However, non-sponsors use place images more frequently than sponsors of the event. Place images were invoked by promoters using country flags most frequently followed by icons and explicit mention of place. The leading dimensions of place images employed by marketers include country character, the built environment and people competence. Place-based promotional activity was frequently observed in shopping areas, transportation, sports venues and in free media.
Research limitations/implications
Results provide justification for future research in the area. Specifically, the need for empirical work based on surveys of consumers and interviews with practitioners are noted.
Practical implications
In an era of highly protected event marketing rights, the existence of promotions based on place images can be a useful application for official sponsors to leverage their investments and protect their exclusivity. Similarly, results are beneficial to non-official sponsors who may seek to market in the vicinity of these events without infringing on the rights of official sponsors.
Originality/value
While previous research on place, mega-events, the Olympic Games and sponsors has found the images of the three to be related, it is not known to what extent sponsors and non-sponsors utilize place images in their promotional activities throughout the Olympic host city.
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Norm O'Reilly, Caroline Paras, Madelaine Gierc, Alexander Lithopoulos, Ananya Banerjee, Leah Ferguson, Eun-Young Lee, Ryan E. Rhodes, Mark S. Tremblay, Leigh Vanderloo and Guy Faulkner
Framed by nostalgia marketing, this research draws upon lessons from ParticipACTION, a Canadian non-profit health promotion organization, to examine one of their most well-known…
Abstract
Purpose
Framed by nostalgia marketing, this research draws upon lessons from ParticipACTION, a Canadian non-profit health promotion organization, to examine one of their most well-known campaigns, Body Break with ParticipACTION, in order to assess the potential role for nostalgia-based marketing campaigns in sport participation across generational cohorts.
Design/methodology/approach
Exploratory sequential mixed methods involving two studies were completed on behalf of ParticipACTION, with the authors developing the research instruments and the collection of the data undertaken by research agencies. Study 1 was the secondary analysis of qualitative data from five focus groups with different demographic compositions that followed a common question guide. Study 2 was a secondary data analysis of a pan-Canadian online survey with a sample (n = 1,475) representative of the overall adult population that assessed awareness of, and attitudes toward, ParticipACTION, Body Break, physical activity and sport participation. Path analysis tested a proposed model that was based on previous research on attitudes, brand and loyalty. Further, multi-group path analyses were conducted to compare younger generations with older ones.
Findings
The results provide direction and understanding of the importance of nostalgia in marketing sport participation programs across generational cohorts. For instance, in the four parent-adult focus groups, unaided references as well as frequent and detailed comments regarding Body Break were observed. Similarly, Millennials reported that Body Break was memorable, Canadian and nostalgic, with a mix of positive and negative comments. The importance of nostalgia was supported sequentially via results from the national survey. For example, while 54.1% of the 40–54 age-group associated ParticipACTION positively with Body Break, so did 49.8% of the 25–39-year age group, most of whom were not born when the promotion ran. Further, brand resonance was found to explain 4% more variance in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), the proxy for sport participation, for younger people compared to older people.
Practical implications
Results provide direction to brands, properties and agencies around the use of nostalgia in sport marketing campaigns and sponsorship efforts. For brands seeking to sponsor sport properties to alter their image with potential consumers in a new market, associating with a sport property that many view as nostalgic could improve the impact of the campaign. On the sport property side, event managers and marketers should both identify existing assets that members or fans are nostalgic about, as well as consider building nostalgia into current and new properties they develop.
Originality/value
This research is valuable to the sport marketing and sponsorship literature through several contributions. First, the use of nostalgia marketing, and nostalgia in general, is novel in the sport marketing and sponsorship literature, with future research in nostalgia and sponsorship recommended. Second, the potential to adopt or adapt Body Break to other sport participation and physical activity properties is empirically supported. Finally, the finding that very effective promotions can have a long-lasting effect, both on those who experienced the campaigns as well as younger populations who only heard about it, is notable.
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Andrew Kakabadse, Siobhan Alderson and Liam Gorman
Reports a review of the Irish economic and political scene asbackground to a survey of best practice in Irish top management.Addresses issues of the competences required to induce…
Abstract
Reports a review of the Irish economic and political scene as background to a survey of best practice in Irish top management. Addresses issues of the competences required to induce added value performance from total organization. Four long‐term consultancy assignments in different sectors led to the drafting of a questionnaire distributed by the Irish Management Institute; 96 companies took part. Key competences emerged as: vision; team building; practising appropriate personal skills; communication; and generating a success‐oriented culture. Recommendations are given for top level management development.
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Norman Meisinger and Manfred Moldaschl
For nearly three decades, numerous scholars have searched for a robust relationship between firm performance and organizational ambidexterity—so far with questionable results. The…
Abstract
Purpose
For nearly three decades, numerous scholars have searched for a robust relationship between firm performance and organizational ambidexterity—so far with questionable results. The aim of this short essay is thus to critically examine the performance of applied performance measurements.
Design/methodology/approach
After discussing methodological issues and revealing a conceptually neglected “level” distinction in organizational ambidexterity studies, we contribute to conceptual clarity as to whether exploration and exploitation ought to be conceived as continuous or orthogonal.
Findings
First, even if the dichotomy of exploration and exploitation is orthogonally conceptualized, at least one trade-off, either on the level of the explanans or the level of the explanandum, can be bypassed but cannot conceptually be denied. Second, we conclude that explaining overall firm performance with the relation of just two variables (exploration and exploitation)—referring to the inherently conflicting title of this paper, “Reduced to the Max”—is a hazardous endeavor.
Research limitations/implications
Based on these insights, future research may benefit from studying organizational ambidexterity and firm performance more qualitatively and paying more attention to the declared level distinction.
Originality/value
The paper reveals a crucial neglect of level and provides an answer to one of the core questions of organizational ambidexterity research: that of continuity vs orthogonality.
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Anna May Wyatt and Susan E. Hahn
The purpose of this paper is to provide awareness of various copyright concerns that may arise by the usage of web 2.0 technology and some answers to possible concerns.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide awareness of various copyright concerns that may arise by the usage of web 2.0 technology and some answers to possible concerns.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper looks at web 2.0 technology which is currently used in libraries against a backdrop of the US Copyright statute, CONTU guidelines, and copyright concerns mentioned in library literature and law reviews.
Findings
For libraries to build a community of users, they will need to make their services more interactive. Interactive services increase the chance of patrons violating copyright law. Copyright guidelines need to be developed to assist the patron in avoiding copyright infringement.
Originality/value
This paper looks at library services, such as RSS feeds, wikis, social networking, tagging, and patron reviews, and explores the legal ramifications to making these services more interactive.