Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

The Value Of A Master’S Degree To Recreation Professionals, Camilla J. Hodge, Brian J. Hill, Christian Brinton

Faculty Publications

This study assessed the nature of the relationship between earning advanced degrees and career outcomes such as salary, job satisfaction, social capital, and human capital among professionals in the parks and recreation field. The sample (n = 196) was drawn from parks and recreation agencies located in the United States. Agencies, excluding educational institutions, were identified via an Internet search for parks and recreation agencies in urban areas. Findings indicated there was a positive relationship between earning a master’s degree and salary. Earning a master’s degree, however, was not significantly related to job satisfaction, social capital, or human capital. Furthermore, …

Me, My Spouse, And My Avatar: The Relationship Between Marital Satisfaction And Playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (Mmorpgs), Michelle Ahlstrom, Neil R. Lundberg, Ramon Zabriskie, Dennis Eggett, Gordon B. Lindsay

Faculty Publications

A variety of online support groups exist for “gaming widows” who feel their spousal relationship has been displaced by time spent playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game(s) (MMORPGs). MMORPG research has been presented on youth and adults, however to date, there is no research on married gamers to support or refute the claims of discontented spouses. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the gaming behaviors of couples who play MMORPGs. The sample included 349 couples. Results indicated lower marital satisfaction related to couples’ MMORPG gaming interactions such as quarrelling about gaming, not retiring to …

Measuring Life Skills: Standardizing The Assessment Of Youth Development Indicators, Mat D. Duerden, Peter A. Witt, Mariela Fernandez, Marie Jolliff Bryant, Daniel Theriault

Faculty Publications

While the development of life skills (e.g., communication, problem solving, etc.) is a commonly targeted youth program outcome, the lack of standardized conceptualizations and instrumentation make it difficult to compare impacts across programs and develop validated best practices. In order to promote a more unified approach to life skill development, literature reviews were conducted for 10 life skill domains to identify common definitions and, if available, appropriate outcome measures. Data were then collected from an ethnically diverse sample (N = 758) of elementary, middle, and high school aged youth for the 10 identified instruments. Analyses were conducted to ascertain the …

A Total Cost Approach To Supply Chain Risk Modeling, Brian J. Saunders

Theses and Dissertations

The modern supply chain is long, complex, interconnected and global, and plays a fundamental role in business competitiveness. These conditions, along with various supply chain management trends in recent years have increased risks in supply chains which threaten supply chain performance. Greater impact, especially on cost, from an increased threat of supply disruptions is one area of particular concern. Companies today are struggling to find effective means to manage this increased risk and avoid adverse financial impacts. An approach to managing supply disruption risk in supply chains based on the minimization of the total cost of ownership (TCO) of the …

Firm Size Matters: An Empirical Investigation Of Organizational Size And Ownership On Sustainability- Related Behaviors, Peter Jack Gallo, Lisa Jones Christensen

Faculty Publications

The phrase “corporate sustainability” is increasingly prevalent in both the industry press and management journals (Engardio, 2007; Montiel, 2008). Corporate sustainability pledges and reports are also increasingly prevalent, yet empirical studies on how top managers define and enact the construct are lacking. To address this deficiency, we investigate how firms define, support, and report their sustainability efforts. In a large sample (N = 922) study of accounting executives at U.S.-based firms, we find evidence that organizational size, ownership, and industry are strongly related with support mechanisms and reporting of sustainability.

Using A Positive Lens To Complicate The Positive In Identity Research, Jane Dutton, Laura Morgan Roberts, Jeffrey Bednar

Faculty Publications

We appreciate the opportunity to respond to Learmonth and Humphreys’ commentary on our article, “Pathways for Positive Identity Construction at Work: Four Types of Positive Identity and the Building of Social Resources” (2010). In this rejoinder we clarify our motivation for studying positive identity, make explicit our a priori assumptions, and engage our colleagues’ ideas about employee resistance to demonstrate how our typology of positive identities enriches understanding of identity-based mechanisms in organizational research. We hope this exchange will stimulate discussion and open new pathways for future research.

An Approach To Theory-Based Youth Programming, Mat D. Duerden, Ann Gillard

Faculty Publications

A key but often overlooked aspect of intentional, out-of-school-time programming is the integration of a guiding theoretical framework. The incorporation of theory in programming can provide practitioners valuable insights into essential processes and principles of successful programs. While numerous theories exist that relate to youth development practice, they often remain inaccessible to practitioners. Therefore, the goal of this article is to synthesize two theoretical perspectives, the social development model and self-determination theory, into a practitioner-friendly programming framework. The resulting social development programming model outlines specific components, processes, and outcomes of effective and intentional youth development programs.

Psychological Need Satisfaction Through Sports Participation Among International Athletes With Cerebral Palsy, Neil R. Lundberg, Diane G. Groff, Ramon Zabriskie

Faculty Publications

Research indicates that people with disabilities who participate in sports and are physically active rate themselves higher in psychological well-being. The primary purpose of this study was to observe differences in the satisfaction of psychological needs through sports participation based on one’s impairment level. Participants in the study included 50 English-speaking individuals with cerebral palsy who were 18 years of age or older and who were competing in the 2005 World Cerebral Palsy Championship in New Haven, Connecticut. Descriptive statistics were gathered and a simple one-way ANOVA was used to test the differences in psychological need fulfillment. Results indicated a …

Identity Negotiating: Redefining Stigmatized Identities Through Adaptive Sports And Recreation Participation Among Individuals With A Disability, Neil R. Lundberg, Stacy Taniguchi, Bryan P. Mccormick, Catherine Tibbs

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to investigate the meanings and outcomes of adaptive sport and recreation participation among individuals with disabilities. In-depth open-ended interviews were conducted with 17 individuals. Analysis of the data followed qualitative data analysis and classical grounded theory utilizing line by line coding, identification of emergent themes, and identification of a core category grounded in the data. Results indicated that participants felt stigmatized and stereotyped, but their adaptive sports and recreation participation provided them with opportunities to build social networks, experience freedom and success, positively compare themselves with others without disabilities, and feel a sense of …

Outcomes Of Adaptive Sports And Recreation Participation Among Veterans Returning From Combat With Acquired Disability, Neil Lundberg, Jessie Bennett, Shauna Smith

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in quality of life, mood states, and sports related competence for veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom who participated in a therapeutic adaptive sports and recreation program. The researchers hypothesized that participation would lead to increases in physical, psychological, social, and environmental QoL, increases in sports related competence, and reductions in mood disturbances such as depression and anger. A total of 18 veterans participated in one of three week-long therapeutic and adaptive sports programs in Sun Valley Idaho. Veterans responded on a pretest and posttest questionnaire. Because no …

Australian Family Leisure: Modelling Parent And Youth Data, Raymond A. Poff, Ramon Zabriskie, Jasmine A. Townsend

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to test a recently developed broad structural model which examines the relationships between family leisure involvement, family functioning, family communication, family leisure satisfaction, and satisfaction with family life among a large sample of families from Australia (n = 1014). participating families provided responses to family variables from both a parent (n = 902) and an adolescent child (n = 810) in the household. Structural equation modelling was employed and the fit indices from the parent and youth structural equation models were quite similar to each other, with both exhibiting a reasonable fit of the …

Assessing The Need For The Development Of Standardized Life Skills Measures, Mat D. Duerden, Peter A. Witt

Faculty Publications

Youth practitioners often select life skills as intentionally targeted program outcomes. While research findings suggest the efficacy of program experiences to positively influence a variety of life skills, it remains difficult to compare these findings due to measurement incongruities. Individual life skills (e.g., leadership, decision making, etc.) often lack standardized conceptualizations and measurement approaches. The purpose of the study reported here was to gather data about practitioners' perceptions of those life skill domains most in need of measurement development. Based on the results of the study, 10 life skill sub-domains are recommended for future measurement development efforts.

Positive Youth Development Within A Family Leisure Context: Youth Perspectives Of Family Outcomes, Peter J. Ward, Ramon B. Zabriskie

Faculty Publications

Family leisure involvement may provide the first and most essential context for positive youth development in today's society.

Structured and organized programs and activities provide valuable settings for youth development. However, the primary setting of the home should be considered the fi rst, and perhaps the most essential, context for positive youth development. Within the home environment, the parents are often the most invested adults in the lives of youth. Parental involvement is one of the strongest protective factors an adolescent can have related to maximizing his or her potential. Evidence supports that strong, positive parental infl uence contributes to …

Genuine Remorse, David J. Cherrington

Faculty Publications

The development of moral character occurs when we realize that we have done something wrong and we resolve to do better. However, this is not what we typically do. The natural tendency is to rationalize our misdeeds and justify what we have done wrong, which allows us to possess a certain sense of emotional comfort.

Trustworthiness, Governance, And Wealth Creation, Cam Caldwell, Mark H. Hansen

Faculty Publications

Although trustworthiness has been described as a source of competitive advantage, its value extends to organizational governance and wealth creation. We identify the importance of the commitment–compliance continuum in the decision to trust and note that trustworthiness is a subjective perception viewed through each person’s mediating lens. That lens and each person’s interpretation of the social contract impact one’s commitment to cooperate. We suggest five propositions that integrate trustworthiness, governance, and wealth creation.

Contributions Of Family Leisure To Family Functioning Among Single-Parent Families, Laurel B. Hornberger, Ramon Zabriskie, Patti Freeman

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of family leisure involvement to the family functioning of single-parent families and to compare family functioning and family leisure between large samples of dual and single-parent families. Data were collected from a dependent child and custodial parent in 362 U.S. single-parent households. Core and balance family leisure involvement were related to both family cohesion and family adaptability, with core family leisure explaining more variance in family functioning variables from parent, youth, and family perspectives. Family functioning among single-parent families was similar to that of dual-parent families. Family leisure involvement among …

The Impact Of Direct And Indirect Experiences On The Development Of Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behavior, Mat D. Duerden, Peter A. Witt

Faculty Publications

This study employed a mixed-methods design to examine the relationship between nature experience type (e.g., direct and indirect) and learning outcomes (e.g., environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behavior) associated with an environmental education, international immersion program for adolescents. Longitudinal data from 108 participant and 49 comparison group members were analyzed to test the study’s hypotheses. Additionally, qualitative data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology to assess participants’ perceptions of these processes. The findings indicate that environmental knowledge increased more than environmental attitudes during the indirect portion of the program (i.e., preparatory program) whereas the direct portion (i.e., international workshop) produced similar …

Building Entrepreneurship In Subsistence Markets: Microfranchising As An Employment Incubator, Lisa Jones Christensen, Helen Parsons, Jason Fairbourne

Faculty Publications

Scholars indicate significant interest in business models that support entrepreneurial behavior in developing markets [Wankel C., editor. Alleviating Poverty through Business Strategy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2008]—particularly as they relate to job creation. This research introduces microfranchising as a business model adaptation that helps low-income individuals overcome non credit-related barriers to entry in obtaining employment. This study reveals a clear challenge for researchers—to better understand microfranchising and the extent to which the practice creates employment and enables individual business success. Largely unanswered questions concern the profiles of typical microfranchisees as well as the impacts of microfranchising on low-income individuals in …

The Ethics Of Technology, David J. Cherrington

Faculty Publications

Earlier today, I used my credit card to pay for a purchase. As I handed my card to the merchant, he asked if I had used my card to purchase gas recently. When I said yes, he warned me that I should never do it again. He explained that technology experts have developed something that fits inside the credit card reader and copies your credit card information. Another customer overhearing our conversation nodded in agreement. The merchant acknowledged that carrying cash to make gas purchases was much less convenient, but he cautioned me that I should never again use a …

The Impact Of Socialization On Youth Program Outcomes: A Social Development Model Perspective, Mat D. Duerden, Peter A. Witt

Faculty Publications

This study employs a mixed-methods design and a social development model (SDM) to examine the role of socialization processes within an international immersion program for adolescents. Longitudinal data from 108 participant and 49 comparison group members are analyzed using structural equation modeling procedures. Qualitative data are also used to assess participants’ perceptions of these processes. The quantitative findings indicate that the SDM fits the data well and partially mediates the growth of observed recreation programoutcomes. The qualitative findings offer additional insights into the role of within program socialization processes.

Evaluating Youth Programs: An Overview Of Practitioner Led Evaluations, Mat D. Duerden, Peter A. Witt

Faculty Publications

Youth programs are prime contexts for the intentional facilitation of positive development. However, not all youth programs achieve positive outcomes equally. In order to promote the identification and dissemination of the characteristics and processes of effective youth programs, increased focus needs to be given to program evaluation. This article briefly reviews the main tenets of evaluation science in order to provide practitioners a roadmap for conducting their own evaluations. This includes an overview of different types of evaluations and key issues to consider when constructing an evaluation strategy such as targeting outcomes and developing program logic models.

Modeling Family Leisure And Related Family Constructs: A National Study Of U.S. Parent And Youth Perspectives, Raymond A. Poff, Ramon Zabriskie, Jasmine A. Townsend

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to begin the development of a broad model that could examine the structural relationships between family leisure involvement, family functioning, family communication, family leisure satisfaction, and satisfaction with family life among a large sample of families (n = 898) from the United States. Findings from both parent and youth perspectives were consistent with previous studies that examined the same variables individually and provided a possible picture of how these family variables might relate to one another in the broader context of family leisure. Slight differences between the parent and youth models added further insight …

Procter & Gamble’S Pur Purifier Of Water: How Global Corporate Philanthropy Builds Shareholder Value, Lisa Jones Christensen, Carol Seagle

Faculty Publications

“When are you going to change this Children’s Safe Drinking Water program and make money for your company? Surely Procter & Gamble wants you to profit on the water purification technology—you can’t sustain your program as a non-profit!”

Greg Allgood sighed internally at this question, as it seemed to surface frequently despite the continued and rapid growth of the Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) program at P&G. Allgood (Director of the CSDW program) was not actually frustrated with the query, as he had an easy answer ready. Rather, he wished that people could more easily see how his team’s non-profit …

Innovations And Barriers In Health Microinsurance, Sheila Leatherman, Lisa Jones Christensen, Jeanna Holtz

Faculty Publications

Health microinsurance (HMI) offers a promising way to mitigate the risks of disease and ill health, which are disproportionately borne by the world’s poorest citizens. Despite that HMI is a relatively new phenomenon, recent figures indicate that approximately 40 million people worldwide have some form of HMI coverage, principally in India.

The emergence of HMI programmes worldwide provides hope that the poor will receive, at a minimum, a reliable, adequate level of access to affordable healthcare. Research shows that access to HMI reduces out-of-pocket health expenses, especially for catastrophic health events, and improves access to quality health care for those …

Toward A General Theory Of Csr’S: The Roles Of Beneficence, Profitability, Insurance, And Industry Heterogeneity, Paul C. Godfrey, Nile Hatch, Jared M. Hansen

Faculty Publications

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a tortured concept. A number of alternative definitions of the construct exist at the theoretical level, and much debate surrounds the meaning (and its related implications for practice) of the term. Empirically, CSR research reaches few remarkable conclusions. In this article, the authors reconceptualize CSR into a number of discrete corporate social responsibilities (CSRs), each of which can have a positive or negative social impact, and each of which has an endogenous managerially driven component and an exogenous stakeholder-driven component. Using an industry-level sample drawn from the KLD database, the authors test the impact of …

The Executive Pay Drama: From Comedy To Tragedy, David J. Cherrington

Faculty Publications

Over the past century, an interesting play has been performed in the United States called Executive Pay, Starring Your Local CEO. The play opened as a comedy, with executive bonuses and stock options rising at ridiculous rates compared to the pay of factory workers, teachers, and engineers. The performance didn’t get a lot of laughs, but people would smile and shake their heads as if the surprise of ever-escalating pay was an amusing disclosure. During economic downturns there were fewer smiles, and some outspoken critics were remarkably blunt in labeling executive pay practices as “enormous,” “immoral,” and “outrageous.” The title …

Good Management’S Impact On Inventory Shrinkage, David J. Cherrington

Faculty Publications

One of my good friends, Joseph Nelson, tried to convince me that inventory shrinkage was mostly a management problem. Based on his experience as a store manager, Joe claimed that the conduct and example of top management were the most important factors in curtailing shoplifting and employee theft. I was much more inclined to focus on the dishonesty of customers and employees.

Pay Fairness: An Ethical Or A Legal Issue?, David J. Cherrington

Faculty Publications

There is an interesting drama that has been playing in the United States for the past century called “Executive Pay, Starring Your Local CEO”. For many years this drama was a comedy as executive bonuses and stock options continued to rise at ridiculous rates compared to the pay of factory workers, teachers, and engineers. This drama didn’t get a lot of laughs; but people would smile and shake their heads as if the surprise was an amusing disclosure.

Procter & Gamble’S Pur Water Purifier: The Hunt For A Sustainable Business Model, Lisa Jones Christensen, Jessica Thomas

Faculty Publications

Over the last 6 years, under the leadership of Dr. Greg Allgood, director of the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program, P&G has helped to distribute 65 million PuR packets. These packets have been used to purify 650 million liters of water, most often in rural locations. Over time, and through a variety of deliberate partnerships that Allgood cultivated in 10 countries, P&G has tested three different sales and distribution models: commercial marketing, social marketing and disaster relief-- each with varying degrees of success. Drawing from past successes and failures, Allgood is considering how to fulfill P&G’s aggressive commitment to providing …

Corporate Social Responsibility In Sport: An Overview And Key Issues, Paul C. Godfrey

Faculty Publications

Sport—writ large—exists as a significant social institution, both in terms of economic and social impacts on the society of which it is a key part. This essay provides a systematic introduction to the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for sport management scholars and practitioners. I review the historical development of CSR in the United States, provide a summary of the major theories and models currently in use by theorists and researchers, and identify key issues facing the CSR discourse. I conclude by returning to the notion of sport as an institution and try to raise questions, as an outsider, …