Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration Commons^™

Resident Travel And In-State Vacation Characteristics, Kara Grau, Norma P. Nickerson

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was a 12‐month project conducted to further understand how often residents travel within Montana, where they travel, how much they spend, and the activities they participate in while on a pleasure trip. A 94% response rate was achieved with the on‐site survey (12,401 surveys completed) and a 37% response rate was subsequently obtained from the longer mail‐back or web survey (3,133 surveys completed). Similar to a non-response check, a third and final survey was conducted, on‐line, to validate the trip numbers reported by residents.

The Development Of A Pay-For-Performance Appraisal System For Municipal Agencies: A Case Study, Michael A. Mulvaney, William R. Mckinney, Richard Grodsky

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Well-designed employee performance appraisal instruments assume great importance by providing agencies with information that can guide administrative and developmental decision-making about their most important asset—their human resources. Administratively, performance appraisals serve as the formal evaluation tool used by managers when making decisions about the distribution of pay increases and the promotion and demotion of an employee. Developmentally, performance appraisals assist agencies in identifying issues such as employee training needs and cross training opportunities.1 Despite its importance, both employees and management often view the performance appraisal process as frustrating and unfair. These frustrations are largely attributed to a reliance on performance …

Ua51/1 Collections & Connections, Jennifer Wilson

Collections & Connections

This is the Fall-Winter 2012-13 issue of the bi-annual newsletter of the University Libraries at Western Kentucky University. This issue introduces the new Dean of WKU Libraries Connie Foster; a new Library System Office; a new service of iPad lending; and the on-going project of The Commons at Cravens, a brand new one-stop library service point where patrons can check out library materials and get professional help from the librarians and trained tech people in the same place. This issue features several award recipients, namely, the SOKY Book Fest, which has received Commendation from the KY School Media Association; Jim …

Reconsidering National Park Interpretation Of The Great Plains And Trans-Mississippi West, Robert Pahre

Great Plains Research: A Journal of Natural and Social Sciences (through 2013)

The National Park Service has generally interpreted its sites in the Great Plains in terms of a Eurocentric narrative of westward expansion. Though some sites are changing (e.g., Little Bighorn), others are not (e.g., Scotts Bluff). Even those sites that have changed still retain important elements of traditional narratives, which often date to the 1930s or to the Mission 66 period (1956-66). The newest sites, such as Washita Battlefield, tell newer stories that resonate well with today's visitors. These provide a model for revising older sites. Giving greater attention to causes and consequences, aiming for a richer mix of disciplinary …

Geotraveler Tendencies In Montana's Shoulder And Winter Seasons , Christine Oschell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

After two initial studies on geotourism in Montana (Boley, 2009; Boyle, 2012) confirmed the presence of geotravelers in the third quarter of both the Crown of the Continent region and throughout the state of Montana, research interest turned to visitors during the remainder of the quarters, or seasons. This study looked statewide at all visitors and, more narrowly, vacationers, in the “shoulder” and winter season (quarters 1, 2, 4) to determine their geotourist tendencies.

Montana People And Jobs: The Tourism Connection, Norma P. Nickerson

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

The purpose of this report was to further understand employment in the Montana tourism industry based on a random sample phone interview of the general population of Montana’s workforce. The workforce sample surveyed was 2,340, and 400 were in a tourism-related business in 2011. Seventeen percent of Montana’s workforce was employed in a tourism related job in 2011, equating to nearly 81,000 jobs of the total Montana workforce of over 476,000.

Dragon Boat Festival Visitor Study: 2012, Christine Oschell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study provided the organizers of the first Montana Dragon Boat Festival with information about the attendees, including their characteristics and the amount of money they spent in the area. This report can also provide information to other communities who may want to bring festivals to their area.

Montana Folk Festival Visitor Study: 2012, Christine Oschell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

The purpose of this study was to provide the organizers of the Montana Folk Festival with an understanding of their attendees and the total money spent by those surveyed in Butte. The population of interest was attendees of the 2012 Montana Folk Festival.

Multiple Motives For Participating In Adventure Sports, John H. Kerr, Susan Houge Mackenzie

Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration

Objectives

The purpose of the present study was to explore possible multiple motives for participation in different adventure sports.

Design

Qualitative design, specifically an inductive-deductive approach informed by reversal theory, was used to analyze participation motivation data.

Method

Data was collected using the Scanlan Collaborative Interview Method (SCIM; Scanlan, Russell, Wilson, & Scanlan, 2003). Participants were very experienced adventure sport participants involved in riversurfing, mountain biking, kayaking, mountain climbing and hang gliding.

Results

The results indicated that the participants' motivation was multifaceted. While some participants shared common motives, these were often described in different orders of importance by different participants. …

Valuing Improvements To Coastal Waters Using Choice Experiments: An Application To Revisions Of The Eu Bathing Waters Directive, Stephen Hynes, Dugald Tinch, Nick Hanley

Working Papers

Planned changes to the European Union’s Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7 EC) will force member states to produce improvements in a number of parameters of coastal water quality. This study uses the choice experiment method to estimate the economic benefits attached to such improvements, based on a sample of recreationalists on beaches in Ireland. The analysis indicates that improvements in all of the bathing water related attributes studied result in positive willingness to pay, and also show evidence of scope effects. Using random parameters and latent class modelling techniques, potential heterogeneity in preferences is then investigated and shown to be present …

Ocean Governance: The New Zealand Dimension Full Report, Michael Vincent Mcginnis

Working Papers

The primary goal of this report is to provide interested members of the public and policymakers with a general overview and a description of the types of principles, planning tools, and policy instruments that can be used to strengthen and improve marine governance in New Zealand. As extractive uses (hydrocarbons and minerals, in particular) ramp up and others are explored and brought on line in the marine areas of New Zealand, the need will increase for a more integrative, ecosystem-based approach to marine governance.

This study is based on the following types of analysis:

• a review of the literature …

The Relationship Between Motivations For Physical Activity And Self-Esteem Of College Women, Emily Turke

All Theses

Physical activity can have a positive impact on several aspects of mental health, including self-esteem. Positive mental health effects of physical activity may be related to increased skill competency and social interaction (Paluska & Schwenk, 2000). Research indicates that self-esteem is also increased by participation in physical activity. Specifically, girls who participate in physical activity have higher self-esteem than girls who do not participate (Wilson & Rodgers, 2002; Schmalz, Deane, Birch, Davidson, 2007). Self-esteem that emerges from physical activity is an important factor in the health and wellbeing of college women. Social, emotional, academic and physical aspects of a young …

Parental Involvement In Youth Sports: An Examination Of Team Greenville, Christina Mazer

All Theses

Considerable research suggests that parents play an important role in the youth sports environment, however we are often unaware of the motivations that influence parents' involvement, or lack thereof, in their child's sports activities. This study examined the role of parent involvement in the youth sports environment, specifically among youth swim team participants. Interviews were conducted with parents to examine their level of involvement with their child's youth sport. A transcendental or psychological phenomenology was used to analyze the data that emerged from the interviews. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed and limitations and suggestions for future research are noted. …

Developing A Conceptual Framework To Understand Why Local Residents Contribute To Online Travel Communities, Bingjie Liu

All Theses

Online travel communities have reshaped travel behaviors and decision-making of people around the world. In addition to the communication between different travelers, it is noted that local residents also contribute to the information sharing process. Why do local people offer help online? This is a question that has not been answered through a rigorous research process. By exploring why local residents' display helping behavior in online travel communities, the purpose of this study was to develop and test a conceptual framework to understand local residents' contribution to online travel communities. Two models rooted from social psychology to understand the helping …

Self-Actualization And Peak Experiences In Outdoor Recreation, Jonathan Vogler

All Theses

While a positive correlation has been illustrated between peak experiences in outdoor recreation and self-actualization, there has been little to no research on the detailed components of peak experiences that might influence self-actualization. The purpose of this study was to explore individuals' perceptions of peak experiences in outdoor recreation and their potential influence on the process of self-actualization. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 criteria recruited participants that had a long experiential history with outdoor recreation. A phenomenological approach was used to explore the essence of the peak experience as well as perceptions of self-actualization, as described by each participant. …

The Montana Tourism Industry: The People And The Businesses, Christine Oschell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

The purpose of this study was to understand more about tourism industry business owners and employees, their employment history and their perception of the benefits that have come from their job in tourism. Another important aspect of this study is determining where Montana tourism businesses spend their money.

Missoula Marathon Participant Study: 2012, Christine Oschell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

The purpose of this study was to provide the organizers of the 2012 Missoula Marathon with an understanding of their race participants and the total money spent in Missoula. This study compliments and can be looked at in conjunction with the 2007 and 2010 Marathon studies (below).

Diversifying The National Parks, Amalia Sommer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Surfing As Adventure Travel: Motivations And Lifestyles, Zachariah Reynolds, Nancy M. Hritz Dr.

Journal of Tourism Insights

The purpose of this study was to create a profile of the adventure traveler’s lifestyles, values and travel motivations. An understanding of the lifestyle and attitudes of today’s adventure traveler can aid tourism marketers in designing messages tailored to this unique target market. Differences and similarities between genders and the age cohorts of Generation Y, Generation X and Baby Boomers were examined. Across the sample most participated in a “traditional” type of sport before migrating to an adventure activity and they also engaged in more than one type of adventure activity.

Across the sample, the participants traveled in order to …

A Survey Of Seafood Traceability And Sustainability In The United States— Processes, Regulations, And Current Initiatives, Nancy A. Olsen

Working Papers

The global seafood industry currently lacks a standardized, widespread method to easily trace the chain of custody of products that they purchase. With global overfishing leading to declining fish stocks around the world, it is vital for seafood providers to have the ability to identify and buy products from sustainable fisheries that are well managed, target abundant species, and fish in environmentally responsible ways. This paper analyzes public and private initiatives that seek to provide product traceability. In summarizing the current status of seafood traceability, stakeholders agree that are a number of challenges with trying to piece together so many …