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The concern over poor membership retention rates in the fitness industry is increasing, yet it has attracted little empirical research. So far, membership retention has mostly been indirectly and narrowly addressed, whereby research has either measured member satisfaction or member usage of a fitness club from mainly a service quality perspective. This paper introduces a mixed-method (QUAL→quan) research project and presents the findings of the qualitative study. 30 semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with a stratified random sample of current and past members of a fitness club. The responses were thematically analysed and used in the development of a predictive model of fitness club membership retention. The model seeks to predict club usage and actual retention, and includes components such as attitudinal, normative, control beliefs, motivation orientation as well as perceived quality, brand identity and commitment.

Applied Occupational Psychology research provides a valuable evidence base which can potentially be used to inform and improve organisational practice. In reality, however, its actual usage in organisational practice is not a given. After a brief overview of the characteristics of applied research and the challenges faced when conducting it, the valuable role that applied research can have in interpreting organisational behaviour and developing\ud interventions is emphasised. However, this is just the first hurdle for applied researchers, seeking to bridge their research-practice gap. Whilst researchers might succeed in applying their findings to the development of an intervention or practical recommendations, numerous\ud challenges may be encountered during the actual application of these interventions/ recommendations into organisational practice. Subsequently, the gap between research and\ud practice is at risk of remaining unbridged. Using my own PhD research as an exemplar ("Membership retention in the health and fitness industry: A predictive model"), these issues will be illustrated and discussed, including ways in which the gap between research and practice can be successfully bridged.

Career theorists have long suggested that age and life stages have an impact upon our career values. However there is substantial disagreement over how this actually manifests itself. Some suggest these differences are generational with external factors playing an important role (Westerman & Yamamura, 2007). In contrast developmental theories of careers focus on what happens in distinct career stages. These theories provide some structure to careers through the lifespan suggesting that early careerists will focus on exploration, mid careerists are concerned with advancement and the late careerists concentrate on passing their skills to others. Savickas (2002) calls for more longitudinal research in the field of careers to examine in depth what happens to individuals as they progress through these stages rather than taking the more popular cross sectional approach to research. This paper describes the development of a study that aims to examine career values through the lifespan using the career anchor model as a measure of career values.

Using qualitative analysis and a critical incident methodology the proposed paper will present the findings of an investigation into the role that the more formal, more academic ideas, theories, concepts and models about management play in the decision-making processes of practitioners. \ud \ud The work that will be presented will: \ud \ud Both present and highlight some of the limitations of the established theory in this area of interest \ud Consider the relevance of some established theory from disciplines other than business and management \ud Detail the findings of the first phase of the fieldwork that has been undertaken with senior managers from a variety of organisations, representing all sectors of the economy \ud Highlight some of the currently unresolved issues that will form the basis of the second phase of the research \ud \ud The presentation should be of particular interest to those who are ‘specialists’ in the fields of either occupational psychology, or business and management. However ‘non-specialists’ should also find both that the material is accessible and that it resonates with their life experiences.

The existence of so-called “successful” psychopaths is becoming an increasing focus of psychological research. Successful psychopaths are distinguished from other psychopathic individuals as, although they have the same constellation of personality characteristics, they have avoided the associated history of arrest and incarceration (Lynam et al, 1999). Preliminary evidence suggests that these individuals prosper in organisational settings. Psychopaths have been identified working successfully as senior managers, politicians, doctors, psychiatrists and scientists to name but a few (e.g. Board & Fritzon, 2005; Hare, 1993; Cleckley, 1941; Babiak, 1995, 1996). Psychopaths appear to have skills and personal characteristics that help them to become successful; charm, the ability to manipulate, ruthlessness, self-confidence and fearlessness (Board & Fritzon, 2005). As a consequence they can rise quickly through the ranks to positions of power and influence. This can have disastrous consequences for the organisation, its employees and society as a whole (Boddy, 2006). Further research is sorely needed to build upon the scant evidence available at present, the majority of which is anecdotal in nature, and identify the true extent of psychopathy in the workplace. The current program of PhD study aims to explicate the early career development of psychopaths, including aspects or organisational culture and job roles attractive to young psychopaths and their self-reported behavioral responses to common work scenarios.