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The sport management field of study purports to be the field that prepares professionals to work in the sport business industry. People with disabilities in sport are a growing population and segment in the industry. Thus, it is important that information about disabilities be included in the literature and materials used by professionals in the field of sport management. Using content analysis methodology, the purpose of this study was to examine the sport management textbook literature in search of content in relation to disability, disability sport, and/or people with disabilities in sport (D/DS/PWDS). Twenty-four textbooks across eight different content areas of sport management were reviewed for mentions of D/DS/PWDS. Mentions ranged from four to 925 per book. Content areas with the most mentions were sociocultural, law, and facilities while the fewest mentions were in finance, communication, and management textbooks. The most mentioned disability was intellectual disability followed by visual impairment and the most common sport reference was the Paralympics followed by Special Olympics. The total percentage of D/DS/PWDS mentions across all 24 books is six ten-thousandths of a percentage, or 0.0006. Discrepancies in mentions within- and between-content areas are addressed. Action steps and future research directions for the inclusion of D/DS/PWDS in sport management textbooks are addressed.

To examine the intersection of trans-identities and collegiate recreation program and services (CRS), this inquiry explored the perceived meanings and implications of gender-related competitive sport policy as interpreted by transgender students. Three trans-identifying students ( n = 3) participated in this inquiry; each student reviewed collegiate recreation competitive sport policy excerpts and provided qualitative responses during phenomenological, semi-structured interviews. The resulting transcripts underwent a two-part, cyclical analysis to identify and explore common themes and phenomenological essence. Conclusionary themes indicated that CRS competitive sport policy—while possibly having the intent to be gender inclusive—may not be conclusively perceived as such. In addition, select—yet common—terminology used in CRS lexicon was perceived as being exclusive to trans-identities. These themes suggest that CRS trans-inclusive policy should consider the reception of its content during development and furthermore address a gap in literature by providing practitioners with insight as to the manner of which CRS policy is being perceived by their intended trans-audiences.

Globalization has influenced everyday life socially, culturally, and economically. Understanding the impact of globalization on managing sport business is becoming increasingly imperative. As the globalization in sports progresses rapidly, critical and complex issues have emerged; it would be necessary for sport managers to recognize current and potential issues and formulate effective strategies to counter the challenges. In this introductory chapter, some of the contemporary challenges in the globalized sport marketplace are first recognized, which are followed by discussions on developing innovative ideas to address issues and solve problems. In this process, keeping pace with and making good use of technology advancement are highlighted.

The Questionnaire of Evaluation of the Quality Perceived in Sports Services is a quantitative tool that has mainly been developed in users of public sports services. The aim of this study was to adapt the tool and determine the psychometric properties and the degree of factorial equivalence in three different countries (Spain, Ecuador and Colombia). Using a convenience sampling strategy, three samples with a total of 927 participants were analyzed, of which 330 were spanish, 363 ecuadorians and 234 colombians. The CFA ratified the original structure of 25 items and showed a good fit to the data in the Spanish, Colombian and Ecuadorian sample. All constructs presented good internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity. Lastly, a multi-group analysis showed the invariance factorial through the difference in the RMSEA, CFI and NNFI indices. The findings of the present study demonstrated evidence for the instrument validity and reliability. In conclusion, the adapted version of the tool provide insightful implications for sport management professionals for the evaluation of the quality of sport services in different countries who have the Spanish language as their mother tongue.

Due to its importance in fitness centers, a number of authors have explored and analyzed loyalty. However, two characteristics not yet examined are service convenience in fitness center chains and low-cost fitness centers (an emerging business model). In the present study, the authors sought to understand the relationship among perceived quality and service convenience on perceived value, satisfaction, and client loyalty in low-cost fitness centers. Clients (N = 763; 381 women and 382 men) from three low-cost Spanish fitness centers were surveyed, revealing a positive relationship among the variables studied. Findings demonstrate the importance of proper management of non-monetary sacrifices and perceived quality by the managers of these sport organizations, since client loyalty could depend on factors of these emerging sport models.

Purpose By using table tennis as an example and conducting an in-depth investigation into the impact of market demand factors on membership consumption of table tennis club members in the USA, the purpose of this paper is to illustrate the opportunities and marketing efforts needed for Asian sports to survive and thrive in North America, in which consumer demand factors assessing core program features of table tennis clubs were found to be very influential of cognitive, affective, and behavioral consumptions of table tennis club members. Design/methodology/approach Through conducting a review of literature, observations of club operations, and interviews of club administrators and club members representing various table tennis clubs, a preliminary questionnaire was formulated for this study. The initial questionnaire was submitted to a panel of five experts, for a test of content validity. By incorporating their suggestions, editing was made to improve a number of the items in the questionnaire. Data collection took place in two national table tennis tournaments, two local tournaments, and six table tennis clubs. Procedures in SPSS 19.0 (SPSS, 2009) and Mplus 5.21 were carried out for data analyses. Findings The findings of this study are that market demand factors would be significantly related to consumer perceived benefits and perceived value, and in turn related to consumer satisfaction of table tennis club membership. The market demand factors had a positive impact on perceived value and benefits confirmed the theoretical framework and previous research findings, which also made a practical sense that a table tennis club needs to offer product features and meet expectations of its current and potential members in order to enhance program value and benefits perceived by its members. Originality/value The past two decades have marked the speediest rise of a globalized sport production and consumption trend. In an era of globalized sport marketplace, sports have become a business commodity to meet the needs of commerce. For an Asian sport to penetrate into the North American marketplace as table tennis has done, it would be wise to develop regional network, strategies, product, and promotions. It is expected that table tennis as a popular Asian sport will continue being spread to other parts of the world; thus, the findings of this study have potential relevance to promoting table tennis globally.

Sport management curriculum standards (COSMA, 2016) require sport management programs to prepare students to work in a “diverse sport management environment” (p. 54). People with disabilities in sport is a growing segment of the sport business industry with viable jobs and careers for graduates. There is also a movement to include people with disabilities in “mainstream” sport. Sport management professionals must be informed of these current trends and issues. Thus, it is crucial to examine course content in relation to diversity, specifically disability sport. This study explored if sport management faculty included any content about people with disabilities and sport, what topics or content is included, and how it is included. Specifically, this study was limited to the one course in which an overview of the sport business industry and the study of sport management are introduced, the traditional introduction to sport management course. Result show inclusion of topics such as the Paralympic Games or Paralympic sport, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Special Olympics International, and inclusion/integration of disabled athletes. A total of 16% of respondents indicated they do not include disability sport content in their introduction class. The connection of this content to sport management curriculum standards, methods of teaching disability sport, and implications for curriculum development are discussed.

While the sport industry has enjoyed expanded opportunities and increased benefits of globalization, critical and complex issues have also arisen in managing sport teams, leagues, and organizations. In this chapter, critical analyses are conducted of both advantageous and challenging perspectives of cross-cultural and managerial issues in the global sport industry. In a preliminary effort to address the challenges, discussions on emerging trends and managerial practices are made; certainly, empirical studies are suggested to further analyze related concepts and variables and seek viable solutions. Including this introduction chapter, this book contains a total of 14 chapters that are organized into two main sections, including cultural and managerial perspectives.

The purpose of this study was to build and test a demand model from game-related attributes to estimate fluctuations in attendance on a game-specific basis by controlling for the home team and examining those attributes solely associated with the visiting teams. Four major factors were selected to be the main focus of the current model, namely game schedule, star power, team performance, and uncertainty of outcome. The proposed model was tested using an empirical data set of a total of 1,189 NBA games played by six teams over five seasons. The resulted prediction models may be useful for estimating the demand of attendance because this study confirmed the strong effect of star power on demand, clarified the three-level day-of-week variable, added and verified the effect of the game availability variable, incorporated and validated new and more accurate variables to capture team performance, and discovered the potential moderating effect of the home team’s quality on the relationship between uncertainty of outcome and game demand.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 has been one of the most powerful tools used by persons with disabilities in the fight for access and equality. Significant case law demonstrates the impact of the ADA on disability sport participation and access, but little is known regarding how the ADA has impacted athletes with disabilities. Thus, the purpose of this study was to gain the perspective of elite athletes with disabilities who competed before and after the ADA’s enactment. Participants were interviewed, and the data were transcribed and analyzed. Findings indicated that participants generally felt physical barriers were most problematic before the ADA and improved greatly after the ADA. Economic barriers, social barriers, and barriers of legitimacy were challenging to athletes before the ADA, but views differed on whether these issues improved and to what extent improvement occurred following the implementation of the ADA.

This study examined the perspectives of sport management academicians regarding their experiences supervising international graduate students. Fifteen experts were interviewed and provided their perspectives on practices used in international student involvement—specifically, student identification, recruitment, acceptance, orientation, progress, and retention, and the inherent challenges and benefits. The primary challenges cited by the majority of participants were language and cultural differences in learning; however, all participants concurred that the benefits of supervising international students far outweighed the challenges. These benefits included, but were not limited to, bringing international and global perspectives into the learning environment, which was positive for both students and professors. Findings from this study may provide program administration with insights on key factors affecting the quality of delivery of sport management education to international students. Consequently, high-quality programs can be developed to meet the needs of students from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds.

The purpose of this study was to develop the scale of General Game Support Programs (GGSP) to assess service quality factors associated with professional team sports, which was completed through four steps: (a) formulation of a theoretical framework, (b) development of a preliminary scale, (c) exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and (d) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Participants (N = 453) were residents in four southeastern United States metropolitan areas where one or more professional team sports were franchised at the time this survey was conducted. To qualify for participation in the study, an individual must have also attended at least one professional team sport event within the previous 12 months. Based on a comprehensive review of literature, on-site observations of professional sports events, interview of administrators of professional sports teams, and a test of content validity, a preliminary GGSP was developed. The data were split into two halves, one for EFA and the other for CFA. Consequently, 15 items were retained under three factors: Game Amenities, Ticket Service, and Venue Quality. This three-factor model displayed good psychometric properties. Findings of this study have reinforced the importance of these event service factors in the planning, preparation, and operation of a professional sport event.

As the field of sport business management develops, it is critical to assess its literature. A content analysis of 34 sport business management journals between 2002 to 2012 was conducted relative to sports, physical activity, recreation, and leisure for individuals with disabilities. Journals were selected based on their alignment with sport management curriculum standards. Results show that of the 5,443 articles reviewed in this study, merely 89, or .016%, pertained to disability sport, leisure, recreation, or physical activity. Information insufficiency was found across all sport management curriculum domains. Similarities and differences are discussed relative to other content analyses conducted in sport management and disability sport. Results provide direction for future scholarship and advancement of studies in disability sport in sport business management.

Over the past few decades, globalization has been one of the most conspicuous veracities, opportunities, and challenges faced by every corner of the world. Regardless of one's will, today it is nearly impossible for an individual to live without the influence of a globalized world. In a world economy, individual national economies are now more closely integrated with each other than ever before. Thus, it is common that economic integration often comes first into people's minds when they speak of globalization and perceive it as the primary effect of globalization. It is inevitable that globalization has had significant impact on the sport industry as a globalized marketplace has affected every aspect of human society, including economic, social, and cultural changes. The international nature of modern sport requires sport businesses and organizations to modify their marketing practices in order to attain both effectiveness and competitive advantage in a border-transcended marketplace.

Disability sport is growing around the world with momentum and is described as a “movement” (Bailey, 2008; DePauw & Gavron, 2005). While there are more similarities than differences with sport management for able-bodied athletes and those with disabilities, there are additional needs and considerations for persons with disabilities (DePauw & Gavron, 2005). The noticeable visibility of individuals with disabilities in society, including sport, raises concerns about the degree to which sport management academic programs have modified their curricula to ensure that individuals working in the sport management field are prepared to deal with the uniqueness of disability sport. This paper (a) discusses theoretical perspectives toward understanding and thinking about disability, (b) explores ways to enhance sport management curricula through infusion of disability sport, (c) reflects upon current social practices for curriculum integration of athletes with disabilities in sport, and (d) acknowledges infusion of disability sport businesses, organizations and events.

This study examined the current textbooks in sport management using the quantitative content analytic research method. Sport management books selected for examination were limited to those written in English published from 1990 through to November 2006 inclusive. Of the 129 books representing 14 categories analyzed, the greatest number of books was in the categories of management (n = 36) and marketing (n = 27). These categories were followed by law (n = 13), finance (n = 9), and event management (n = 8). The majority of the books (88%) were authored. Among the authors and editors, 79% were male. The majority of books (85%) did not indicate a target audience. The average year of publication of all books was 2001, with almost three-quarters (73%) being published from the year 2000 onwards. The number of publishers was 40, of which the vast majority was in the United States.

The purpose of this study was to examine the level of sponsorship awareness of season ticket holders and the change in the awareness over the duration of one American collegiate football season through a sponsorship recall survey. The results showed that there were increases in the recall rates for eight of the nine actual sponsor companies used in the study from the beginning to the end of the season; however, only three of these differences were statistically significant.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a lesbian and gay sports tourism industry. Results revealed evidence of an extensive and growing industry estimated to be worth $180m within the larger lesbian and gay sports industry that is estimated to be worth $15bn. Moreover, the market is gaining increased recognition by mainstream corporate America as an affluent and viable market. Some of the results include: there is a large lesbian and gay sports industry; there is a viable lesbian and gay sports travel industry; the demand for lesbian and gay sports products has led to the creation of companies that specialise in lesbian and gay sports travel products; lesbian and gay media give increasing attention to sports events and travel; there is proliferation of sports spectatorial products; and the Gay Games have had a significant impact on sports participant and spectatorial travel.

While Weese recently recommended that JSM and NASSM become more practitioner-oriented, Cuneen and Parks argued that JSM and NASSM need to maintain a more theoretically-oriented approach. Further, Cuneen and Parks agreed with Weese's suggestion that a new practitioner-oriented journal could be developed in order to meet the current needs of practitioners and to provide opportunities for both types of research. The authors of this paper would like to go further and suggest that it is important to allow for both types of research within the various content areas. However, despite the popularity of sport marketing in North America, there is currently only one practitioner-oriented journal specializing in this area. The authors of this paper believe that there is an immediate need for a theoretical sport marketing journal that, together with the Sport Marketing Quarterly, will contribute to the development of this content area.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is an emerging lesbian sports industry. Definitions and indicators of industry and sport industry were used to analyze existing data from a current on-going study. Based upon the results there is abundant evidence that: there is a wide variety of lesbian sports products, there is horizontal growth as well as vertical growth, there are existing and potential lesbian sports buyers, there are correlated indicators, and there is recognition of value. The conclusion is that there is an emerging lesbian sports industry.

In this case study of Hillerich & Bradsby Company, Inc. (H&B), the ways in which H&B implemented principle components of Just In Time (JIT) Manufacturing in the production of wooden baseball bats are identified. Various JIT components such as small batch production, a cellular layout, multifunctional workers, reduced set-up times, empowered employees, the kanban system, and supplier partnerships are discussed and applied to H&B productions. An analysis of selected financial ratios indicated that JIT successfully contributed to the maintenance of H&B's production efficiency and market leadership. While the first section of the paper briefly outlines the history of the H&B company, the second section addresses the JIT manufacturing process. Seven principle components associated with the JIT manufacturing process are addressed and applied to H&B's operations. In conclusion the limitations associated with H&B's implementation of the JIT manufacturing process are identified.

Several trends throughout the 1970s and 1980s have heightened the demand for the sports agent (Dunn, 1988; Rypma, 1990; Shropshire, 1989, 1990; Sobel, 1991). However, promising athletes are often reluctant to secure an agent as a result of the unethical practices of a few agents. Recent attempts to regulate abuses have been unsuccessful (Cosgrove, 1990; Dunn, 1988; Goodman, 1990; Rypma, 1990; Sullivan, 1984; Sobel, 1990). This article addresses the strengths and weaknesses of institutional, state regulatory, and suggested federal remedies which attempt to stop the abuses of unruly athlete agents. The paper proposes the idea of a uniform code as a remedy to athlete agent abuse. Six key areas are integral to the uniform code: 1) a broad definition of both the pro fessional player an d the agent, 2) a "quasi-judicial legislative system" (Carlsen, 1991), 3) defined agent qualifications and certifications, 4) a bond requirement, 5) criminal penalties for code violators, and 6) itemization of prohibited activities for all involved parties.

This paper explores concepts about educational quality, accreditation, and assessment as they relate to sport management programs. It reports, analyzes, and synthesizes the results of a survey sent to teaching professionals associated with sport management programs. Accreditation and its alternatives are discussed in addition to the issue of professional responsibility for ensuring educational quality. Levels and degrees of professional responsibility are considered.