scholarly journals Some like it hot? Elite female athlete perspectives on competing in extreme climatic conditions at world championship sports events

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Zeiler ◽  
Richard Shipway
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Elite Athlete ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Championship ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Sports Events ◽  
And Performance

PurposeThis paper explores perspectives of elite female athletes competing at world championship sports events, hosted in extreme climatic conditions. From the athlete perspective, it examines the implications of decisions by global sports federations when selecting host cities and the subsequent impacts upon elite athletes competing in unfavourable climates.Design/methodology/approachUsing an exploratory case study approach at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, this paper explores insider perspectives of four elite female participants competing in the Marathon. Adopting the “elite interviewing” technique, and based on event participant experiences, the paper prioritises the perspective and “voice” of the athlete.FindingsFour key themes emerged from the data. These were (1) the importance of training and preparation; (2) unique challenges of competition day; (3) elite athlete retrospection; and (4) prioritising the perspectives of elite athletes at international sports events. The findings highlight the challenges of managing athlete preparation and performance at world championship events hosted in extreme climatic conditions.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample size for this study whilst relatively small is unique. This reflects challenges accessing elite athletes, their reluctance to be interviewed, and the small pool of elite athlete talent available. Given these practical barriers, this represents a good sample size.Originality/valueThis paper secures unique insider access to elite level female endurance athletes competing at world championship events. The study makes a contribution to knowledge in event studies by introducing concepts of “elite event interviewing” and the “athlete-event paradox”.

Recreational and ergogenic substance use and substance use disorders in elite athletes: a narrative review

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (12) ◽  
pp. 754-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
David McDuff ◽  
Todd Stull ◽  
João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia ◽  
Mary E Hitchcock ◽  
Brian Hainline ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Performance Effects ◽  
And Performance ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Performance Enhancing Substances ◽  
Performance Enhancing

BackgroundSubstances from various classes may be used for recreational purposes, self-treatment or to boost performance. When substance use shifts from occasional to regular, heavy or hazardous use, positive and negative effects can develop that vary by substance class and athlete. Regular use of recreational or performance enhancing substances can lead to misuse, sanctions or use disorders.ObjectiveTo review the prevalence, patterns of use, risk factors, performance effects and types of intervention for all classes of recreational and performance enhancing substances in elite athletes by sport, ethnicity, country and gender.MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted to identify studies that compared the prevalence and patterns of substance use, misuse and use disorders in elite athletes with those of non-athletes and provided detailed demographic and sport variations in reasons for use, risk factors and performance effects for each main substance class.ResultsAlcohol, cannabis, tobacco (nicotine) and prescribed opioids and stimulants are the most commonly used substances in elite athletes, but generally used at lower rates than in non-athletes. In contrast, use/misuse rates for binge alcohol, oral tobacco, non-prescription opioids and anabolic-androgenic steroids are higher among athletes than non-athletes, especially in power and collision sports. Cannabis/cannabinoids seem to have replaced nicotine as the second most commonly used substance.ConclusionsSubstance use in elite athletes varies by country, ethnicity, gender, sport and competitive level. There are no studies on substance use disorder prevalence in elite male and female athletes and few studies with direct comparison groups.

Performance management, budgeting, and legitimacy‐based change in educational organisations

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Fowler
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
And Performance ◽  
And Control

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to document the types of and any changes in the budgeting and performance management practices of New Zealand primary educational organisations and explain why they occurred using an institutional theory framework. In doing so, it will provide an understanding of past budgeting and performance measurement and reporting practice, as well as consider the policy implications for the contemporary public‐provided primary education system.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a historical archival‐based case study approach.FindingsThe historical evidence suggests that from 1844 until 1859 budgeting and performance management practices in educational organisations changed as the provision and control of education moved from not‐for‐profit community‐based organisations to become a predominantly public function. The budgeting, inspection and performance management practices and changes observed in the primary education providers were directly related to their need to obtain legitimacy and procure resources.Practical implicationsThe detailed information regarding historical budgeting and performance management practices provides rich background material for researchers as well as suggesting that split responsibility and control between the community and government for education creates a tension between the two controlling bodies.Originality/valueThis paper is the first study of internal accounting and performance reporting practices in a mid‐nineteenth century New Zealand education context.

Can hospital dashboards provide visibility of information from bedside to board? A case study approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Pace ◽  
Sandra C. Buttigieg
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Fit ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Different Levels

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse hospital dashboards’ visibility of information at different management levels to improve quality and performance in an acute general hospital. Design/methodology/approach Data were generated via 21 semi-structured interviews across different management levels. Findings All management levels had greater visibility of information, could make informed decisions, and registered performance improvement. Specifically, waiting time improved, however since introduction of hospital dashboards was work-in-progress at time of study, managers could not record improvement in terms of cost reductions, clinical effectiveness, patient safety and patient satisfaction. Different managerial levels had different visibility with top management having the greatest. Research limitations/implications In single case studies, where only one context is used, the findings cannot be reproduced in different contexts; even though most of the results could be matched with the current literature. Practical implications The need to have balanced key performance indicators that take into account other facets of improvements, apart from time, has been emphasised. Furthermore, if middle and departmental managers have greater visibility, this would allow them to work towards a strategic fit between the departments that they manage with the rest of the hospital. Originality/value There is scant literature regarding performance dashboards’ enhancement of visibility of information at different management levels. Furthermore, according to the authors’ knowledge, no other paper has tried to identify and discuss the different levels of information, which should be visible from bedside to board namely to management, clinicians and public.

How organizational culture influences performance measurement systems in SMEs

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meriam Jardioui ◽  
Patrizia Garengo ◽  
Semma El Alami
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Performance Measurement System ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Huge Impact ◽  
Performance Measurement Systems ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Literature highlights the impact of culture on managerial processes in general and the performance measurement system (PMS) in particular. However, understanding how organizational culture (OC) influences the PMS remains a challenge, especially in SMEs as in these companies the studies are very limited. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how OC influences PMSs in manufacturing SMEs. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the above purpose, a case study approach has been adopted. Four manufacturing SMEs with heterogeneous OC were investigated by means of companies’ documents reviews, participant observations and semi-structured interviews. A conceptual framework based on the competing value framework proposed by Cameron and Quinn (1999) and the PMS typology proposed by Garengo (2009) has been used to investigate the impact of OC on PMS. Findings According to the results, OC has a huge impact on PMS in manufacturing SMEs. The dimensions of “internal/external focus” influence strategy formalization, monitoring of the external environment and performance review. The “flexibility/control” dimensions influence the adoption of the balanced (or unbalanced) set of performance measures a company uses. Originality/value This paper contributes to clarifying how OC influences PMSs in manufacturing SMEs. Moreover, the study of interplay between flexibility/control dimensions and internal/external dimensions supports the identification of three theoretical propositions and four PMS types related to the four different OCs identified by Cameron and Quinn (1999).

A perspective on value co-creation processes in eSports service ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinhard E. Kunz ◽  
Alexander Roth ◽  
James P. Santomier
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Interactions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Championship ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
A Value ◽  
Service Ecosystems ◽  
Service Ecosystem ◽  
League Of Legends ◽  
Multiple Actors

PurposeElectronic Sports (eSports) is an emerging sector of the sports and entertainment industry experiencing an accelerated increase in consumer and sponsor demand. This paper aims to study selected cases of eSports service ecosystems, to identify similarities and differences and to understand the different roles, relationships and multiple interactions of actors involved in value co-creation processes.Design/methodology/approachThis empirical paper follows the service-dominant logic to highlight value creation. Based on the sport value framework, an organizing logic for the actors in sports-related ecosystems to exchange service and co-create value, the authors apply the conceptualization of an eSports service ecosystem framework in which actors create value through their interactions. A case study approach was applied to qualitatively describe two cases of value co-creation by multiple actors during three eSports events. Case study 1a is the 2019 League of Legends World Championship Finals in Paris. Case study 1b is the 2020 League of Legends World Championship Finals in Shanghai. Case study 2 is the BLAST Premier Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Global Final 2020, which was entirely virtual.FindingsThe outcome is an empirically investigated conceptual framework of multiple actors co-creating value within a service ecosystem in eSports. The insights of the cases explain how actors interact with each other and co-create value during events in eSports ecosystems. The cases illustrate interactions in the context of eSports where the actors are connected within ecosystems. This enables further development of a value co-creation concept and a better understanding of value co-creation in eSports.Originality/valueThis study contributes to research by explicating a theoretically grounded framework for eSports service ecosystems based on empirical evidence. This research extends the scope of value co-creation beyond the firm–customer dyad to a service ecosystem in eSports, demonstrating the dynamic interactions of multiple actors.

Investigating internal market orientation: is context relevant?

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qionglei Yu ◽  
Bradley R. Barnes ◽  
Yu Ye
Keyword(s):  
Market Orientation ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Internal Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Internal Customers ◽  
Employee Welfare ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Internal Market Orientation

Purpose Through undertaking qualitative research within different industrial contexts, the study aims to address the following: How do practitioners in non-service organisations interpret internal market orientation (IMO); How is IMO practiced within an eastern cultural context; and What are the outcomes of its implementation? Design/methodology/approach The study examines three organisations from three different industries and draws on nine in-depth interviews with people across various levels within each organisation. Findings The study reveals that: a) senior management commitment should be included in the design of IMO at the strategic level; b) effective responsiveness to internal information collected is crucial to its success; c) creative ways to meet internal customers’ needs and expectations are contextualised; and d) cultural nuances need to be considered when applying IMO. Research limitations/implications Choosing a multiple-case study approach provides in-depth explanations; however, such an approach may lead to less generalisability. Practical implications The study advocates that a) some degree of resources are needed to ensure that IMO can be fully implemented and employee welfare enhanced; b) creativity is required for each organisational context responding to employees’ needs, expectations, complaints or ideas; and c) removing unnecessary barriers can help to foster better interdepartmental relationships and, thus, improve work procedures and employee satisfaction. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by developing a framework to signal the importance of IMO as a facilitator for better firm communication and performance. Contextualised IMO practices from the cases may shed further light on specific best practice.

scholarly journals The Sleep and Recovery Practices of Athletes

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1330
Author(s):  
Rónán Doherty ◽  
Sharon M. Madigan ◽  
Alan Nevill ◽  
Giles Warrington ◽  
Jason G. Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Elite Athlete ◽  
Elite Athletes ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Higher Alcohol ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Quality Sleep ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Individual Sports ◽  
To Receive

Background: Athletes maintain a balance between stress and recovery and adopt recovery modalities that manage fatigue and enhance recovery and performance. Optimal TST is subject to individual variance. However, 7–9 h sleep is recommended for adults, while elite athletes may require more quality sleep than non-athletes. Methods: A total of 338 (elite n = 115, 74 males and 41 females, aged 23.44 ± 4.91 years; and sub-elite n = 223, 129 males and 94 females aged 25.71 ± 6.27) athletes were recruited from a variety of team and individual sports to complete a battery of previously validated and reliable widely used questionnaires assessing sleep, recovery and nutritional practices. Results: Poor sleep was reported by both the elite and sub-elite athlete groups (i.e., global PSQI score ≥5—elite 64% [n = 74]; sub-elite 65% [n = 146]) and there was a significant difference in sport-specific recovery practices (3.22 ± 0.90 vs. 2.91 ± 0.90; p < 0.001). Relatively high levels of fatigue (2.52 ± 1.32), stress (1.7 ± 1.31) and pain (50%, n = 169) were reported in both groups. A range of supplements were used regularly by athletes in both groups; indeed, whey (elite n = 22 and sub-elite n = 48) was the most commonly used recovery supplement in both groups. Higher alcohol consumption was observed in the sub-elite athletes (12%, n = 26) and they tended to consume more units of alcohol per drinking bout. Conclusion: There is a need for athletes to receive individualised support and education regarding their sleep and recovery practices.

Evolution of internal quality assurance at one university – a case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
David O’Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Internal Quality ◽  
Research Assessment ◽  
Strategy Execution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
And Performance

Purpose Quality assurance (QA) at one University has evolved over the past 15 years through emerging National and European standards, various leadership initiatives and through the engagement of key stakeholders in co-designing and implementing internal QA processes. In 2000, the QA process was focussed mainly on quality review (QR) that involved extensive reporting of information. It was characterised by stakeholders as a largely reactive culture, treated with scepticism by faculty staff and that struggled to convince both management and faculty that QA provided value. In 2016, QR is now leaner, more evidence based and focussed around creativity and enhancement. In addition to QR, additional QA processes now incorporate a variety of activities including benchmarking, structured policies and procedures and research assessment. QA is also part of a tripartite approach that links quality, strategy and performance together, with quality focusing on assuring an appropriate standard of excellence, strategy guiding faculty towards a vision of the future and performance providing evidence of quality enhancement and strategy execution. The paper provides a case study of the transformation of QA at the University. Design/methodology/approach The research uses a case study approach. It documents a methodology used to engage a wide number of stakeholders in a self-evaluation process and the results of that process, i.e. enhancements to the internal review process and various policies and procedures. Findings There are early indications that the University’s internal QA has migrated towards a more responsive culture and is increasingly endorsed by the various internal and external stakeholder groups. Research limitations/implications This paper presents the evolution of QA and potential lessons for the wider Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s) sector. Originality/value This paper provides a case study of changes to QA processes at one university that has risen significantly in various university rankings since. Some evidence is provided to show that quality initiatives have contributed to overall performance.

Innovativeness and accounting practices: an empirical investigation

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Healy ◽  
Peter Cleary ◽  
Eimear Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Structuration Theory ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Organisational Capabilities ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Development And Management

Purpose Innovation, the outcome of innovativeness, is a collaborative activity, requiring an integrated approach to the development and management of organisational capabilities (Tushman and Nadler, 1986), and therefore inextricably implicated in the accounting practices of organisations. Extant research however is not conclusive as to the influence of accounting practices on organisational innovativeness with some considering them enabling while others view them as restricting. This study aims to investigate the process of innovation as suggestive of a greater understanding of innovativeness as a dynamic organisational capability and therefore requiring greater consideration of the enabling conditions underpinning this. Design/methodology/approach Using a case study approach, and from the perspectives of three separate functionally specific organisational actors, this paper investigates the role of accounting practices in managing innovativeness within one high-technology organisation. Structuration theory is used as a lens through which the data collected are analysed. Findings Creative tensions (Simons, 2000) at the operational level between innovativeness and performance measurement are managed through the development of creative boundaries (“guide rails”), within which innovative solutions must be developed. Practical implications The findings support the assertion that the use of performance metrics (i.e. accounting practices) can support organisational innovativeness thereby potentially contributing to enhanced organisational performance. Originality/value Accounting metrics are simultaneously enabling and constraining, whereby the tension created from this dual functionality generates ways of empowering organisational capabilities for innovativeness throughout the organisation.

Integrated thinking, orchestration of the six capitals and value creation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roshan Herath ◽  
Samanthi Senaratne ◽  
Nuwan Gunarathne
Keyword(s):  
Value Creation ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Resource Orchestration ◽  
Internal Networks ◽  
And Performance

Purpose This paper aims to explore how the integrated thinking of a chief executive officer (CEO) impacts the management’s orchestration of the six capitals to create value in an organization. Design/methodology/approach Following a case study approach, data was gathered on two business organizations in Sri Lanka through interviews, focus group discussions and documentary analyzes. Thematic and cross-case analyzes were used in analyzing the data based on an analytical framework that was developed using systems and resource orchestration theories. Findings The study finds that the integrated thinking perspective of the CEO determines which capitals to embrace in the pursuit of value creation by an organization. A broader perspective on the integrated thinking of the CEO can lead to a sustainable perspective for value creation focusing on integrated corporate responsibility. On the contrary, a constrained perspective of integrated thinking can lead to a business case perspective for value creation that focuses mainly on the key areas of responsibility extended for operational efficiency. These different perspectives result in differences in value creation in organizations over time. Practical implications The capitals embraced in the integrated thinking perspective of a CEO should be translated into objectives, strategies and performance measurement and implemented at every level of the company to create value. This perspective of a CEO can be institutionalized through the adoption of accredited management systems. To foster value creation, managers should use a variety of information technology platforms and internal networks. Originality/value This is one of the first studies that explore how the perception of integrated thinking of the CEO impacts value creation in an organization through a combination of resource orchestration and systems thinking theory lenses.

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