The Tour de France: corporate sponsorships and doping accusations

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Blumrodt ◽  
Philip J. Kitchen

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is show how sponsors in a major sponsored event may react when facing a potential doping affair. The Tour de France cycling competition is a premier global sporting event – broadcast worldwide – and thus attracts very significant sponsorship. Cycling teams are named after their team sponsors. Recent global news has, however, shown that there are doping scandals involved in this event which impact both teams and team sponsors. When a doping scandal occurs in a team, the sponsors have to react rapidly and expeditiously to protect their brand reputation. Design/methodology/approach – To ascertain potential reactions, team sponsors are interviewed in depth and their reactions to a doping affair assessed. The sponsors represent different brands and their commitment as team sponsors also varies. Findings – Research shows that sponsors react similarly when a doping scandal occurs in their team and adopt similar communication strategies in that situation. While best practice is apparent, doping policies put into place by sponsors nevertheless differ. These practices are more than just preventative in nature, i.e. they anticipate and try to prevent doping affairs. Practical implications – The teams and sponsors are engaged in a long-term relationship to build brand heritage. Undoubtedly, doping is taken very seriously, as consequences can be severe. In this sense, the sport, the teams and the sponsors share the same vision and objectives. Originality/value – Team sponsors reactions while facing a potential doping affair have not yet been assessed. Best practices become visible which might serve as guidelines in other global sporting events, also generating significant sponsorships.

2016 ◽  
Vol 117 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 63-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana K Wakimoto

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore graphic design best practices and approval processes used by librarians. Design/methodology/approach – This paper used an online, qualitative survey to collect data on librarians’ design processes and best practices. The responses were reviewed to determine categories and themes of librarians’ design processes and best practices to gain an understanding of the state of graphic design in libraries. Findings – The majority of the respondents reported that there were no formal guidelines, design committees or approval processes at their libraries. While some librarians were aware of and used graphic design best practices, many respondents were unsure of what constituted a best practice in graphic design. Research limitations/implications – The paper was exploratory and the respondents cannot be said to be representative of all librarians and, therefore, generalizations to all librarians are not possible. Practical implications – Findings may help librarians who assume design duties in their libraries in exploring best practices and discussing design approval processes. Originality/value – This paper is one of the few papers in the library science literature on graphic design as applied specifically to librarians. It increases our understanding of graphic design in libraries.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (11) ◽  
pp. 4338-4356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sut Ieng Lei ◽  
Dan Wang ◽  
Rob Law

Purpose This study aims to investigate how hoteliers leverage mobile technologies to shape services that allow customers to create their own unique and personalized experiences. Design/methodology/approach Guided by service-dominant logic and sociomateriality, this study analyzes hoteliers’ reasoning behind the design of mobile-based services through qualitative research. Data were collected from interviews with hotel managers representing best-practice companies in the industry. Findings The findings provide a rich description of mobile-based value co-creation in the hotel context. They delineate hoteliers’ understanding of mobile technologies as a means to co-create value, their strategic considerations and the forms in which value is expected to be co-created. Research limitations/implications This study unearths the new roles of hoteliers, unique forms of value co-creation and their underlying structures in the specific context of mobile-based value co-creation. Practical implications based on industry best practices are provided for hospitality companies seeking to innovate by co-creating value with customers using mobile technologies. Originality/value This research paper contributes to the hospitality literature on IT-enabled service innovation and value co-creation by comprehensively explaining the underlying structure and design of co-created experiences facilitated by mobile-based services.


2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven A. Gedeon

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify and apply best practices in university entrepreneurship education to the creation of a new MBA in entrepreneurship and innovation management. It is a direct response to calls for a total re-envisioning of entrepreneurship education and criticism that existing programs lack rigour, content, pedagogy, measurement and an established definition. Design/methodology/approach – This article uses reviews of the literature to identify normative best practices and how to apply them to the new program. An entrepreneurship program design framework (EPDF) was created and applied to a new MBA program being developed in central Germany. Findings – Most studies describe aspects of current programs (e.g. lists of courses) but almost none say what should be in a program. Others provide abstract guidance (e.g. programs should define entrepreneurship) but do not give specific recommendations (e.g. what the definition should be). The proposed EPDF provided a rigorous structure for reviewing the literature, designing the new program and establishing specific best practice recommendations for defining program goals, content, pedagogy and measurement of student transformation. Research limitations/implications – The entrepreneurship literature is largely silent on normative best practice guidance, so the proposed application of best practices should be evaluated in that context. Originality/value – Previous articles present relatively abstract frameworks and concepts, whereas this article is a direct application of the practical implications of these concepts. The proposed normative best practice guidelines may be somewhat controversial, but should stimulate useful discussion.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Azzali

Purpose Since the 1960s, the impact of mega sporting events on the built environment has become increasingly important, and the relationship between hosting cities and events increasingly complex and controversial. The outcomes of these mega-events, however, are very discouraging, especially in terms of the state of sports venues and event sites. In many cases, Olympic parks and event sites stand abandoned once the event is over, and sports facilities are often either closed or underutilized. The purpose of this paper is to identify replicable best practices and successful examples used in mega-events to transform events sites and venues into livable public open spaces (POS), enjoyed by the local communities. Design/methodology/approach Three cities were selected for this investigation: London, Sochi and Rio de Janeiro. London hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics, and this study focused particularly on its Olympic park, Queen Elizabeth Park. Sochi hosted the 2014 Winter Olympics but also some of the matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Rio de Janeiro hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics and also a part of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Each case was investigated according to a methodology composed of interviews with experts, site visits, and analysis of the bidding book and post-event reports to check the consistency between promises and legacies. Findings The research identified a framework of six major elements that determine, or contrast, the long-term use of events sites and sport facilities, and highlighted some main attributes to consider in order to transform sporting event sites into livable and enjoyable open spaces. It is expected that this framework can be used as a guidance to deliver sustainable events and long-term legacies and to define a strategy for optimization of planning mega sport events. Practical implications Mega events provide near-unique, fast track opportunities for urban transformation. This research can be used as guidance for the overall mega sporting events stakeholders, such as the IOC, FIFA, and local organizing committees, to identify replicable best practices and successful examples in the leverage of mega events to transform events sites and venues into livable POS. Originality/value Why is it so difficult to transform event sites and sport venues into livable areas of cities? What are the recurrent mistakes, issues, and challenges that hosting cities have to face? This research is unique as it aims at answering these questions by defining a framework of relevant factors for hosting cities to help them in the planning of mega sporting events. The research also highlighted some recurrent mistakes, such as the exorbitant costs of a mega event, the inability to keep the initial budget unchanged and the difficulty to adjust plans to local needs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 168-175
Author(s):  
Holly Lyke-Ho-Gland

Purpose Change has always been hard. But now, change is becoming a constant. Defining change – identifying the new strategy, business model or process the organization needs to retain market share – is difficult enough. Leading the organization through change is even harder. The purpose of this paper is to use a combination of survey and case studies to measure organizations’ change maturity and provide guidance on how organizations can move from check-the-box approaches to ones that drive behavioral shifts. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on the combination of a broadcast survey and series of best practice case studies. Findings And while organizations have made strides in committing resources and planning for change, they continue to struggle with long-term, sustainable change. But what really creates sustainable change? Sustainable change means moving beyond “check-the-box” efforts – focused on the execution of communication plans and project milestones. Instead, organizations should bolster their efforts with a focus on leading, not just communicating, the change and engaging staff cooperatively to drive new behaviors. Originality/value This paper focuses on best practices that do more than require check-the-box adherence to a series of change activities and methodologies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 443-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaos Vlachakis ◽  
Athanassios Mihiotis ◽  
Costas P Pappis ◽  
Ioannis N Lagoudis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on shipyard supply chains in order to identify the processes that take place and evaluate the risks associated with suppliers. Design/methodology/approach – For this analysis two methodologies are applied. The first is the understand, document, simplify, optimize, where the first two steps are used for analysing the processes and the documentation of the best practices, which take place in the daily operations. The second tool is Kraljic’s matrix, which is applied for the identification of supplier selection and associated risks. Findings – The analysis shows that strategic co-operations between shipyards suppliers are essential for improved supply chain performance since supplier improvement in terms of lead times and product quality are achieved. It is also seen that the shipyard supply chain performance can be improved by adjusting the best practices to the needs dictated each time by the project’s specifications. Practical implications – The findings provide valuable insights for practitioners, as well as academicians, policy makers and also integrate supplier selection under the supply chain. Managers can acquire reliable information about those suppliers who exhibit best practice. Originality/value – A number of key processes and best practices have been identified, which are essential for the upstream and downstream coordination of the shipyard supply chain. The present work is an approach to evaluating the risks associated with the shipyard’s suppliers and assists in benchmarking their risk profile.


2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 282-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyejin Bang ◽  
Michael A. Odio ◽  
Thomas Reio

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the influences of theory of planned behavior (TPB) constructs (i.e. attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control (PBC)) on individuals’ volunteer intention for future sporting events, and second, to investigate the moderating effects of brand reputation and moral obligation in the relationships between TPB constructs and volunteer intention. Design/methodology/approach – The sample consisted of 107 volunteers at the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Moderated hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypothesized relationships of the model. Findings – Subjective norm and PBC were significantly associated with volunteer intention. Brand reputation was found to be a moderator in the relationships between attitude and volunteer intention and between subjective norm and volunteer intention, and moral obligation moderated the relationship between PBC and volunteer intention. Practical implications – Sporting events/volunteer managers must understand individuals’ decision-making process with respect to volunteering at sporting events and important insights into new strategies to increase volunteer recruitment, retention, and reliability. Social implications – Because sporting event managers face considerable obstacles in recruiting and retaining a volunteer workforce, an enhanced understanding of volunteering may highlight new ways to remove obstacles to being a volunteer to the benefit of individuals and society. Originality/value – This paper emphasizes the importance of brand reputation and moral obligation as moderators of the effects of the TPB constructs on volunteer intention in the context of sporting events.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 232-241
Author(s):  
Lucia Giovanelli ◽  
Federico Rotondo

This paper focuses on remuneration policies in banking, an issue that is not particularly studied in relation to its importance to financial institutions’ long-term viability and the sustainable growth of the economy as a whole. It aims to assess, through a gap analysis, the level of compliance with best practice in the remuneration policies of Italian banks prior to the implementation of new standards established as a result of CRD IV, as well as the FSB and EBA principles. It also seeks to analyse the evolution of remuneration systems in relation to new international standards in order to identify theoretical and practical implications. The study reveals that the long path through which today’s standards have developed has basically fostered a learning process within the banking sector, which has led to a material respect for most of the best practices. In the same time, it also shows the presence of grey areas, which still undermine the full consistency of bank policies with sound remuneration practices.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantina Vemou ◽  
Maria Karyda

Purpose This paper aims to practically guide privacy impact assessment (PIA) implementation by proposing a PIA process incorporating best practices from existing PIA guidelines and privacy research. Design/methodology/approach This paper critically reviews and assesses generic PIA methods proposed by related research, data protection authorities and standard’s organizations, to identify best practices and practically support PIA practitioners. To address identified gaps, best practices from privacy literature are proposed. Findings This paper proposes a PIA process based on best practices, as well as an evaluation framework for existing PIA guidelines, focusing on practical support to PIA practitioners. Practical implications The proposed PIA process facilitates PIA practitioners in organizing and implementing PIA projects. This paper also provides an evaluation framework, comprising a comprehensive set of 17 criteria, for PIA practitioners to assess whether PIA methods/guidelines can adequately support requirements of their PIA projects (e.g. special legal framework and needs for PIA project organization guidance). Originality/value This research extends PIA guidelines (e.g. ISO 29134) by providing comprehensive and practical guidance to PIA practitioners. The proposed PIA process is based on best practices identified from evaluation of nine commonly used PIA methods, enriched with guidelines from privacy literature, to accommodate gaps and support tasks that were found to be inadequately described or lacking practical guidance.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Dixon

Purpose This paper aims to determine a uniquely Canadian training path for tourism companies to follow to embed sustainable tourism practices in their companies. Design/methodology/approach The foundation of this paper was laid by conducting in-depth executive interviews with leading tourism companies in Canada. Based on the interviews, an eight-question survey was developed and sent to 22 Canadian tourism companies with a response rate of 36 per cent. The results of best practice research conducted in the UK and Ireland were considered in relation to implementation in Canada. Findings This paper suggests a Canadian process and key concepts to consider for embedding sustainability in tourism companies. Practical implications This paper provides a practical training process, geared for Canadian tourism companies, that embeds sustainability in all divisions of the company. A step-by-step process is described that all tourism companies, no matter their size, can use to embed sustainability. Originality/value This paper draws upon the author’s experience in working with Canadian tourism companies and incorporates best practices shared in a partnership with The Travel Foundation. As the paper represents both original research and industry best practice, it is of interest to academics, tourism training centres and tourism companies in Canada. Learning an effective and efficient process developed specifically for Canadian tourism companies will allow companies to economically embed sustainability and ultimately create a unique market position for the company.


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