David Fleischman

DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) marketing is common in sports organisations worldwide. Yet, limited research has empirically investigated how DEI marketing initiatives (e.g., Prideweek Jerseys) impact consumer behaviour and the associated implications. The current research explores how sports consumers respond to different message frames communicating a sporting organisation’s DEI marketing initiatives. Construal Level Theory (CLT) forms the theoretical basis of an experimental DEI message framing study conducted in Australia (n=386). PLS modelling results demonstrate a significant interaction between the message frame used and fans with different levels of team identification. A significant effect on fans’ team abandonment, via a negative emotional response, was also found with different message frames. Theoretically, this study responds to calls for empirical examination of DEI in sports, and marketing more broadly. Practically, this study demonstrates the nuance marketers need to develop genuine DEI initiatives regarding how messages are designed and impact different consumer segments. 

Research suggests the dual pursuit of education and sports provides a more holistic approach to developing athletes. Yet, little research has investigated the types of support services needed for student-athletes well-being. Guided by a transformative sport service research paradigm (TSSR) and the holistic athlete career (HAC) model, this research seeks to provide empirical insight into which services are critical in supporting student-athletes well-being. Survey findings from student-athletes (n=867) suggest a variety of support service types are important with notable differences identified in sub-groups (e.g., regional vs. metropolitan, gender). Further, consistent with the TSSR paradigm, student athlete programs are found to contribute to well-being. Theoretically, this research contributes empirically to the HAC model and the emerging area of TSSR. Practically, a clearer understanding of key support services and well-being emerge, helping guide more effective promotion of student-athlete programs in Australian higher education. 

The notion of supporting elite athletes as a whole person is starting to form the foundation of various sports organisations (Stambulova et al., 2021). In relation to taking a more holistic approach to supporting elite athletes, a growing body of research, particularly over the last decade, has emerged that focuses on elite athlete career adaptability and transitions (Moreno et al., 2021). Hence, the purpose of this research was to explore how elite athlete career adaptability and transition research has evolved within the literature via a systematic review. A systematic review is a fitting approach as it clarifies key research trends from a growing body of work, which helps to draw alignment between academic research, and informs effective design and development of elite athlete career adaptability and transition strategies in sports organisations. 

National sports systems worldwide are constantly evaluating pathways to optimise athlete talent. Talent transfer is one alternative pathway that may increase the chance of identifying and developing successful elite athletes (Bullock et al., 2009). Talent transfer may be more significant in para-sports, compared to able-bodied sports, due to relatively lower athlete numbers resulting in fewer athletes progressing along the sport pathway to the elite level (Baker et al., 2017). Despite this, talent transfer in para-sports has primarily occurred informally, with knowledge and implementation of this process drawn from a limited stock of research on able-bodied athletes and sports (e.g., Cury et al., 2022; MacNamara & Collins, 2015). Of particular interest is the similarities of task constraints of donor and recipient sports that may facilitate talent transfer (Bullock et al., 2009; Teunissen et al., 2021), which is unclear for para-sports due to unique contextual factors (Patatas et al., 2020). Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate whether patterns between donor and recipient sport task constraints contribute to talent transfer in Paralympic sport.  

This study examined (a) the range and importance of support services in university student-athlete programs across Australia, and (b) the potential differences these services have on various sub-groups of student-athletes' performance and well-being (e.g., elite vs. emerging, regional vs. metro student-athletes). The research question driving the study is, 'What and how do the services that 'dual-career University programs' offer, contribute to student-athlete performance and well-being?'

Social enterprises are value based (Ridley-Duff 2008) hybrid organisations that employ traditional business methods to deliver social outcomes (Doherty et al. 2014). Recognised for the provision of socio-economic benefit to society (Borzaga and Tortia 2009) they are multi-stakeholder organisations (Meyskens et al 2010) embedded in their communities (Birch and Whittam 2006). Thus, governments have viewed these ventures as an appealing model for service delivery, showing interest in developing the domain despite public funding for the sector progressively decreasing (Blundel and Lyon 2015). Hence the importance of commercial sustainability for these enterprises (Chell 2007; Jenner 2016). However, this can be problematic. Their dual socio-economic focus may cause mission-drift leading to managerial and stakeholder tension (Doherty et al. 2014) with the potential for organisational failure (Bruneel et al 2016). This is important as collaborative community relationships are a factor in the success of social ventures (Jenner and Oprescu 2016). Moreover, these organisations often lack commercial and managerial skills (Doherty et al. 2014; Sunley and Pinch 2012). This includes marketing capabilities, an area that remains under researched despite its potential to influence social enterprise success, particularly from a relational marketing perspective (Powell and Osborne 2015). Accordingly, this research seeks to explore the application of marketing concepts to build longevity in social enterprise agendas. Anchored in services marketing, value co-creation represents the notion of crafting value together with (rather than to) stakeholders. Moving beyond a sole focus on economic exchange, value co-creation encourages the exchange of operant resources (e.g. knowledge, skills and relationships) to achieve mutual stakeholder benefit (Vargo and Lusch 2004, 2008). Accordingly, it offers a marketing logic focused on integrity and trust amongst stakeholders (Abela and Murphy 2008), seemingly complementary to the ethos of social enterprises. In fact, while value co-creation research is common in commercial contexts, recent calls have been made regarding its applicability in non-commercial and social enterprise settings (McColl-Kennedy et al. 2015; Laud et al. 2015). Thus, drawing from the value co-creation research and utilising case study analysis, this project explores the potential of value co-creation as an avenue for social enterprises to more effectively align the achievement of social goals with organisational sustainability.

Interaction between tertiary educators and students, we contend, improves trust and betters student responses to emotional distress while at university. Therefore, we introduce the "Deskside Manner Framework" as an emerging practice in the tertiary teaching and learning context to aid student transition success. Owing to concepts and practice that originated primarily in the medical profession and later in other high credence professional contexts, the deskside manner framework includes: show respect, critical listening, the four Bs and follow up. Deskside manner is transferrable and we aim to facilitate it through workshops and by developing a digital repository of educator-student interaction stories.