“Membership Retention in the Fitness Industry: A Qualitative Study and the Development of a Predictive Model"

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

On the Relationship Between Time Management and Time Estimation

The study explores the relationship between people's self-report of the use of time management practices and estimates of task duration. The hypothesis is that those who are good time managers will be good at estimating how long a future task will take (expected), how long a previously executed task has taken (retrospective) and how long a task is taking while in process (prospective). In the expected setting results indicate that those who perceive themselves as good time managers are most accurate at estimating the duration of a future task, of those who do not perceive themselves as good time managers some grossly overestimate and many underestimate to quite a considerable extent. The latter finding thus provides support for the 'planning fallacy' (Kahneman & Tversky,1979). In the prospective setting results indicate those who perceive themselves as good time managers tend to underestimate time passing. It is suggested that this is a motivational strategy designed to enhance a sense of control over time. Findings are discussed in relation to existing theories of time estimation

Time-Related Individual Differences.

Post-modernism has brought about changing demands with respect to time in work organisations. Whilst the impact of this has been given some attention at both the organisational and individual level far less has been given to a consideration of the extent to which individual differences might moderate the impact of such changes. In order to proceed with this line of enquiry it is necessary first to be able to measure individual differences related to time. This paper, through an analysis and synthesis of existing measures of individual attitudes/approaches to time, a subsequent qualitative study, and large quantitative survey study (N=683) identifies a five factor structure for time-related individual differences (Time Personality) and reports on the development of five complementary measurement scales : Leisure Time Awareness, Punctuality, Planning, Polychronicity and Impatience. A series of reliability and validity studies indicate that the scales are psychometrically sound. The findings are discussed in the context of the role Time Personality might play in moderating the effects that differing organisational structures and changing work demands might have in organisational settings