Spectator perceptions of physical facility and team quality : a study of a Malaysian Super League soccer match.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between stadium factors(sportscape) and team quality on spectators’ satisfaction and their intentions to attend soccer matches in Malaysia. The subjects comprised of 371 spectators attending a Malaysian Super League soccer match. The subjects completed the sportscape instrument(Wakefield, Blodgett, & Sloan, 1996) to measure perceptions of the physical facility while the quality of the team was measured using items from Zhang, Pease, Smith, Lee and Lam (1997) scale. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that team quality and sportscape variables together predicted spectators’ satisfaction (R² = 0.289, adjusted R² = 0.285) and their intentions to attend future matches (R² = 0.278, adjusted R² = 0.274). The results of the study were discussed in light of earlier findings concerning sportscape features and team quality. Practical implications of the results of the study to facility managers and sport marketers were also discussed

Transformational leadership behaviours of athletic directors and their effects on coaches' job satisfaction

This study examined the relationship between transformational leadership behaviours of athletics directors and job satisfaction of coaches at NCAA Division I and III institutions in the United States. In addition, this study also examined whether there are differences between Division I and III institutions with respect to the levels of transformational leadership behaviours of athletics directors and coaches' job satisfaction. Data for this study were collected from 618 coaches. The Transformational Leadership Behaviour Inventory developed by Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Moorman & Fetter (1990) was used to measure coaches' perception of the transformational leadership behaviours of their athletics directors. The job satisfaction of coaches was measured by using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (Weiss, Dawis, England & Lofquist 1967). Data were analyzed by using discriminant analysis and logistic regression. It was discovered that Division I coaches evaluated their superiors higher in terms of transformational leadership behaviours than their counterparts in Division III. Division I coaches also reported a higher level ofjob satisfaction than coaches from Division III. The results also revealed that there was a significant relationship between transformational leadership behaviours of athletics directors and coaches' job satisfaction at both NCAA Division I and Division III institutions

The relationship between perceived coaching behaviours and team cohesion among Malaysian National Junior Athletes

Based on Carron’s (1982) model of cohesion, this study examined the relationship between perceived coaching behaviours and group cohesion in interacting sports teams among national junior athletes in Malaysia. The subjects, which were comprised of 150 athletes, were asked to respond to survey questions based on the Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS) and the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). The results suggest a significant relationship between coaching behaviours and team cohesion. Coaches who were perceived as engaging in democratic behaviours, higher levels of training and instruction, social support and positive feedback, tend to have athletes with higher levels of task and social cohesion within their teams

An examination of sport watching behaviours of students at Universiti Putra Malaysia

The purpose of this study was to investigate sport watching behaviours of students at Universiti Putra Malaysia and to determine differences in sport watching behaviours in terms of gender and nationalities. Data was collected from 259 students using survey questionnaires which were developed based on Capella’s (2001) Fan Behavior Questionnaire. Independent-samples t-tests revealed that male and female students had a significant difference in terms of sport watching behaviors in all dimensions: positive behaviors (t = 3.308, p < 0.05), negative behaviors (t = 4.104, p < 0.05) and emotionality (t = 5.383, p < 0.05). The results also showed a significant difference between local and international students in terms of positive behaviors dimension (t = 2.203, p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the dimensions of negative behaviors and emotionality. The results of the study were discussed in light of earlier findings concerning spectator and watching sporting event behaviors

Sportscape features and team quality : implications on spectators satisfaction and future attendance.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between stadium factors (sportscape) and team quality on spectators’ satisfaction and their intentions to attend soccer matches in Malaysia. The subjects comprised of 371 spectators attending a Malaysian Super League soccer match. The subjects completed the sportscape instrument (Wakefield, Blodgett, & Sloan, 1996) to measure perceptions of the physical facility while the quality of the team was measured using items from Zhang, Pease, Smith, Lee and Lam (1997) scale. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that team quality and sportscape variables together predicted spectators’ satisfaction (R² = 0.289, adjusted R² = 0.285) and their intentions to attend future matches (R² = 0.278, adjusted R² = 0.274). The results of the study were discussed in light of earlier findings concerning sportscape features and team quality. Practical implications of the results of the study to facility managers and sport marketers were also discussed

Sport participation Constraints of Malaysian University Students

The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons that keep Malaysian university students from participating in sport activities during their leisure time. The three-dimensional leisure constraints model was used as the theoretical framework for the study. The sample consisted of 303 students from University Putra Malaysia using survey instruments based on Crawford and Godbey’s (1987) Leisure Constraints Model. The instrument is designed to measure three types of constraints to sport participation: (1) structural, (2) interpersonal and (3) intrapersonal. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-tests and ANOVA. The results suggest the subjects were constrained most by structural factors such as lack of information about existing sport activities and facilities, inconvenient facility location and inconvenient facility operating hours. Female students experienced higher levels of structural and intrapersonal constraints than their male counterparts. Implications of the findings for sport administrators were given to overcome some constraints, and increase student’s participation in sport activities

Transformational leadership and leadership substitutes in sports: Implications on coaches’ job satisfaction

Using Kerr and Jermier’s (1978) leadership substitutes theory as framework, this study examined the extent to which situational variables moderate the relationship between transformational leadership behaviours and coaches’ job satisfaction at NCAA Division III institutions. Data for this study were collected from a national sample of 308 coaches from NCAA Division III institutions. The Transformational Leadership Behaviour Inventory developed by Podsakoff, MacKenzie, Moorman, and Fetter (1990) was used to measure coaches' perception of the transformational leadership behaviours of their athletic directors. Coaches’ perception regarding the existence of situational variables was measured by using the Substitutes for Leadership Questionnaire developed by Kerr and Jermier (1978). The job satisfaction of coaches was measured by using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (Weiss, Dawis, England & Lofquist, 1967). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. The results suggest that there is a significant relationship between transformational leadership behaviours of athletic directors and coaches' job satisfaction at NCAA Division III institutions. It was discovered that situational variables such as coaching ability, organisational formalization, and group cohesion were significantly related with coaches’ job satisfaction. Professional orientation was discovered to be a leadership neutralizer, while group cohesion to be a substitute of transformational leadership behaviours. It was concluded that transformational leadership behaviours of athletic directors have a direct relationship with coaches’ job satisfaction in the absence of a strong leadership substitute or neutralizer. However, in the presence of leadership substitute and neutralizer, transformational leadership behaviours influence coaches’ job satisfaction indirectly, through the moderating effects of the substitute and neutralizer

Racial Socialization in Two Cultures

The study of racial socialization is important because it expands the scope of past research on African American, Hispanic, or Asian people in the United States. The goal of this paper is to ex- amine the differences of parent racial socialization in Malaysia and Indonesia (especially in Sura- baya). The present study investigated whether the practice of four types of parental racial socializa- tion are reflected in a sample of 400 parents (Malay Malaysians, Chinese Malaysians, Javanese in Su- rabaya, and Chinese in Surabaya). Parent racial socialization was assessed using yes or no answers to questions related to socialization practice in a family. Results indicated that no differences between father’s and mother’s racial socialization of all subjects. Based on ethnicity, there were significant dif- ferences which Malay Malaysia parents have highest score emphasizing racial pride and promotion of mistrust for their children. Implication will be discussed

Bilingual Education in Malaysia, Singapore and United States

This paper examines the major challenges encountered in the provision and implementation of bilingual education in Malaysia, Singapore and the United States

An examination of sport tourists' profiles and motives as for visiting Langkawi

Understanding the peoples’ motives is important in promoting tourism, since it provides a better explanation of the motive behind the motive behavior and enable tourism planner and marketer to predict tourists’ actions. The present study aimed to address sport tourists’ profiles in order to determine sport tourists’ motives. Data were collected quantitatively from 248 subjects in Langkawi using the shorten version of Leisure Motivation Scale develop by Beard and Ragheb (1983). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic and t-test. Majority of the respondents (74.6%) were domestic sport tourists. Both domestic sport tourists and foreign sport tourists found a significant difference towards their motives while visiting Langkawi. Domestic sport tourists are more motivated to have social (M = 3.949, SP =.805; t (246) = 3.942, p =.000) and competence mastery (M = 3.942, SP =.799; t (246) = 2.575, p =.011) compared to foreign sport tourists. The results indicate that domestic sport tourists and foreign sport tourists travelled to Langkawi as they want to social with their family and friends. Based on the findings of the study, it can be used by sport tourism industry to implement effective market segmentation in Langkawi