“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

Membership Retention in the Fitness Industry: The Development and Validation of a Predictive Model.

Fitness club managers are becomingly increasingly concerned with membership retention rates yet there appears to be no empirical research into the factors underlying member attrition i.e. what makes people decide to cancel the membership? Whilst there is a wealth of research into member attendance (exercise adherence) as well as member satisfaction there is little, if any, empirical research which bridges the gap between member attendance and retention. The aim of this paper is three-fold. Firstly, to introduce the design of this research project aimed at developing a predictive model of membership retention in fitness clubs. Secondly, to report the findings to date and thirdly, to suggest the managerial implications of this findings. This PhD research project is mixed-method in design (QUAL-Quan); which began with a qualitative phase. This phase consisted of a literature review followed by telephone interviews conducted with a stratified random sample of gym members (n=25). The findings of the interviews were combined with the results of the literature review to identify potential components of a conceptual model of fitness club attendance and retention. Thus, the quantitative phase began. The identified components suggested as underpinning attendance and retention included attitudinal, normative and control beliefs towards attending their fitness club, levels of self-determination towards attending fitness clubs, habitual attendance, social anxiety, social identity, perceived service quality, brand identification and commitment. The Membership Retention Questionnaire (MRQ) was developed to measure the components in this model and firstly ‘snowballed’ to a purposive sample of gym members and secondly distributed to members of one club. This model is subject to further factor analysis and structural equation modelling of the quantitative findings. This research methodology is unique in its application to researching fitness club retention, due to its sampling of fitness club members; not just fitness club users, and an upcoming longitudinal analysis (12 months) of the model’s value in predicting actual membership retention; not just membership intentions. The managerial implications of these findings include the importance of distributing the MRQ to members at various time points throughout their club membership. This allows the measurement of relevant behavioural and psychological factors which can be used to assess ‘risk’ in members and implement effective interventions in order to increase attendance and retention rates