Emerald | International Journal of Event and Festival Management | Table of Contents

An ethnographic exploration of knowledge practices within the Queensland Music Festival

Fri, 31 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the utilisation and application of reflexive ethnography as an interpretative methodology for researching knowledge practices within festival organisations. Design/methodology/approach – The ethnographic approach incorporates two methods of data collection in the research design; participant observation and in-depth interviews. Findings – The research identified that knowledge management practices and processes are often invisible to festival staff when they are embedded within a cohesive organisational culture. Ethnography enables the researcher to make explicit the tacit and normalised ways of working that contribute to the success (and failure) of festival organisations to manage knowledge. The immersion of the researcher in the ethnographic process provided a rich understanding of the relational dimension of knowledge management that would be difficult to elicit from in-depth interviews alone. Research limitations/implications – New fields of study require a range of research methodologies to inform theoretical and practice-based knowledge related to event participation and management. This article contributes to the growing event management literature through a unique focus on ethnography as a research method that offers a deeper understanding of knowledge practices within festival organisations. Originality/value – Limited research has applied an ethnographic approach to festival and event management. This article builds upon early adopters and provides critical insight into the benefits and constraints of ethnographic research.

Constraints to attend events across specialization levels

literatinetwork@emeraldinsight.com (Rhiannon Santos-Lewis, Miguel Moital) — Fri, 31 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the constraints to attend salsa events and festivals across salsa dancing specialization segments. Design/methodology/approach – In-depth interviews with salsa dancers from three salsa specialization levels were carried out. Findings – Specialization level acted as a predictor of salsa event attendance and there appears to be an event career associated to progress in salsa dancing specialisation, which eventually branched out to a tourist career. Moreover, there was a relationship between the types of constraints and recreation specialisation level, with participants negotiating constraints frequently in order to ensure event attendance. Research limitations/implications – The interviews were carried out on participants in a mid-size town in southern England, where the range of competing leisure activities is limited. In addition, the study focused on one recreational activity and one type of event. Practical implications – Several implications for the marketing of events and festivals can be drawn. First, marketers of salsa events should tie closely with providers of salsa classes and marketers of salsa classes need to provide opportunities for salsa dancers to attend events. Second, marketing strategies aiming at helping recreationists overcome constraints should be different according to the level of specialization. Third, given the nature of constraints faced by the less experienced recreationists, efforts to attract individuals earlier in the specialization path may be fruitless. Originality/value – This paper is one of the first to explicitly examine the relationship between specialization and constraints to perform behaviors associated to a recreational activity.

Planning tourism through sporting events

literatinetwork@emeraldinsight.com (Angelo Presenza, Lorn Sheehan) — Fri, 31 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to build on the concept of using a population or portfolio of events to help rejuvenate or redefine the strategic position of a destination. The aim is to gain a general understanding of the local community outlook towards a process of repositioning the tourism product based on a portfolio of sporting events. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative research design using a case study approach examined resident attitudes in a beach community of south Italy. In total, 740 questionnaires were received and a cluster analysis was used to study the 11 statements about residents’ perceptions of tourism development and sport events. Findings – The findings reveal that resident attitudes towards tourism development are strongly related to their perceptions of their degree of involvement in the setting of strategy and the direction of development. The results also support previous beliefs about increasing interest in the sport tourism product and that sporting events are viewed as important drivers of tourism destination development. The research reveals the presence of different resident attitudes and the cluster analysis is helpful in finding homogeneous groups of residents within the destination. Originality/value – There is limited understanding of the degree to which the local community fits into the plans of a city's pro-growth agenda and the role that a tourism strategy based on sport events can have. This is particularly true in southern Italy where the classical sun, sea and sand (3S) tourism model is in severe crisis and new ways of development are urgently required.

Examining the stress and coping process of mega-event employees

literatinetwork@emeraldinsight.com (Michael A. Odio, Matthew Walker, May Kim) — Fri, 31 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine specific stressors present in mega-event work and the coping strategies used by long-term mega-event employees. Design/methodology/approach – Using a general inductive approach to analyze the data and identify themes, semi-structured interviews with six employees from organizing committees of subsequent National Football League (NFL) Super Bowls, and four employees from the Special Olympics in Greece helped to assess the presence of specific stressors and the corresponding coping strategies. Findings – Patterns relating to the specific stressors (i.e. workload, time pressure, role stressors, job insecurity and work-family conflict) and several themes emerged across all stressors including the selflessness of the participants in making personal sacrifices due to work demands. A sense of time and place emerged since the participants were cognizant of their role in a prestigious event. Time was also relevant as the end-date approached which was simultaneously a source of stress and the date when their stress would be over. For most, the period after this end-date was marked by a sense of sadness and a desire to repeat the experience. Finally, the career paths of the participants appeared to influence their actions and coping strategies. Originality/value – Work in mega-event organizing committees has not been examined from a stress and coping perspective; this study is the first to examine issues in this unique work setting by applying stress theory. Moreover, the findings suggest that organizing committee employees appraise and cope with stress differently than in more traditional contexts.

The Dutch Queen's Day event: How subjective experience mediates the relationship between motivation and satisfaction

Fri, 31 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between subjective experience of an event, motivational style for participating and satisfaction afterwards. It proposes that subjective experience of positive affect acts as a mediator between motivation and satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – The paper opted for a quantitative survey among 285 respondents asking about their motivation to participate in celebrating Queen's Day, a Dutch national event around the birthday of the Queen Mother. Their satisfaction levels and subjective experience of the event were collected after the event. The (mediation) hypotheses were tested through a series of regression analyses. Findings – The paper provides empirical insights about how subjective experience mediates the effect between motivational style and satisfaction. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to study the effects of subjective experience in events.

Editorial

Fri, 31 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100