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The relationship between family and sport in the socialisation of children : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
Get PDFDriven by the goal of providing the best for the child, both parents and coaches bring different perspectives to sport. For a child involved in sport, parents and coaches fulfil important influential roles. Yet surprisingly, there has been very little research examining the way these two parties’ function and work together, even though both can be seen as prominent agents of socialisation within sport. Therefore, this thesis explores the relationship between parents and coaches in the non-elite sporting context, a context which has received far less attention than high performance. Inspired by an interest in the relationship between primary (family-based) socialisation and secondary (outside of family) socialisation, this study utilised the approach of social constructionism as defined by Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann (1966). This approach was adopted to understand the roles of parents and coaches within the process of socialisation, and the capability of sport to build and maintain the social identity of children. A purposeful sample encompassing parents, coaches, and children was selected from sport clubs in Christchurch, New Zealand, representing children participating in the four most popular New Zealand team sports: rugby union, football (soccer), basketball, and netball. A total of 43 semi-structured interviews were conducted in person or over the phone with parents, coaches and children aged 10 - 12. Key findings indicated a positively characterised dyadic coach-parent relationship at the non-elite level, with parents and coaches in agreement that the role of parents is to support the work of the coach. Parents were found to support the Great Sport Myth (GSM) through strongly emphasising many positive benefits their children received from sport and were indirectly socialised into ‘not interfering’ with the work of the coach. This agreement on the importance of sport for the socialisation of children meant that there was little conflict between primary and socialisation, with similar norms and behaviours being reinforced in the family and sporting contexts, including a belief that sport should be fun for children without overemphasising winning. The inclusion of the children’s voices also indicated a contrast between how the coaches’ described their coaching style compared with how children perceived it. These findings are significant for highlighting the complexity of children’s sport. On the one hand, this thesis shows the lack of parental control often found in elite sport can have roots at this early competitive stage, yet on the other hand, the socialisation of parents and consistency of expectations between coaches and parents also creates very positive experiences for children
Effects of systemic versus local hypoxia on post-activation potentiation in elite field hockey players
No full textIntroduction. Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is based on the idea that a maximum/near-maximum muscle contraction (called conditioning activity, CA) stimulates the body to produce even greater strength/power production in subsequent exercise. Traditionally, CA is plyometric exercise however, recently blood flow restriction and systemic hypoxia have also been used. It is thought hypoxia either from breathing hypoxic gas or from reduction in blood flow to the muscle in BFR may result in fatigue to oxidative slow-twitch-fibres, thus triggering recruitment of fast-twitch-glycolytic-fibres and therefore improved muscular force and power. Since both plyometric exercise and systemic or local hypoxia may result in a PAP effect we wanted to investigate whether combining these stimuli would enhance PAP effect. Also, how long the PAP effect lasts is controversial so a secondary aim was to examine the change in PAP over time. Methods. Fourteen elite field hockey players (19.1±1.2years;75.4±9.3kg;177.2±7.4cm) (4females and 10males), voluntarily participated in this cross-over study and randomly applied each of 5 conditions. HYP:hypoxia, NORM:normoxia, BFR:blood flow restriction, PLCHYP:placebo for hypoxia, PLCBFR:placebo for BFR. The exercise program consisted of 1x5 drop-jumps (DJ), 1x5 countermovement-jumps and, 1x5 single-leg horizontal-jumps. Hypoxia was applied under normobaric conditions at SpO2of 87% with a face mask attached to a hypoxic generator. BFR was applied with a cuff positioned around the upper thigh with a pressure set to 50% of predicted individual arterial occlusion pressure. The placebo conditions were the same set-up but without hypoxia and with 15-20%cuff pressure. To test for the PAP effect we had subjects complete a DJ at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18min after the CA exercise. Results. We found a significant interaction between time and condition on DJ height(p=0.029) and flight time(p=0.031). Jump height and flight time increased significantly at 18min (32.3±5.9cm;511.5±46.8ms) compared to 3min (29.5±4.2cm;489.6±34.2ms) and 6min (29.9±5.2cm;491.8±42.2ms) for HYP; at 18min (31.9±5.5cm;508.0±44.8ms) compared to 15min (30.5±5.2cm;496.8±42.6ms) for PLCBFR; and at 3min (31.9±4.9cm;508.6±39.2ms) compared to 12min (29.9±4.5cm;492.8±37.9ms) and 15min (29.8±5.8cm;490.6±48.3ms) for BFR(p<0.05). Conclusions. While the same plyometric protocol in normoxia conditions has no PAP effect, we found jump performance improvement after a CA, early with only BFR and late with systemic hypoxia and low-pressure-BFR. These are preliminary data, and we would require more testing on further subjects to substantiate these findings
The Scoop on SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast): Exploring consumer behaviours towards a novel ice cream
Get PDFWith the growing demand for sustainable practises, the food industry is increasingly adopting circular economy approaches. One example is recycling the symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) used in kombucha fermentation to create value-added products. However, consumer acceptance of such novel products remains unclear. To address this, the present study examined consumer attitudes towards ice cream made with SCOBY as an ingredient and how this affected their intention to consume it. Drawing on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and additional constructs such as emotions and food neophobia, an online survey was conducted with New Zealand consumers (N = 170). Results showed that the TPB constructs significantly predicted the intention to consume SCOBY ice cream. Moreover, by adding emotions to the constructs, the model’s explanatory power was enhanced. Attitudes, subjective norms, and emotions were the main predictors of intention, which in turn was found to be the main predictor of behaviour. Participants’ beliefs about the safety and taste of SCOBY ice cream were significantly correlated with their intention and behaviour, as were the opinions of nutritionists/dietitians, friends, and family. The model accounted for 21.7% of the variance in behaviour and 57.4% of the variance in intention. These findings can be used to plan marketing strategies related to waste-to-value-added products such as SCOBY ice cream
Influence of capital stocks on cultural change
No full textResources (capital stocks) are the factors influencing cultural transformation. Accessibility, distribution and ownership of these resources determine the ability of actors to act or respond to things that happen in the social system that they are attached to. An individual or a community may change their culture depending on their ability to interact with new elements being introduced. The level of their adaptation will eventually either maintain or transform their culture Therefore, in order to understand cultural transformation happening, a possible solution is to find a way of tracing the connections that exists among social actors, resource availability and social actions or reactions, and their relationships to cultural transformation. The findings explain the reasons behind the creation of cultural transformation, how it affects their perception, behaviour and actions or reactions taken towards transforming their future cultural patterns. The Kuba’an-Puak Case Study shows how the Penan community is transforming their culture because of their adaptation to a changing environment Changes are seen in Penan socio-economic lifestyles and social rules and the impacts are reflected on their traditional core of interests, values, attitudes, institutions, religion and identity. Five key changes identified are: transformation from a nomadic to settled lifestyle, sense of individualistic property ownership, shift of occupation pattern, values of social institutions, local stewardship of forests and its resources and Penan indigenous knowledge
The relationship between team structure and technological advancement in Formula One : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Commerce and Management at Lincoln University
No full textFormula One is renowned for its global reach, technological advancements, and the skill required to compete at the highest level. While the sport has historically been associated with innovation and the evolution of technology, there is a growing concern that Formula One has become more conservative and risk-averse in recent years, with regulations limiting true innovation. Additionally, financial pressures have shifted the focus towards incremental evolution rather than groundbreaking innovations, leading to a lack of diversity in engine manufacturers and a concentration of power among a few dominant teams.
This thesis aims to investigate the role of team structure in determining the level of technological innovation or evolution pursued by Formula One teams. It explores the hypothesis that Entrepreneurial teams are more likely to drive Innovation, while corporate teams tend to focus on evolutionary changes within the sport. By analysing secondary data and conducting statistical analysis, the study examines the historical progression of Formula One, ownership structures within the sport, and the evaluation of technological development encompassing both innovation and evolution.
The analysis of the data reveals that radical innovations in Formula One were predominantly driven by Entrepreneurial teams in the early years of the sport. However, as corporate participation increased, revolutionary innovation diminished over time. This contradicts the conventional theory that suggests larger firms with greater capital investments are more successful. Corporate interests, risk aversion, cost control, and profitability concerns have led to stringent rules and regulations that restrict teams' ability to innovate.
To reclaim its status as the pinnacle of motorsports, Formula One must shift its focus towards nurturing and supporting entrepreneurial organisations that drive innovation. By fostering an environment that empowers these entities, the sport can rejuvenate its reputation as a breeding ground for groundbreaking technological advancements. While this study provides valuable insights into the relationship between team structure and technological development in Formula One, further research using primary data collection methods and updated information is needed to explore additional linkages and relationships
Does nutrition knowledge training improve dietary diversity and nutrition intake? Insights from rural China
No full textImproving dietary diversity and nutrition intake among rural households is essential to promote sustainable rural development. In this study, we examine whether nutrition knowledge training increases rural households' dietary diversity, nutrition intake, and total calorie intake. We consider three macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) and three micronutrients (vitamin C, iron, and zinc) to capture nutrition intake. The doubly robust inverse probability weighted regression adjustment estimator is employed to estimate survey data of 765 rural households collected by the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China. The results show that nutrition knowledge training enhances household dietary diversity, improves the intake of macronutrients in terms of proteins and fats and micronutrients in terms of zinc, and increases total calorie intake. In addition, the intake of nutrients and calories of males responds to nutrition knowledge training while that of females does not. The dietary diversity of females increases with nutrition knowledge training, whereas that of males is unaffected
Report and recommendation of the review panel Severe Weather Emergency Recovery (Local Government) Amendment Order 2023
No full textReport and recommendation to the Minister for Cyclone Recovery and the Minister of Local Government from the Severe Weather Events Recovery Review Panel regarding Severe Weather Emergency (Local Government) Order 2023, a proposed Order-In-Council
Updating Aaker’s model of brand equity to incorporate modern social media strategies and consumer interactions : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
No full textBrand equity provides businesses with a solid foundation for understanding the success of their strategic marketing, which contributes to their financial profitability and success. It is a critical factor in business and marketing strategies, as brands are assets that drive business performance over time. A brand's equity is a tactical aid to generate short-term sales and strategic support to create long-term value for an organisation. In 1991, David Aaker pioneered this space, constructing a brand equity model that is still used today. The model was constructed with five dimensions, brand loyalty, brand awareness, brand associations, perceived quality, and other proprietary brand assets. Although brand equity is an essential measure for companies, research has not reconsidered traditional methods, reexamining accounting for social media.
Social media has been a massive shift in the global markets, offering consumers a new way to communicate and engage with people and brands online. Social media is one of the most popular online activities. Content published on social media platforms containing information created which is highly accessible and intended to facilitate communication, influence and interaction with others, even on a global scale. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, are among the largest in the world, with billions of users. The emergence of social media has changed how consumers interact and absorb content. As a result, companies must reconsider their marketing efforts and where marketing investments are made, ensuring they continue to reach their target consumers.
This study determined how Aaker’s brand equity model could be updated by accounting for social media marketing. Four additional social media marketing-based dimensions were considered and used within the study; online brand information/usefulness, online brand interaction/ engagement, online brand detection and online brand affiliation. One model closely followed Aaker’s structure and integrated the social media concepts within its original structure; the second added the social media dimensions as separate drivers.
A robust design method was developed to assess the alternative approaches to updating the model, testing the suitability of the two proposed expanded models. An online survey was developed, and the data was collected from 509 respondents through Qualtrics. Before this, pre-testing was undertaken with a small group of 20 individuals to check the validity and detail of the instrument.
Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling were used to analyse the data. Smart-PLS and AMOS were the selected software to test the models.
The results clearly show that the separated updated model is superior, supporting the notion that social media drivers work alongside the original model drivers. Nevertheless, there is scope for further research to be carried out in this space, helping companies to build brand equity both through traditional marketing strategies and emerging social media strategies
Long-term afforestation enhances stochastic processes of bacterial community assembly in a temperate grassland
No full textAfforestation of grassland is being promoted as a measure to mitigate climate change. While grassland afforestation influences the soil bacterial community structure and composition, the mechanisms involved and impacts of different tree species are poorly understood. In this study, we characterized the soil bacterial community to determine the phylogenetic group assembly after 19 years afforestation of unfertilized grazed grassland with radiata pine (Pinus radiata) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus nitens). The soil bacterial community was more divergent between grassland and forest, while no differences were observed between P. radiata and E. nitens. Dominant roles of homogeneous selection and drift in soil bacterial community assembly were revealed, and comparable community assembly patterns were observed under both tree species. Afforestation increased the relative contribution of stochasticity (particularly drift) by an average of 22 % compared with grassland, and this was primarily associated with Serratia spp. (Gammaproteobacteria). In addition, the relative abundance of drift was significantly correlated with concentrations of plant-available phosphorus and sulfur in soil. These findings advanced understanding of the impact of land-use change on soil bacterial community composition and assembly
Factors influencing GlobalGAP adoption and its impact on income and production costs of small-scale pineapple farmers in Ghana : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
No full textThe adoption of Global Good Agricultural Practices (GlobalGAP) improves food quality and safety along fresh produce value chains, but adoption rates have been low among small-scale pineapple farmers in Ghana. Low adoption rates have contributed to a fall in smallholder participation in export-oriented production and declining export performance. While policymakers and other industry stakeholders have tried to find ways to improve GlobalGAP adoption in Ghana, little is known about the determinants and impacts. Consequently, stakeholders do not know which smallholders are most likely to respond positively to interventions aimed at promoting adoption. Moreover, previous studies have identified significant increases in smallholder production costs associated with GlobalGAP compliance. However, there is limited information on how specific inputs used by GlobalGAP certified farmers increase production costs. Such information would help policymakers to target interventions at the most important drivers of quality-enhancing compliance costs. Furthermore, it would make adoption more affordable to farmers and less expensive for taxpayers who fund these interventions.
In the first instance, this study set out to measure the impact of GlobalGAP adoption on the net incomes of smaller and larger small-scale pineapple farmers, recognising that compliance incurs significant fixed costs, and that fixed costs pose a greater obstacle to adoption on smaller farms. Small-scale farmers were defined as those operating farms no larger than five hectares. The study used probit and two-stage regression models to estimate the impact of GlobalGAP adoption on net income. These techniques were applied to a representative sample of 546 small-scale pineapple farmers located in Ghana’s two leading export production districts. Of these 546 farmers, 236 were GlobalGAP adopters; the remaining 310 were non-adopters. The probit model showed that the probability of adoption was higher for households that had larger land endowments, were members of an agricultural cooperative, engaged with extension services, and had female heads. The regression models showed that GlobalGAP adoption reduced net income on farms producing less than one hectare of pineapples, but increased net income on farms growing more than one hectare of pineapples. The study thus recommends that extension and other interventions intended to promote GlobalGAP adoption amongst pineapple farmers in Ghana should be targeted at those able and willing to grow more than one hectare of pineapples.
Second, this study used a quality-adjusted transcendental logarithmic (translog) cost function to identify the main contributors to production costs in the sub-sample of 236 GlobalGAP adopters. The results showed that production cost is most sensitive to changes in the plantlet price, followed by wages, agrochemical prices, and expenditure on capital items. Smaller small-scale farmers are much more sensitive to increases in capital expenditure than are larger small-scale farmers. Post-estimation analysis showed that improvements in product quality increased production costs at an increasing rate. Key policy recommendations include joint ventures to increase nursery capacity and competition in the market for plantlets, scrutiny of mandatory fees impacting the cost of imported labour-saving inputs, facilitating sharing arrangements between smallholders to lower the cost of on-farm infrastructure, and research to identify constraints preventing certified farmers from exploiting size economies