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Murphy-Final Document 4.13.18.pdf (835.1 KB)

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Development Effectiveness in Intercollegiate Athletics

Murphy, Maura
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1523615911313983

Abstract Details

2018, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Kinesiology.
The ability of intercollegiate athletics departments to generate private sources of revenue is essential to meeting short-term needs while simultaneously planning for the future (Hall & Mahoney, 1997). Athletics development staffs under the direction of the athletics director, and in concert with institutional development efforts, are charged with the task of securing charitable contributions guided by an overall team fundraising goal as well as individual goals on an annual basis. While the athletics fundraising field has seen significant growth in recent years, the need for private support has been present since the first intercollegiate athletics contest in 1852 (Flowers, 2009; Smith, 1988). Since that time the approaches to fundraising have evolved into a formal process with development becoming more professionalized, yet the priorities of intercollegiate athletics departments have not changed significantly. A focus on competitive success, recruiting the best student-athletes and encouraging their academic pursuits, and providing facilities and resources that fully support their individual and team efforts have consistently remained at the forefront. Literature specific to athletics development has focused on areas that fundraising professionals have little to no influence over such as donor motivations and sports team performance. The purpose of this study was to shift the examination internally to explore how leadership impacts development work and identify characteristics of an effective athletics development operation. This study utilized Duronio and Loessin’s (1991) definition of effectiveness, which is when “actual results exceed predicted results” (p. 8). The study focused on Division I athletics departments in the Power Five, which includes 65 colleges and universities. The proposed stay and thrive model for athletics development served as the conceptual framework. The model includes five factors, and contends that the presence of these factors, cultivated by transformational leadership, results in an effective development operation. The framework outlines that transformational leadership generates pride or hope for internal and external constituents, provides fundraisers with a purpose and priorities guided by the leader’s vision, and nurtures or celebrates individual goals and accomplishments while also focusing on team goals overall. Qualitative research methods were utilized to conduct the study which involved semi-structured interviews with athletics directors, chief development officers, and development officers across five institutions. The participant interviews revealed five themes, with leadership influence varying across the themes. These findings included one theme driven by tenured department leaders (Foundation), three themes driven by the athletics director (Vision, Family Environment, and Personal Development), and one theme driven by athletics development leadership (Everyone is a Fundraiser). The five themes are discussed in relation to the study’s two research questions as well as the conceptual framework. Finally, implications for current and aspiring leaders in intercollegiate athletics are provided and recommendations for future research are presented.
Brian Turner (Advisor)
131 p.
Kinesiology; Sports Management

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Murphy, M. (2018). Development Effectiveness in Intercollegiate Athletics [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1523615911313983

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Murphy, Maura. Development Effectiveness in Intercollegiate Athletics. 2018. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1523615911313983.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Murphy, Maura. "Development Effectiveness in Intercollegiate Athletics." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1523615911313983

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1523615911313983
727
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.