| Description |
This dissertation is comprised of three articles that seek to explore sense of community (SOC) within adult recreational sports leagues. Although a body of literature describes SOC within this setting, little is understood about specific predictors or outcomes of SOC. This dissertation addresses that gap by examining achievement goal orientations as potential predictors, and testing both bridging and bonding social capital as an outcome related to SOC in sport. In addition, article two serves as a bridge between articles one and three through qualitative exploration of the meaning that participant's ascribe to their experiences in a recreational tennis league. Article one assesses the relation of achievement goal orientations, at both the individual and team levels, to SOC within an adult recreational flag football league. Results indicate a negative association between individual ego orientation and SOC, and a positive association between team task orientation and SOC. Further, the negative relationship of individual ego-orientation is moderated by aggregate team task orientation. In other words, the negative relation of individual ego orientation is mitigated when on a team with a high task orientation. In addition to furthering understanding of the importance of group and individual factors, this article also supports management techniques that seek to encourage task-involvement. The second article is a qualitative exploration of participants' experiences in a recreational tennis league. Although SOC was used as a sensitizing concept, this research asked broad questions about the experience in order to ascertain what was important to participants regarding their involvement. Findings suggest that SOC is an important part of the experience. Further, the findings point towards the theory of Sense of Community in Sport (SCS) as developed by Warner and colleagues as a useful framework in which to explore SOC in recreational tennis leagues. Based on the findings of article two, the purpose of article three was to test the relation of SOC, through the framework of SCS, to the potential outcomes of bonding and bridging social capital. In addition, article three examines the moderating influences of social identity, psychological involvement, and behavioral involvement on the relation between SOC and social capital. Results of article three support significant associations between SOC and bonding social capital depending on levels of social identity, psychological involvement, and behavioral involvement. Specifically high SOC relates positively to high bonding social capital when psychological involvement is average or above average. Significant associations with bridging social capital were not supported. These results also provide practical recommendations for managers seeking to enhance SOC and social capital. |
