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This study aims to address customer focus as an important component of total quality management (TQM) and explore the key drivers of member satisfaction in tennis clubs via a novel theory-based member satisfaction index (MSI) model with high explanatory and predictive power. Furthermore, the study aims to investigate the relationship between satisfaction and behavioral intentions (willingness to stay; WTS) with consideration of the mediating effect of identification with the club.

This study uses variance-based partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to estimate the MSI model, which was tested in a leading tennis club in Germany (n = 185).

The results reveal that club atmosphere, club facilities and the price/quality ratio of the membership fee are the most important drivers of member satisfaction in tennis clubs. Member satisfaction has a large influence on the WTS of tennis club members. Identification with the club, when included as a mediator in the model, increases the variance explained in WTS considerably.

The small sample limits the generalizability of findings, and further research is recommended.

The MSI model is a useful benchmark tool for club managers who want to quantify the satisfaction and WTS of their club members. In addition, because of the integrated formative measurement models, the PLS-SEM results show which indicators can be used to positively impact satisfaction with each of the service quality dimensions, overall member satisfaction and WTS. The most important of these results are discussed in an importance-performance map analysis.

The MSI model is a multi-attribute index model through which members' evaluations of various dimensions of service and value are derived through multivariable linear function with each dimension weighted according to its importance in one holistic model. The model shows the strong impact of satisfaction on WTS of sports club members and reveals that findings of previous research on the relationship between fan and spectator identification and loyalty are transferable to sports club members. The MSI represents a new contribution to the literature; it was applied here to tennis clubs but is also suitable for application to other sports clubs.

There are significant challenges facing academics and senior leaders in higher education (HE) institutions internationally. These challenges have led to increasing levels of metrification and managerialism, which has fostered work intensification, reduced professional autonomy, stress and burnout amongst faculty staff. Traditional approaches for supporting and developing staff, such as mentoring and training, do not provide the resources faculty staff need to meet the challenges they face. In contrast, experiences in various other educational and professional settings have demonstrated the effectiveness of workplace coaching in fostering well-being, adaptability, flexibility and sustainable performance. This review argues that workplace coaching could similarly support academics.

A critical literature review evaluates coaching interventions across educational and comparable sectors to identify positive well-being and performance-based outcomes.

While there is limited research into the efficacy of coaching interventions for faculty staff in HE, research in other educational, as well as comparable professional contexts, identifies significant sustainable improvements in well-being and performance for professional staff.

The evidence that identifies positive outcomes of coaching in professional workplace contexts is compelling. This critical review uses some of that evidence base to propose an agenda to implement coaching programmes that support faculty staff to improve their well-being and performance.

While there are published research studies on the positive outcomes of coaching in primary and secondary educational contexts, as well as for postgraduate research students, there is very limited knowledge, practice and research about coaching faculty staff in HE. This article addresses this by critically reviewing a broad range of literature to identify coaching and research initiatives for faculty staff in HE institutions.

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to influence sports league and team operations, the brands providing these services are sponsoring sports properties to demonstrate and communicate their performance capabilities. This article examines Amazon Web Services (AWS) sponsorship with the National Football League (NFL). This sponsorship features functional congruence, which is when a sponsor has a participatory role in performing services for the property.

The AWS sponsorship with the NFL is captured by examining specially created websites, in-game sponsored elements, and television commercials aired during the broadcast of NFL games. The AWS website focuses on the services profiled in this article.

AWS provides the NFL with performance-based (on-the-field) and business-based (off-the-field) services. Of particular note, AWS capabilities help the NFL create the game schedule and address the issue of player health and safety. Demonstrating functional congruence appears to be especially valuable in business-to-business marketing where purchase decisions are more focused on brand reliability. AWS television commercials feature the tagline, “if AWS can do this for the NFL, imagine what it can do for your business.”

With the role of AI in sports in its relative infancy, it is imperative to document what services AI brands are performing for a professional sports league. Examining AWS sponsorship with the NFL provides a timely, practical example of how an AI brand communicates and positions itself using sponsorship as a marketing strategy.