Date of Award

5-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Legacy Department

Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management

Committee Chair/Advisor

Arthur-Banning, Skye

Committee Member

Ramshaw , Greg

Committee Member

Anderson , Dan

Abstract

The importance of creating and maintaining sense of community in workplaces is becoming an increasingly essential facet to help restore bonds and develop support systems which can create happier and more efficient employees. The focus of this research will be on how leadership influences sense of community within one venue at the London Olympic Organizing Committee (LOCOG). This problem is of interest to scholars because Organizing Committees are rapidly growing, temporary and have symbolical strong cultures. In-depth interviews, participant observation and a big five-inventory questionnaire were administered to eight full-time employees at the same venue in London Olympic Organizing Committee. All study participants were with LOCOG for a minimum of four months and a manager of their own department i.e. catering, event services, or security.
The findings from this study were themes of the leader possessing competencies that developed sense of community, the ability to identify with the team, and a strong intrinsic bond. These themes have implications for all work environments and can be applied to numerous settings such as camp environments. The development of a sense of community can assist in creating an enjoyable work environment for employees. A leader's role is shown to be a determinant in how sense of community is created; this can assist organizations in building a corporate culture that decreases absenteeism and turn-over of employees.

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