Brent Oja
Associate Professor
Bachelor's Degree(s): BA, History, University of Minnesota, 2006 | BS, Sport Studies, University of Minnesota, 2006
Master's Degree: MS, Sport Management, West Virginia University, 2011
PhD: Sport Management, University of Kansas, 2016
Email: boja@lsu.edu
Office: 2106 HPL Field House
Biography
Dr. Oja is an Associate Professor in Sport Management with the School of Kinesiology
at Louisiana State University. His research focuses on the well-being of sport employees,
specifically their motivations. He uses generative approaches to broaden and build
sport employees' skillsets as well as analyze structural aspects of sport organizations
that impede attaining a sustained competitive advantage.
Dr. Oja's work has been published in top-tier journals such as Journal of Sport Management,
Sport Management Review, European Sport Management Quarterly, Leisure Sciences, and
the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. He has also presented his work at international
conferences including, but not limited to, the Conference of the North American Society
for Sport Management and the European Association for Sport Management Conference.
Dr. Oja is also a Research Fellow with the North American Society for Sport Management,
a Research Affiliate with the Positive Sport Organizational Behavior Laboratory at
Texas A&M University, a Governing Board Officer with the North American Society for
Sport Management, and serves as an Editorial Review Board Member with the Journal
of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics and the Journal of Amateur Sport.
Select Publications
Oja, B. D., Nite, C., Kim, M. & Hill, J. (2024). Agency in Institutionalized Sport Organizations: Examining How Institutions Suppress Agency. European Sport Management Quarterly, 24(1), 93-112. DOI: 10.1080/16184742.2023.2250370.
Oja, B. D., Gordon, B. S., & Hazzaa, R. N. (2023). Navigating Psychological Membership in Sport Organizations: Exploring Sport Employees’ Identities. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 35(2), 202-223. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2021.2021563.
Oja, B. D., Stensland, P. J., Bass, J. R., & Zvosec, C. C. (2022). Under the Lights: The Legitimacy, Survival, and Institutionalization of Rural Amateur Baseball. Leisure Sciences, 44(5), 578-595. DOI: 10.1080/01490400.2019.1625294.
Oja, B. D., Kim, M., Perrewé, P. L., & Anagnostopoulos, C. (2019). Conceptualizing A-HERO for Sport Employees’ Well-Being. Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal, 9(4), 363-380.
Select Presentations
Oja, B. D., Kim, M., Jordan, S. L., Zvosec, C. C., & Zeimers, G. (June, 2024). Sport Employee
Grit vs.
Grit-S: Evaluating Incremental Validity. Presented at the Conference of the North
American Society for Sport Management, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Oja, B. D., & Zeimers, G. (September, 2023). Work Passion among Employees in the Sport Workplace:
Seeking Positive Outcomes and Avoiding the Critical Juncture of Obsessive Passion.
Presented at the European Association for Sport Management Conference, Belfast, Northern
Ireland.
Oja, B. D., Kim, M., Zvosec, C. C., & Jordan, S. L. (June, 2023). Sport Employee Grit (SEG):
An Initial Measurement Assessment. Presented at the Conference of the North American
Society for Sport Management, Montréal, Canada.
Oja, B. D., Kim, M., Nite, C., Hill, J., & Schuetz, L. (September, 2022). Innovation Practices
in Sport Organizations: Examining Institutional Pressures and Agency. Presented at
the European Association for Sport Management Conference, Innsbruck, Austria.
Select Grants
Lower-Hoppe, L. M. (PI), Oja, B. D., & Altendorf, M. (Co-Is). (2023). Generating Positive
Workplace Outcomes through Well-being: Examining Collegiate Recreation Employees.
National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association Foundation Research Grant.
$9,518
Murphy, E. (PI), Elliott, E., McCartney, K., Bulger, S., Zizzi, S., Albidso, C., O’Hara
Tompkins, N., Shamblin, M., Cook, A., Prinzo, L., Eades, D., & Oja, B. D. (Co-Is).
(2022). Be Wild, Be Wonderful, Be Healthy: Improving Access to Healthy Foods and Physical
Activity Opportunities in McDowell and Clay Counties, WV. US DHHS-CDC Centers for
Disease Control & Prevention. $96,000
Schuetz, L., & Oja, B. D. (Co-PIs). (2021). From the Ground Up: Empowering Employee
Decision-making. NASSM Doctoral Research Grant. $1,650
Awards
North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) Research Fellow (2024)
Excellence in Research – College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences (WVU; 2022)
Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics Outstanding Article (2022)
Nominated for Excellence in Scholarship – College of Natural Health Sciences (UNCO;
2021)
Finalist for Sport Management Education Journal's Best Paper Award (2021)
Professional Service
Editorial Review Board Member, Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics
Editorial Review Board Member, Journal of Amateur Sport
Governing Board Officer, North American Society for Sport Management