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JACKSON, Tenn. — Jan. 19, 2015 — Management professors Andrew Tiger and Emily Lean have more in common than just their work in the McAfee School of Business Administration at 51����. Both have also been involved in separate research projects that are now influencing sports at the national level through the United States Golf Association and the NFL.

Tiger, a self-proclaimed “sports nut” and former industrial engineer, began a relationship with the USGA two years ago as the association launched a pace-of-play initiative.

“The USGA’s goal is to grow the game of golf,” Tiger said, noting that “time is one of the biggest reasons that golfers leave the game.”

Tiger presented his research in November at the Second Annual Pace Symposium sponsored by the USGA, for which he now serves as a consultant.

Tiger has experience building math models of supply chains. “I used a similar modeling technique to model golfers moving through a golf course,” Tiger said. He then used the models to “evaluate golf course design and policy on time performance measures, primarily pace of play.” This allows management to make decisions about width of fairways, sequencing of holes and tee time intervals based on mathematical evidence.

One of Tiger’s most significant findings is that longer tee time intervals do not necessarily mean that golfers finish later in the day. Tiger said this has been “proven and test-driven for professionals” as the PGA and LPGA have recently increased tee time intervals for competition with successful results. Using math, these decisions could be made based on science, not trial and error.

“You can’t manage a system that you can’t measure,” Tiger said. “Data-driven decision making is needed.”

Tiger will work closely with the USGA in 2015 to bring this type of decision making to golf courses. The goal is to create a more enjoyable experience for amateur and recreational golfers.

Although Tiger began working on his model in 2003, it was a student’s discovery of the USGA’s initiative that started the partnership.

“I’m always interested in working with students on research projects,” said Tiger, who currently has two research papers co-authored by students that are under review.

As a graduate student at the University of Arkansas, Lean assisted with a research project surveying thousands of people about domestic abuse and its effects on the workplace environment. Lean co-wrote an award-winning paper, "Coming into the Light: Intimate Partner Violence and Its Effects at Work,” with Anne O’Leary-Kelly and Carol Reeves of the University of Arkansas and Jane Randel of Liz Claiborne Inc.

Now a professor at Union, Lean has received national attention for her paper as Randel was recently named a senior adviser for domestic violence and sexual assault issues for the NFL.

The research paper examined findings about “intimate partner violence” and ways it is manifested in the work environment. It also utilized a case study format to review an “intimate partner violence program” implemented at the Liz Claiborne company, providing information for managers as to how to address these issues.

Lean said originally she hoped a result of her research would be that “companies would recognize [domestic abuse] as serious.”

Regarding the NFL, Lean said Randel will be able to contribute to the future direction of the league because of the attention she received from the paper.

“The greater contribution to all organizations really is the idea that employers need to recognize the problem and respond immediately by referring the employee to a professional – whether it’s the victim or the perpetrator they’re employing,” Lean said.