Product Improvement as a Tool for Competition in Austrian Ski Schools: The Case of Ski School Toni Gruber

As skiing practice has not changed much in the past decades, an improved product is a necessity to be competitive in the market. The purpose of this study was to develop a new ski-instruction approach in the children’s market. A selection of 777 children over two consecutive winter seasons were taught in the first season with a standard instruction approach and then an improved instruction approach based on neuroscientific findings in the following season. The results of the study were that the improved approach significantly developed not only the speed of learning, but also the overall achieved skiing and satisfaction level. Traditional parameters (group size, ski length, etc.) are not as important as previously considered. By setting the focus for a succeeding ski lesson more on social skills (capacity for teamwork, cooperation, motivation, empathy, and interaction) children satisfaction can be improved.