Search

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between place image and attitudes toward cities with the moderating effect of sporting event awareness. Exploratory research was conducted using a mall-intercept sampling technique with a sample of 299 local residents. PLS-SEM using SmartPLS 3.3.2 was performed to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings demonstrated a significant relationship between place image and resident attitudes. In addition, a reflective–formative construct of place image showed that municipal facilities, leisure, and public services were significant factors in influencing perceptions of place image. The moderating effect of awareness was not found to be significant. The results of this study recommend that city authorities and tourism managers recognize and address the various dimensions of place image to increase community support. This would benefit event managers through developing favorable attitudes of residents towards their cities, thus having a social impact on the host city's residents.

PurposeThe purpose of the study was (1) to examine the motivational composites determining consumers' continued intention to use digital ticketing via self-service technology (SST) by integrating service satisfaction and (2) to ascertain the differences between consumers according to their psychological discomfort toward technology.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a structured questionnaire, and a total of 323 were included in the analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was utilized to test motivational determinants of digital ticketing. In addition, permutation-based multi-group analysis was performed to investigate the differences between consumers with high and low technology discomfort.FindingsBoth intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are positive predictors of continued intention to use digital ticketing, but only intrinsic motivation has a positive impact on continued intention through service satisfaction. Moreover, the relationship between intrinsic motivation, service satisfaction and continued intention was stronger for consumers with high psychological discomfort than those with low psychological discomfort.Originality/valueGiven the conspicuous characteristics of the digital ticketing process for sporting events, the insights gained from the study may be of assistance to researchers and practitioners in understanding sport consumers' ticket consumption behavior and the determinants of SST usage.

Understanding the effect of risk factors on tourists’ hesitation in choosing a destination is vital for successful management in tourism, especially in the pandemic era. Based on protection motivation theory, this study investigated the impact of sport tourists’ perceived risk associated with COVID-19 on their hesitation to choose a tourist destination in the context of water sport tourism. Further, we examined whether the relationship changes according to the levels of tourists’ destination image. Data from a survey of water sport tourists (n = 312) were analyzed using structural equation modeling and Hayes PROCESS macro with bootstrapping procedures. Findings of this research empirically demonstrated that risk factors influence hesitation in choosing a destination. Furthermore, the moderating effect of destination image on the influences of perceived risks on hesitation was identified. The study’s theoretical and practical contributions to the sport tourism literature are also discussed.

PurposeThis study was conducted to examine the effect of co-branding, a brand partnership tactic involving two or more brands, on consumer behavior within the sport industry. As such, the primary aim was to examine differences regarding consumers' perceptions of self-image congruence and perceived product quality when considering solo-branding and co-branding conditions. Further, under the co-branding condition, relationships among consumers' self-image congruence, perceived product quality, image fit, product evaluation and purchase intention were investigated.Design/methodology/approachA scenario-based quasi-experiment consisting of hypothetical co-branding initiatives between existing brands was conducted.FindingsResults from a repeated multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that consumers' symbolic and functional perceptions of co-branding as well as evaluations were statistically higher than in the solo-branding condition. Additionally, structural equation modeling indicated positive relationships between consumers' symbolic and functional perceptions, image fit, evaluation and behavior intention.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first papers to investigate the impact of co-branding on consumers within the sport industry and provides evidence of the positive impact of co-branding strategies on consumer behavior within the sport industry.

Understanding fans’ perceived associations with their favorite teams is crucial for the successful management of sport teams. In the current study, team brand associations are measured as a reflective-formative construct to examine the role of the fan identification on the relationship between team brand associations and behavioral intentions. Data from professional soccer spectators (n = 101) were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results indicated that the reflective-formative construct of team brand associations and fan identification influence behavioral intention, whilst fan identification was found to mediate the relationship between team brand associations and behavioral intentions. Managerial implications include strategic marketing how sport team managers can alter their team brand associations to foster the relationship between fans and teams.

Purpose Existing studies suggest the importance of research related to values and goals and their impacts on consumer involvement. However, cross-cultural examination of values and goals in the context of sport is scarce. To broaden our understanding of the cultural impact of values and goals on sport involvement, the purpose of this paper is to compare perspectives between Easterners (Chinese) and Westerners (Americans). Design/methodology/approach This exploratory research utilized both online and written surveys to collect two convenience samples from 281 American and 636 Chinese participants. Analysis included descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression analyses. Findings Results indicated both populations perceived values and goals differently; Chinese responded less favorably to values and goals than American counterparts. Values and goals predicted cognitive and behavioral sport involvement with variance in each population. Results generally supported a large cultural variation between the cultures. Lastly, similarities and differences in the perceived importance of values and goals and their subsequent impacts on cognitive and behavioral sport involvement suggest a need for a unique managerial approach when American businesses enter new cultural boundaries like China. Originality/value This research is significant because studies exploring values and goals and their influences on sport consumption at the cross-cultural level are still limited in sport literature. Furthermore, an empirical examination of the impact of values and goals on sport consumers across cultures will help increase generalizability of the findings to sport literature.

Metabolic syndrome is associated with an increasing incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The relationship between the amount of alcohol consumption and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome is controversial. Our study was performed to evaluate the relationship between alcohol consumption and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Korean men. Also we examined the correlation of liver markers, including alanine transaminase (ALT) and γ