1,720,983 research outputs found
Understanding a Demonstration Effect of 2015 Pan Am Games Track Cycling Competitions: Exploring Relationships Between Pre-Event Engagement, Trait Inspiration, Positive Affect, and Participation Intention
Full text linkThe demonstration effect occurs when “people are inspired by elite sport, sports people or sport events to actively participate themselves” (Weed et al., 2015, p.197). Theoretical underpinnings of demonstration effects are not well established in the literature (Potwarka, 2015). Thus, the purpose of this thesis was to identify intrapersonal and experiential mechanisms that might help explain demonstration effects. To achieve this purpose, spectators of the 2015 Pan American Games track cycling competitions (n=381) were surveyed. Relationships between pre-event engagement, trait inspiration, positive affect, and intention to participate in track cycling after watching 2015 Pan Am Games track cycling competitions were examined using structural equation modelling (AMOS). Both pre-event engagement and trait inspiration were found to significantly influence both positive affect and participation intention. Positive affect was found to have no significant influence on participation intention, and did not serve as a mediating variable between pre-event engagement and participation intention, or between trait inspiration and participation intention. This thesis reveals that being aware of, interested in, and identifying as a fan of the sport on display is a very important predictor of intention to participate in the sport on display. Furthermore, those who have high trait inspiration are also likely to have positive intentions toward participation in the sport on display. Interestingly, however, a key finding of this thesis is that simply feeling good during the event does not influence spectators’ intentions to participate in the sport on display. Implications for theory and practice, and suggestions for future research are discussed
Understanding a Demonstration Effect Among Youth Sport Spectators: An Application and Augmentation of the Theory of Planned Behavior
Full text linkThe present study employed the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to assess motivational factors associated to youths’ pre-event and post-event intentions to participate in the sport of track cycling. This study also hypothesized that an additional variable could predict intention. In particular, the construct of state inspiration was examined in terms of its ability to explain significant proportions of variance in youths’ intentions above and beyond TPB variables. Participants were enrolled in grades seven and nine at various schools throughout the city of Milton, Ontario. Students completed a questionnaire assessing each construct of the TPB one week before attending the Milton International Track Cycling Event. Immediately following the event, students completed a post-event survey assessing each construct of the TPB and state inspiration experienced while watching the event.
Results from the hierarchical regression analysis revealed that attitude toward the behavior ( = .171, p = .001), normative influence ( = .81, p < .001), and inspiration ( = .244, p < .001) were significant positive predictors of post-event intentions within the model. Youth that felt participating gin the sport would be fun, exciting, and enjoyable were more likely to intend to participate. Moreover, those youth who felt strongly that their friends and family would support and participate as well were more likely to intend to participate post-event. Lastly, youths that felt more inspired through experiencing the track cycling event were more likely to intend to participate post-event. Implications for research and practice are discussed
Communicating leisure: Meanings of leisure in newcomer settlement service provision
Full text linkResearch suggests that leisure can play an important role in the settlement of newcomers; however, little research has explored meanings of leisure in the context of settlement service providers. Furthermore, little research has been conducted to examine how leisure is communicated to newcomers by settlement service providers or the factors that impact how leisure is communicated. To further explore these ideas, I conducted interviews with twelve settlement service providers in Southern Ontario. These interviews were analyzed using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
I found that the settlement service providers navigated objective activity-based and subjective conceptualizations of leisure and that participating settlement service providers conceptualized leisure as beneficial. When communicating leisure, the participants focused on providing information with awareness of newcomer needs and encouraging participation. Interestingly, many participants felt that leisure opportunities were a way that they could communicate about other important information. Factors that impacted how leisure was communicated were the development of working relationships with newcomer clients and the views of whose responsibility it is to provide leisure. The participating settlement service providers used a Benefits Approach to Leisure in navigating their meanings and how they communicated leisure. Implications of improving leisure communication to newcomers to Canada are discussed
An Exploration of Factors that Influence Post-Varsity Sport Participation: The Case of Former Ontario University Athletic (OUA) volleyball players
Full text linkThe purpose of this study was to explore factors that predict post-varsity sport-participation among a sample of former OUA volleyball players. Specifically, this thesis explored relationships among the facets if enduring involvement (i.e., attraction, centrality, social bonding, identity affirmation, identity expression), quality of sport experience, amount of time since leaving the team, and post-varsity participatory behaviors. A total of 90 male and female former OUA volleyball players were asked about their current participatory behaviour, perceived quality of varsity experience, and enduring involvement. Results suggested that the more time that passed since participating in varsity volleyball, the less frequently former athletes reported participating in the sport. Moreover, the more former varsity athletes felt attached to the sport and felt their participation was central to their lifestyle, the more frequently they reported participating in the sport. Interestingly, however, the more former athletes perceived their current participation as on opportunity to reinforce their identity as a “volleyball player,” the less frequently they reported participating in the sport. Implications for practice, theory, and suggestions for future research as also discussed
Exploring the influence of family holidays on Chinese adolescents' subjective wellbeing
Full text linkHoliday travel experiences may have potential to increase post-travel subjective wellbeing (SWB). Although positive association between travel and individual’s SWB has been established, extant research on holiday travel is mostly conducted in Western contexts, and adolescents’ perspectives are under-represented. Moreover, factors the influence post-holiday SWB are not well established in the literature. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of travel on Chinese adolescents’ SWB in family holiday travel contexts, and to explore the relationships among trip reflection, family functioning, and adolescent students’ post-holiday SWB. Indeed, the role travel experiences might play in buffering the negative influence of the intense academic pressures faced by many Chinese adolescentsis certainly warranted.
Using the Chinese Labor Holiday and the National Holiday as experimental contexts, a longitudinal research design was employed. Surveys were distributed at two public middle schools in the urban area of a large-sized city located in the East part of Mainland China. Participants were middle school students aged between 12 to 15 years old (n=943). The questionnaire assessed the construct of SWB (i.e., global life satisfaction, contentment with specific life domains, and affects) at three stages (before holidays, right after holidays, and one month after holidays) of each holiday respectively, and compared the changes of respondents’ SWB using a series of repeated measures of ANOVA where travel, holidays, and siblings were employed to conduct between group comparisons. Additionally, the questionnaire assessed the construct of trip reflection and family functioning during family holidays and tested the proposed conceptual framework using the structural equation modeling method.
Results from the repeated measures of ANOVA suggested that Chinese adolescents’ SWB significantly changed across family holidays, where travel was an important factor that increased adolescent students’ SWB. In particular, adolescent travelers’ SWB level was significantly higher than non-travelers before and after holidays. Additionally, only those students’ who traveled during family holidays experienced a significant increase of SWB when they returned to school. However, increases in SWB were not sustained over time. The benefits of travel on travelers’ SWB diminished gradually after holidays.
Results from SEM model revealed that family functioning significantly and positively predicted the results of adolescents’ post-holiday SWB. However, trip reflection did not significantly influence travelers’ post-holiday SWB. As well, this study found that adolescent travelers’ sex and the nature of family holidays influenced the relationship of family functioning and post-holiday SWB. Specifically, family functioning during family holidays had a greater influence on male adolescent travelers’ global life satisfaction, and a greater influence on female travelers’ contentment with specific life domains as well as emotional wellbeing. Moreover, both the Labor Holiday and the National Holiday had beneficial influence on adolescent travelers’ SWB. Indeed, shorter family holidays had greater influence on increasing adolescents’ positive affect and decreasing their negative affect, whereas longer family holidays were more helpful to enhance students’ contentment with family life, school life and leisure life.
There are several implications of this study. Theoretically, this study advances our knowledge on the influence of family holiday travel on adolescents’ SWB. These results fill important contextual research gaps, by demonstrating the role of travel experiences on Chinese adolescents’ SWB. Moreover, relationships between trip reflection, family functioning and adolescent travelers’ post-holiday SWB are not yet explored as mechanisms that help explain post-travel SWB among Chinese adolescents.
Practically, this research suggests schools to remove the pressure of studying during family holidays and encourage their students to take trips or participate in leisure activities during family holidays. When adolescent students return to school, schools should also encourage students’ participation in leisure activities to sustain the beneficial effects of family holidays. In addition, parents should not only pay attention to their children’s academic achievements, but also care about their wellbeing and quality of life. It is recommended that parents take advantage of family holiday trips to tighten their family bonds and develop family adaptability. As it relates to policy makers, this study calls for more family holidays for adolescents to travel with their parents. Indeed, the present study demonstrates that even short-term family holidays can be an effective means to increase the SWB. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed
An Exploration of Destination Brand Love among Theme-Park Based Tourists and Excursionists
Full text link“Love” towards a brand functions as one critical component of customer brand relationships (CBRs) (Fetscherin & Heinrich, 2015; Fournier, 1998). Brand love is an under-researched but increasingly important marketing construct that includes both cognitive and emotional dimensions (Albert & Merunka, 2013; Albert, Merunka, & Valette-Florence, 2008a; Albert, Merunka, & Valette-Florence, 2008b; Fournier, 1998). Destination brand love is a type of emotional place attachment that has not received enough scholarly attention (Aro, Suomi, & Saraniemi, 2018). The very few qualitative and exploratory studies on destination brand love call for quantitate investigations to establish its measurement items, reliability, and validity. Aro et al. (2018, p. 80), for instance, emphasized that “once destination brand love has been sufficiently explored qualitatively, further studies could develop quantitative measures.” The current study built on the academic literature on brand love and established the multi-dimensional and multi-indicator destination brand love construct. I defined destination brand love as the degree of intense affection a tourist holds for a branded destination. In this study, destination brand love features a six-dimensional structure comprising self-brand integration, passion-driven behaviours, positive emotional connection, long-term relationship, attitude strength, and attitude valence (Batra, Ahuvia, & Bagozzi, 2012). Destination brand love stands out as a highly inclusive marketing construct because of its more abundant variety of sub-dimensions, antecedents, and outcomes.
Consumers begin to interact with brands in their pre-patronage stage. In the case of theme-park based tourism, visitors’ pre-existing awareness, trust, and beliefs of a branded destination impact their overall emotional responses towards the destination. During travel experiences, evaluation of experiential attributes, such as shopping, activities and events, accessibility, attractions, environment, and dining, serves as a key catalyst to spark destination brand love. As a type of desirable CBR, brand loyalty requires close emotional bonds between consumers and brands and therefore is a potential outcome of destination brand love. Visitors’ actual on-site experiences at branded destinations may enhance their loyalty towards destinations. So far, few attempts have addressed the significance of destination brand love in constituting cognitive, attitudinal, and conative loyalty.
Previous research on the outcomes of brand love have focused heavily on the “brand love leads to loyalty” paradigm, while neglecting brand love’s non-business consequences. Part of the reason may be that earlier brand love studies are mostly from a business management perspective. Indeed, it is highly probable that tourists and excursionists experience “non-business” outcomes of destination brand love, such as enhanced individual well-being, improved quality of life, and more intimate family relationships. As mentioned by McCabe and Johnson (2013), the association between tourism experiences, individual happiness, and family cohesion represents a relatively new line of research in the tourism discipline. However, there has been a dearth of exploration on destination brand love’s influences on individual happiness and family relationships.
Very few systematic theoretical frameworks of destination brand love have been published to explain destination brand love’s brand-related and experience-related antecedents and outcomes at the individual (happiness-related), familial (family-cohesion-related), and business (loyalty-related) levels. To address this void, the researcher developed the multi-dimensional and multi-indicator conceptual framework of antecedents and consequences of destination brand love in a theme-park tourism context. Three key factors precede destination brand love include brand awareness, brand trust, and evaluation of experiential attributes. Destination brand loyalty (including cognitive, attitudinal, and conative), individual perceived happiness, and family togetherness are endogenous constructs. The overall purpose of this dissertation is to explore brand awareness, brand trust, and evaluation of experiential attributes as three antecedents of destination brand love, as well as the role of destination brand love in predicting consumer responses to theme park-based visitation experiences (i.e., individual perceived happiness, family togetherness) and business-related outcomes (i.e., cognitive, attitudinal, and conative brand loyalty).
The researcher collected survey data from Shanghai Disneytown through on-site convenience sampling in January 2017. A total of 427 respondents visited Shanghai Disneyland with their families. The researcher used their responses in the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis in SmartPLS M 3.0. A set of destination brand love scales were finally established through multiple methods, that is, Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients, factor loading, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. PLS-SEM results supported 15 out of 20 hypotheses put forward. Brand awareness did not exert any meaningful and significant influence on destination brand love (β=-0.076, p>.05, t=1.872; S.E=0.041). The direct effect of brand trust on destination brand love was statistically significant at 99.9% confidence interval level (β= 0.229, p<.001, t=5.233; S.E=0.044). Evaluation of experiential attributes generated a positive effect on destination brand love (β=0.710, p<.001, t=18.225; S.E=0.039). More importantly, destination brand love exerted positive effects on perceptions of family togetherness (β=0.613, p<0.001, t=17.756, S.E=0.035), perceived happiness of visitors (β=0.566, p<0.001, t=11.192, S.E=0.051), and all four sequential stages of destination brand loyalty, namely: cognitive brand loyalty (β=0.622, p<0.001, t=11.800, S.E=0.053), attitudinal brand loyalty (β=0.791, p<0.001, t=16.913, S.E=0.047), and conative brand loyalty (β=0.782, p<0.001, t=16.225, S.E=0.048). The more visitors perceive destination brand love, the more individual happiness, family cohesion, and brand loyalty they express. Furthermore, the development of destination brand loyalty followed sequential stages. As predicted, cognitive loyalty affected attitudinal loyalty in a positive and significant way (β=0.434, p<0.001, t= 8.058, S.E= 0.054). Furthermore, attitudinal loyalty impacted conative loyalty significantly (β=0.569, p<0.001, t= 10.249, S.E= 0.056).
The researcher also carried out a series of mediating and moderation tests using the bootstrapping procedure and the moderation analysis techniques in SmartPLS M 3.0. Bootstrapping outputs indicated that destination brand love functioned as a statistically significant mediating construct in the conceptual framework. The mediation effect of destination brand love in the evaluation of experiential attributes → attitudinal loyalty relationship turned out to be positive and statistically significant (β =0.562, p< 0.001, CI=0.562-0.559). Similarly, the mediation effect of destination brand love in the evaluation of experiential attributes → conative loyalty relationship was also positive and statistically significant (β=0.555, p< 0.001, CI=0.555-0.557). Regarding moderation effects, the researcher examined “income” and “first-timers versus repeat visitors” as two categorical moderators. Bootstrapping results demonstrated that the influence of evaluation of experiential attributes on conative loyalty was stronger among repeat visitors compared with first-timers. The boosting effect of destination brand love on family togetherness was greater for low-income visitors than for their high-income counterparts. In other words, higher income levels entail a weaker relationship between visitors’ destination brand love and family togetherness, while lower levels of income lead to a stronger relationship between visitors’ destination brand love and family togetherness.
This research addresses a significant gap in the literature by validating the construct of destination brand love and establishing the multi-dimensional and multi-indicator conceptual framework. It initiated destination brand love research in the seldom-studied non-Western branded destination context. The establishment of the conceptual framework of antecedents and consequences of destination brand love demonstrates the importance of understanding 1) brand-related, experience-related precursors related to destination brand love; 2) cognitive, attitudinal (including emotional), and conative consequences of destination brand love; and 3) well-being related and family-related outcomes of destination brand love. The findings have implications for academics, destination management organizations, and other destination stakeholders who wish to improve their understanding of the influences of destination brand love in theme-park based tourism
Leisure Satisfaction and Life Satisfaction: Examining the Mediating Roles of Self-Rated Physical Health and Mental Health
No full textResearchers have studied leisure satisfaction and life satisfaction in different eras (Brown & Frankel, 1993; Neal et al., 1999; Ragheb & Griffith, 1982). A recent study demonstrated that leisure activities and life satisfaction correlate positively (Kim et al., 2022). However, limited information is available regarding the explanatory mechanisms underlying this connection. Drawing from the bottom-up spillover theory proposed by Andrews & Withey (1976), this research examines two potential explanatory mechanisms, self-rated physical health (SRPH) and self-rated mental health (SRMH), which could help explain the relationship between leisure satisfaction and overall life satisfaction. The current study uses population-level secondary data from Statistics Canada and the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) (n = 113,290). The research suggests three hypotheses: (i) that leisure satisfaction has a positive relationship with life satisfaction; (ii) that self-rated physical health will positively mediate the association of life satisfaction and leisure satisfaction; and (iii) Self-rated mental health will operate as a positive mediator in the relationship between life satisfaction and leisure satisfaction. Measures, such as leisure satisfaction (e.g., “How satisfied are you with your leisure activities?”), life satisfaction (“How satisfied are you with your overall life?”), SRPH and SRMH were obtained from the 2017-2018 CCHS. Results from the regression analysis revealed that leisure satisfaction was a significant predictor of life satisfaction. Self-rated physical and mental health also partially mediated this relationship. This research contributes to the growing knowledge of the intricate interplay between leisure, mental and physical health, and overall life satisfaction. Understanding these relationships has implications for interventions and policies to enhance individuals' well-being by considering the role of leisure activities and their impact on mental and physical health
Communal Orientation and Employee Well-Being: Examining the Mediating Roles of Positive Relational Communication and Perceptions of Customer Interactions
Full text linkCustomer interactions can be a significant source of work-related stress for hospitality employees, which can lead to burnout and high employee turnover rates. However, adopting a communal approach to customer relationships may help reduce these stressors. This approach involves caring for others based on their needs and welfare, with less expectation of return. To investigate the potential benefits of having a communal orientation in the hospitality industry, the present study conducted a survey among 610 hospitality frontline employees in Hainan Island, China and examined the relationship between communal orientation and well-being outcomes. Additionally, the study investigated potential mediating mechanisms that could explain this relationship. Results suggested that higher levels of employee communal orientation were associated with lower burnout, greater work engagement, higher job satisfaction, and greater life satisfaction. These associations were all explained by employees’ perceived intimacy during customer interactions. Perceived social orientation also accounted for the positive association between communal orientation and work engagement. However, employee perceived information seeking suppressed the potential positive effect of communal orientation on the need for recovery. Positive relational communication behaviours did not explain the association between communal orientation and well-being.
These findings contribute to the relationship literature by providing important evidence for the advantages of having a communal orientation in business relationship contexts. The findings suggest that hospitality managers can enhance employee well-being by acknowledging the significance of communal orientation and relationship intimacy. To achieve this, the managers could explore effective solutions such as frontline recruitment, intimacy-enhancing interventions, and investment in employee well-being
Understanding Response to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games
Full text linkThe present study employed Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to understand the motivational factors associated with peoples’ intention to: (a) increase their physical activity levels in response to Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games; (b) watch the event on television; and (c) purchase products or services from companies because they were sponsors of the event. According to the theory, behavioural intentions are determined by individuals’ attitude toward performing the behaviour (i.e., their overall evaluation of the behaviour); the subjective norms they associate with the behaviour (i.e., their beliefs about whether most people approve or disapprove of the behaviour); and perceived behavioural control (i.e., the perceived ease or difficulty of performing the behavior). As well, this investigation hypothesized that additional variables could predict intention. In particular, past behaviour and descriptive norms (i.e., people’s perceptions about the degree to which other people would perform the behavior) were examined in terms of their ability to explain significant proportions of variance in respondents’ intentions above and beyond TPB variables.
Participants were enrolled in first and second year undergraduate classes at the University of Waterloo and the University of Victoria during the Fall 2009 and Winter 2010 term (n = 405). The questionnaire assessed each TPB construct (excluding actual behaviour) using standardized Likert-type scaling procedures suggested by Ajzen (2006). Additionally, the questionnaire assessed gender, geographic proximity to the event (i.e., whether students were enrolled at the University of Waterloo or the University of Victoria), past behaviour, and descriptive norms.
Results from the regression analyses revealed that the TPB-based models accounted for 50.7%, 61.5% and 66.6% of the variance in respondents’ intentions to become more active in response to the event, watch the event on television, and purchase products or services from event sponsors respectively. Attitude toward the behaviour was the only TPB construct to play a prominent role in the prediction of all three responses of interest in the present investigation. The importance of the attitude construct in predicting such a diverse set of intentions suggests that sport consumer behaviour might be best understood in terms of expectancy-value cognitive theories such as the TPB. These theories suggest that people will be motivated to perform a particular behaviour (e.g., watching a sport event on television) when they expect to attain a valued outcome as a result of performing the behaviour (e.g., feelings of national pride).
Descriptive norms and past behaviour explained an additional 29%, 9.3%, and 21% of the variance in respondents’ intention to become more active in response to the event, watch the event on television, and patronize event sponsors respectively. Among this sample of undergraduate students, responses to the event appeared to be strongly associated with beliefs about whether or not referent others would perform each behaviour. Additionally, much of what motivates sport consumer behaviour within this segment of the population may be related to notions of tradition and nostalgia. Implications for future research and the design of behaviour change interventions are discussed
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