Exploring the relationship between super-leadership, self-leadership, and exercise commitment in university Taekwondo teams

Introduction

Promoting super-leadership is crucial for the sustainable growth of college sport teams, especially as teams are experiencing a noticeable shift towards a more horizontal dynamic, where athletes themselves are emerging as leaders. However, there is a lack of research on the effectiveness of super-leadership and its possible outcomes in the context of collegiate Taekwondo teams.

Methods

This study aims to investigate the impact of super-leadership on athletes' self-leadership and exercise commitment and examine the mediating role of self-leadership in this relationship among collegiate Taekwondo athletes in South Korea. A total of 147 survey data were analyzed by structural equation modeling.

Results

The findings revealed that super-leadership was found to have a positive impact on both athletes' self-leadership (β = 0.71, p < 0.001) and exercise commitment (β = 0.30, p < 0.05). Additionally, the study reveals athletes' self-leadership significantly impacts exercise commitment (β = 0.34, p < 0.05). Our findings also demonstrate that self-leadership was identified as a partial mediator in the relationship between super-leadership and exercise commitment (∆χ2 = 4.46, p > 0.05).

Discussion

Theoretical and practical implications were discussed based on the current study's findings.

Push and pull factors associated with the consumption of women's professional basketball games: A canonical correlation analysis

The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the interrelationships between push and pull factors associated with the consumption of women's professional basketball games. Multiple factors pertaining to sport consumers' internal needs, identified as "push" factors, contain various intangible socio-psychological motivations representing an individual's intrinsic desires that drive consumers toward certain goal-driven behaviors. On the other hand, "pull" factors, related to the supply side, refer to the different aspects of sport products the management of sport teams provides. It is imperative to obtain a better understanding of the push-pull interaction so that sport marketers can design their products to satisfy spectators' expectations with different needs. Spectators (N = 628) attending WNBA games responded to an on-site survey. CFA was conducted to ensure the psychometric properties of the scales, which showed that the overall model fit the data well. A canonical correlation analysis was performed, and two significant functions were revealed by the dimension reduction analysis. The first function [F(40,2,683) = 4.49, p < 0.001]: I-Want-Everything-Consumer suggests that the market segment comprises individuals with multiple needs (ranged from 0.55 to 0.85) and expectations (ranged from 0.55 to 0.89), both of which need to be met simultaneously. Thus, sports marketers can satisfy WNBA consumers' needs by enhancing the quality of tangible pull factors. The second function [F(28,2,222) = 2.38, p < 0.001]: Achievement-Seekers revealed that the consumers motivated by vicarious achievement (-0.59) expect game promotion (-0.55) rather than the quality of the opposing team (0.42), indicating that sport marketers should provide tailored promotional strategies to satisfy this segment of consumers. Specifically, the findings of this study can be used to segment consumers based upon fan motives (i.e., push factors) and position products accordingly by managing the controllable aspects of sport products (i.e., pull factors). This study provides empirical evidence of the relationship between WNBA consumers' multiple needs and attributes associated with the WNBA core product.

The influence of core service quality associated with Korean women’s volleyball on national image and consumption engagement of Korean products: Perspective of Korean Wave in Thailand

Building on the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework, we proposed and tested a hypothesized model examining the effect of core service quality on national image and related behavioral intentions (i.e., intention to visit Korea and intention to purchase Korean products). Using 286 samples collected from Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, during the Korea-Thai Super Match, we conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the measurement model and the hypotheses, respectively. The results revealed that player attractiveness and emotional experience positively affected national image and behavioral intentions (i.e., intention to visit Korea and purchase Korean products). The findings stress that foreign spectators’ attitudes toward Korean women’s volleyball could translate into consumption behaviors (i.e., visits and Korean products) through the national image.

The show must go on: The mediating role of self-assessment in the relationship between performers' technology acceptance and satisfaction level with remote performances in Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic

To cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, the performing arts industry created new formats for delivering content via digital technology in the form of remote performances. This study examined the effect of remote performances on performers' satisfaction through the lens of the technology adoption model. Additionally, it investigated whether the performers' self-assessment of performance quality mediates the relationship between their technology acceptance and satisfaction. To this end, we collected the data from performers (N = 124) who experienced remote performances in Korea. Results showed that their satisfaction was a function of perceived usefulness and ease of use of the technology. However, the mediation effect by self-assessment was detected only on the relationship between the perceived ease of use and satisfaction. The results of the study suggest that event organizers offer an easy-to-operate technology allowing performers to better engage in remote performances. This also enables performers to self-assess their performances, which will enhance performance quality.

Clustering Esports Gameplay Consumers via Game Experiences

This study focuses on “game experiences” in the context of esports gameplay consumption and aims to identify adequate consumer groups based on their esports experience including perceptions of gameplay, watching, and purchasing hardware. The purpose of this study is to identify adequate consumer groups through consumer segmentation. Based on the literature review, a matrix of esports gameplay was proposed based on high/low esports gameplay, viewing esports, and hardware enthusiasm. Four esports gameplay consumer groups are proposed (all-around gamer, conventional player, observer, recreational gamer) based on their prior esports experiences (esports gameplay, viewing esports content via media, and hardware enthusiasm). A total of 699 usable observations were initially collected by the online survey. Eventually, 508 observations were retained (127 for each group) for multivariate analysis of variance and subsequent univariate tests. The findings indicated the four esports gameplay consumer groups were empirically supported. Furthermore, this study found similarities and differences for each group based on the six antecedents of esports gameplay intention. The findings indicated hedonic motivation and price value might be considered general factors that may be applied to all esports consumers. Contrarily, the findings indicated that social influence, habit, effort expectancy, and flow might be suitable for tailored marketing strategies targeting esports consumer groups. Theoretically, the suggested esports experience will contribute to the growing body of knowledge aimed at understanding esports consumers' behavior through the consistent clustering of behavioral prior experience. Practically, the proposed esports consumers' clustering will contribute to more efficient marketing, with spending on more targeted marketing leading to effectively reaching the right people.

Structural Relationship among Physical Self-Efficacy, Psychological Well-Being, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior among Hotel Employees: Moderating Effects of Leisure-Time Physical Activity

Critics argue that service firms should pay more attention to human resource management’s psychological and voluntary aspects to contribute to overall organizational development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of physical self-efficacy on the psychological well-being and organizational citizenship behavior among hotel employees and the moderating effects of leisure-time physical activity on the relationships between the previously mentioned variables. To achieve the research purpose, 346 hotel employees working at the room, food, beverage, and kitchen departments of 10 hotels located in Seoul, South Korea, participated in the study. The researchers visited their department meetings and provided a brief description of the present study and informed consent forms to participate in the study. After obtaining written informed consent forms, the researchers distributed the surveys and asked participants to complete them. Several statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for examining the hypothesized model’s psychometric properties, and structural equation modeling (SEM) for testing the hypotheses were conducted using SPSS Ver. 23.0 and AMOS 23.0. Results revealed that perceived physical ability and self-presentation confidence, and psychological well-being positively affected organizational citizenship behavior. Perceived physical ability also had a positive effect on psychological well-being. Lastly, leisure-time physical activity had a partial moderating role in the relationships between the variables mentioned above. This study suggests that promoting employees’ participation in leisure-time physical activity is needed to improve service workers’ organizational citizenship behavior via physical self-efficacy and psychological well-being enhancement.

Social Atmospherics, Affective Response, and Behavioral Intention Associated With Esports Events

The purpose of this study was to conceptualize social atmospherics in the context of esports attendance and examine the relationship among social atmospherics, affective responses, and behavioral intention. Based on review literature, we conceptualized social atmospherics as five dimensions in esports events’ environments: social density, suitable behavior, similarity, cosplay, and cheering behavior. Notably, cosplay (i.e., a portmanteau of the words “costumes” and “play”) and cheering behavior factors adopted from extant social atmospherics served to capture the unique features associated with esports events. Via an online survey, data were collected (n = 372) from esports fans who have experienced attending esports events. The data set was split into half; the first data set (n = 189) was used to examine the psychometric properties of the measurement model and the second data set (n = 184) was employed to test the hypothesized model. The initial model fit was not shown to be acceptable. The model was re-estimated using the second data set after dropping four items with low factor loadings, resulting in the acceptable model fit. The results via structural equation modeling indicated that cheering behavior, similarity, cosplay, and social density positively and significantly influenced affective responses and behavioral intention. However, there was no significant relationship between suitable behavior and affective responses. In terms of theoretical contributions, we tested a five-factor model of social atmospherics associated with esports events and its effects on behavioral intention through affective responses. The findings in this study extend the sportscape model (Wakefield and Sloan, 1995) by incorporating the mediating effect of affective responses and expand the utility of the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework as a viable theory that can explain esports consumption behavior.

Millennial consumers' perception of sportswear brand globalness impacts purchase intention in cause-related product marketing

Our purpose in this study was to examine the structural relationships among the perceptions of college-aged millennials of brand globalness, brand–cause fit, firm motive, and purchase intention in regard to cause-related marketing (CRM) of a product in the sportswear industry. A convenience sample of college students (N = 382) at two universities in a metropolitan city of South Korea participated in the study. Results showed that the college-aged millennials' perception of brand globalness influenced their perceptions of brand–cause fit and firm motive and, subsequently, their purchase intention of a CRM product. In addition, we found that college-aged millennials' perceived brand–cause fit had a positive influence on both perception of firm motive and purchase intention toward the CRM product, and, that firm motive perception partially mediated the relationship between brand–cause fit perception and purchase intention. Consequently, the findings extend previous studies on CRM effectiveness and provide a useful rationale for making managerial decisions when implementing a CRM campaign in sportswear firms.

Golf Product Advertising Value, Attitude Toward Advertising and Brand, and Purchase Intention

We examined the structural relationships among the variables of advertising value, attitude toward advertising, attitude toward the brand, and purchase intention in the context of golf products. The sample (N = 357) comprised members of 6 golf ranges in 2 major provinces in Korea. Structural equation modeling results supported all hypothesized direct associations except that for the advertising value component of irritation. Further, attitude toward advertising and attitude toward the brand played mediating roles in the relationship between advertising value components and purchase intention. We have redefined Ducoffe's outcome advertising value model in a golf-product advertising context and shed light on how consumers of these products form purchase intentions through tripartite advertising values.

Social motivations and consumption behavior of spectators attending a Formula one motor-racing event

Our purpose was to examine the relationship between spectator social motivations and sport consumption behavior in the context of Formula One (F-1) motor-racing events. Respondents were spectators who attended 3 F-1 races held in Shanghai, China. Through a structural equation modeling analysis, we found that achievement seeking and salubrious effects were motivating factors related to repurchase intentions. Achievement seeking, entertainment, and catharsis were also motivating factors associated with word-of-mouth intentions concerning F-1 events.