Testing a structural model of constraints negotiation in spectator sports: The moderating effect of satisfaction with marketing strategies

This study extends the leisure constraints literature and empirically tests the constraints-effects-mitigation model within the context of spectator sports. The moderating effects of satisfaction with marketing strategies on the constraints negotiation relationship, and the motivation and negotiation relationship were also examined. Data (n = 997) were collected from spectators attending Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) games during the regular seasons in 2014 and 2015. Results showed that 1) negotiation works to independently influence participation; 2) the relationship between motivation and participation is partially mediated by negotiation strategies; 3) the relationship between motivation and negotiation is moderated by satisfaction with marketing strategies; and 4) constraints have no significant influence on participation and negotiation. The results advance our understanding of the factors influencing consumers’ leisure participation and the decision-making mechanism. This could help professional sport teams develop more effective and targeted marketing strategies. The findings may also help enrich sport spectators’ consumption of leisure experiences

Kaohsiung World Games as a catalyst for sustainable urban development.

Over the last thirty years the staging of events such as major sporting events has become increasingly recognised as part of development strategies within cities, regions and even countries. Behind such a phenomenon is a fierce competition between potential hosts because of the belief that these can achieve economic, social, environmental, political, cultural and tourism benefits for the hosting areas. As a consequence of the proliferation of these events, there is an increasing need to assess whether such strategy is effective. In this context, impact studies are vital. Traditionally, sports mega-event studies focused on the various impacts and on specific sports megaevents such as the Olympic Games and the football World Cup. Yet comparatively little is known about the procedures prior to the event, or about other types of events such as the World Games. To address these omissions this study investigates host residents' attitudes towards potential impacts prior to the 2009 World Games. It includes the perspectives of key stakeholders, with particular attention to sustainability issues. The research is based on a conceptual framework underpinned by a mixed methods approach that integrates consumer behaviour theory and the concept of a 'Triple Bottom Line' within a sustainable development perspective. A questionnaire survey, observations and semi-structured interviews are the primary data collection methods. For the quantitative research method, purposive sampling was selected. A combination of analysis techniques was employed, including factor analysis, T-test, One-way analysis of variance, Logistic regression and Chi-square. For the qualitative research method, snowball and purposive sampling approaches were adopted, with content analysis and thematic analysis.The findings of this research, are significant. Compared with most studies - which indicate that host residents are more negative about host impacts after events - this research found that they view the staging of the Games in a positive light generally prior to the Games. This quantitative research found that: (a) host residents tended to show a certain level of agreement on potential positive impacts but were uncertain about potential negative impacts and long-term economic effects; (b) there is a high level of support for the idea of hosting 2009 World Games (91%); (c) within different groups of marital status, age, occupation and education there were significant differences inattitudes towards the negative impacts; and (d) the event organisers and government authorities were not entirely successful in communicating to host residents Kaohsiung's objective of investing in the Games as a general strategy to benefit host communities. In contrast, evaluation of the use of a conceptual framework has successfully identified emerging issues in relation to the sustainability of staging the 2009 World Games. The qualitative study indicated that compared with the economic and social issues, the event planners appeared to place more emphasis on a wider range of environmental issues. However, in practice, Kaohsiung's 2009 World Games has not promoted sustainable development more generally from the outset.The results contribute to the wider knowledge of sustainability issues in the planning process and management of a sports mega-event. They add new theoretical insights by developing and testing a conceptual framework to overcome barriers in the evaluation of a sustainable sports mega-event. Practically, the findings are important to event managers, and help provide authorities (KCG) and event organisers (KOC) baselines to facilitate effective dialogue with host residents and to grow support for the Games. The regular assessment of the Games can provide more accurate information. Future event research considering a longitudinal survey and the TBL and SD concepts could apply this framework to studies before, during and post-event

Testing Variation in Esports Spectators’ Motivations in Relation to Consumption Behaviour

This study aims to examine firstly the motivations of esports spectators driving them to engage in consumption behaviour, and secondly, two spectator groups (League of Legends, LOL; Hearthstone) to compare the findings of the independence model and the competing model. In recent decades, the concept of esports has emerged as a major component of the sports industry and, therefore, of the global economy. However, the basic functioning of this new sector is relatively poorly understood. This study considers consumer motivations as they relate to esports and aims to assess how selected motivations interact. The motivations chosen in five categories were adopted from the Uses and Gratifications Theory. The independence model (based on Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT)) and competing model (based on multiple theoretical perspectives) were applied to the LOL and Hearthstone spectator groups. Data (n = 574) were collected via online surveys with cross-validation measured and established between the two groups. The findings showed that social integrative motivations positively impacted consumption behaviour across game genres. Affective motivation partially mediated the relationship between social integrative motivation and consumption behaviour in LOL, and cognitive and personal integrative motivations positively influenced consumption behaviour in Hearthstone. The tension-release motivation had no significant association with consumption behaviour for spectators of either game. The findings can help the commercial interests of different esports game genres to predict why people consume particular esports and thus aid effective marketing strategies

Molecular and epidemiologic analysis of a county-wide outbreak caused by Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis traced to a bakery

BACKGROUND: An increase in the number of attendees due to acute gastroenteritis and fever was noted at one hospital emergency room in Taiwan over a seven-day period from July to August, 2001. Molecular and epidemiological surveys were performed to trace the possible source of infection. METHODS: An epidemiological investigation was undertaken to determine the cause of the outbreak. Stool and blood samples were collected according to standard protocols per Center for Disease Control, Taiwan. Typing of the Salmonella isolates from stool, blood, and food samples was performed with serotyping, antibiotypes, and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) following XbaI restriction enzyme digestion. RESULTS: Comparison of the number of patients with and without acute gastroenteritis (506 and 4467, respectively) during the six weeks before the outbreak week revealed a significant increase in the number of patients during the outbreak week (162 and 942, respectively) (relative risk (RR): 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22–1.70, P value < 0.001). During the week of the outbreak, 34 of 162 patients with gastroenteritis were positive for Salmonella, and 28 of these 34 cases reported eating the same kind of bread. In total, 28 of 34 patients who ate this bread were positive for salmonella compared to only 6 of 128 people who did not eat this bread (RR: 17.6, 95%CI 7.9–39.0, P < 0.001). These breads were produced by the same bakery and were distributed to six different traditional Chinese markets., Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) was isolated from the stool samples of 28 of 32 individuals and from a recalled bread sample. All S. Enteritidis isolates were of the same antibiogram. PFGE typing revealed that all except two of the clinical isolates and the bread isolates were of the same DNA macrorestriction pattern. CONCLUSIONS: The egg-covered bread contaminated with S. Enteritidis was confirmed as the vehicle of infection. Alertness in the emergency room, surveillance by the microbiology laboratory, prompt and thorough investigation to trace the source of outbreaks, and institution of appropriate control measures provide effective control of community outbreaks

Synthesis and applications of porous non-silica metal oxide submicrospheres

© 2016 Royal Society of Chemistry. Nowadays the development of submicroscale products of specific size and morphology that feature a high surface area to volume ratio, well-developed and accessible porosity for adsorbates and reactants, and are non-toxic, biocompatible, thermally stable and suitable as synergetic supports for precious metal catalysts is of great importance for many advanced applications. Complex porous non-silica metal oxide submicrospheres constitute an important class of materials that fulfill all these qualities and in addition, they are relatively easy to synthesize. This review presents a comprehensive appraisal of the methods used for the synthesis of a wide range of porous non-silica metal oxide particles of spherical morphology such as porous solid spheres, core-shell and yolk-shell particles as well as single-shell and multi-shell particles. In particular, hydrothermal and low temperature solution precipitation methods, which both include various structure developing strategies such as hard templating, soft templating, hydrolysis, or those taking advantage of Ostwald ripening and the Kirkendall effect, are reviewed. In addition, a critical assessment of the effects of different experimental parameters such as reaction time, reaction temperature, calcination, pH and the type of reactants and solvents on the structure of the final products is presented. Finally, the practical usefulness of complex porous non-silica metal oxide submicrospheres in sensing, catalysis, biomedical, environmental and energy-related applications is presented