2016-12-24T18:10:15

The purpose of this study was to modify and revise the Scale of Market Demand for Taekwondo Schools (Kim, Zhang, & Ko, 2009). A questionnaire was developed that consisted of the revised Scale of Market Demand for Taekwondo Schools with seven factors (personal improvement activities, physical environment quality, instruction staff quality, program activities and offerings, cultural learning, locker room provision, and economic condition consideration), member satisfaction and member commitment variables, and demographic variables. Research participants (N = 552) were Taekwondo school participants who resided in the United States and voluntarily participated in the survey study. Conducting confirmatory factor and structural equation model analyses, the revised Scale of Market Demand for Taekwondo Schools with 7 factors and 54 items was found to have good validity and reliability characteristics. Discussion is centered on the theoretical relevance of the conceptual dimensions and their applications in marketing research and practice.

Sporting events not only attract sport participants, spectators, and tourists to the host city, but also increase media attention and create positive impact on a community. Currently, numerous martial arts events (MA) are held in the US. However, scholarly efforts have not been made to understand the spectator profile in MA events. The purpose of this study was to examine the demographic characteristics of US Open Taekwondo event spectators and their perceived event quality and satisfaction by focusing on gender and age segments. The results showed that event quality perceptions vary depending on gender and age groups. Given these results, implications for future study and practice for event managers are discussed.

PurposeSince the introduction of martial arts in the global community through a variety of international sport events, the sport of Taekwondo (TKD) has grown rapidly. Although the magnitude of the TKD market has increased, few systematic studies have been conducted to understand TKD participants, particularly consumer variables associated with TKD events. The rapid growth of TKD as a global cultural product warrants a better understanding of event consumers and their decision‐making processes. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers' quality perceptions and satisfaction by focusing on their sport involvement and identification.Design/methodology/approachResearch respondents (n = 215) were spectators of the 2007 US Open TKD Championship, an annual event held by USA Taekwondo Inc.FindingsResults suggest that identification and involvement positively influence event quality perceptions and satisfaction. Specifically, highly identified fans/competitors are highly satisfied and perceive service quality more positively. This study proceeds to a discussion of theoretical implications and future opportunities for event managers.Originality/valueUntil now, there has not been substantial research on these issues. It is anticipated that the results of this study may enhance the understanding of a particular TKD market in the USA and provide guidance for developing effective marketing strategies and maintaining current event successes. Therefore, the scholarly effort aimed at understanding these issues will make both scientific and practical contributions.

Volunteers are a core component in the operation of mega-sporting events. Pride from being a part of a particular event is an important motive for volunteers to get involved initially, and to return to mega-sporting events. However, previous research has not studied the pride of volunteers after the event. In the current study, volunteer pride was measured after an international mega-event ended and volunteer duties had been completed. The results showed that sport and community identities strongly influenced volunteer pride. However, after volunteer job satisfaction was included, the influence of sport and community identities diminished. The findings suggested that event managers should focus on effective volunteer management as well as volunteer recruitment.