Purpose: The current study extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) and information system success model (ISSM) to the context of branded sport applications. Specifically, the study examined the influences of app system success dimensions and TAM determinants on branded sport app usage intention. Moreover, the current study examined the gender differences regarding the relative importance of the drivers and predictors of usage intention.Design/methodology/approach: Data collection (n = 256) was conducted using convenience sampling in South Korea. The data were primarily analyzed via partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), multi-group analysis and importance–performance map analysis (IPMA) using SmartPLS 3.0.Findings: App users who viewed branded sport apps as having a higher level of system and information quality were likely to have stronger perceptions of enjoyment, usefulness, and ease of use. Among the TAM determinants, perceived enjoyment most significantly influenced their usage intention, followed by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Multigroup analysis revealed that some relationships between app system success dimensions and TAM determinants were significantly different by gender. In addition, IPMA indicated that perceived enjoyment and system quality of branded sport apps were relatively more important than the other predictors.Originality/value: The current study contributes to the literature by incorporating both TAM and ISSM and extending the TAM with the perceived enjoyment construct to examine the key determinants of usage intention in the context of branded sport apps.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to apply the model of goal-directed behavior (MGB) as a research framework to investigate consumers’ behavioral intention to purchase sporting goods online. Design/methodology/approach: Mall intercept sampling was used to collect data from Korean consumers who have the experience of purchasing sporting goods online. After the elimination of invalid responses, total 314 valid questionnaires were used for further analysis. Findings: The results revealed that attitude, subjective norm, positive and negative anticipated emotions had significant influences on consumers’ desire to buy sporting goods online. Moreover, the frequency of past behavior and desire played significant roles in influencing on Korean consumers’ intention. Further analysis revealed that male consumers had higher levels of positive attitude, subjective norm, positive and negative anticipated emotions, desire, intention, frequency of past behavior toward the online purchase of sporting goods than female consumers did. It also found that male consumers’ desire had a significantly stronger influence on behavioral than female consumers did. Research limitations/implications: The study suggests the benefit and gender-based targeting strategies in marketing sporting goods online. The primary limitation of this study was that respondents were all Korean online consumers of buying sporting goods. Future research should apply MGB to different countries or regions to generalize the results of this study. Originality/value: The findings of this study provide a better understanding of Korean consumers’ intention to purchase sporting goods online and gender differences in their decision-making process.

The purposes of this study were to propose a conceptual model and investigate the relationship between customer value co-creation behaviour (CVCB), customer value, satisfaction, and repatronage intention in the participation sport setting. Data were collected from 388 fitness club users in Taipei using a survey questionnaire and were analysed using structural equation modelling to examine the relationships between study variables. The results showed that CVCB has a positive influence on customer value and satisfaction, which in turn has positive influences on repatronage intention. Besides, the perceived value has a positive influence on satisfaction. Although a direct influence of CVCB on repatronage intention was not found, an indirect influence of customer citizenship behaviour through perceived value and satisfaction on repatronage intention was revealed. The findings of this study encourage managers of fitness centres to vigorously encourage customers to participate in the process of value co-creation.

Volunteers are an integral human resource of most sporting events organizations in producing successful events. To sustain a volunteer workforce, building a sense of motivation, commitment, and intention to continue volunteering is one of the most important tasks of event organizations and managers. The purpose of the study is to examine the relationships between motivations and commitment as predictors of volunteers' intentions to continue to volunteer for future sporting events. For this purpose, 163 individuals (males = 70; females = 93) who volunteered at the 2005 Life Time Fitness Triathlon participated in a Web-based survey. The results revealed that Interpersonal Contacts, Love of Sport, and Personal Growth as volunteer motivation factors had a significant influence on the volunteers' commitment to the sporting event. The volunteers' Commitment and motivations, Community Involvement, and Extrinsic Rewards were found to be important variables in predicting intentions to continue to volunteer for future sporting events as well. This article provides a better understanding of volunteers' motivations and their relationships with commitment and intentions for sporting event managers in using the information with effective volunteer retention strategies.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual model and to investigate the relationships among internal marketing, organizational commitment and job performance in sport and fitness services.Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected using a questionnaire survey from 254 employees at each of 12 municipal sport centers in Taipei City and were analyzed primarily using structural equation modeling techniques.Findings: The results indicated that internal marketing has positive effects on organizational commitment and job performance. Moreover, organizational commitment has a positive influence on job performance and plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between internal marketing and job performance. The findings identify the relationships among internal marketing, organizational commitment and job performance.Originality/value: This study proposed and tested an empirical model linking internal marketing, organizational commitment and job performance in sport and fitness services. Moreover, this study further probed into the path of influence of internal marketing strategies on job performance of employees by including their organizational commitment in the mediating process. The findings of this study have insightful implications and emphasize the important role of internal marketing in the management of customer service in sports.