Assessing volunteer satisfaction at the London Olympic Games and its impact on future volunteer behaviour

Abstract

In recent years, volunteering has received strong research attention from both scholars and practitioners. For the most part, involvement in volunteer activities has been identified as an important determinant of future volunteering. Through revalidating an existing instrument, the purpose of this study was to assess the dimensions of volunteer satisfaction at the 2012 London Olympic Games and its impact on future volunteer behaviour. The findings of this study shed light on the identification of volunteer satisfaction factors in the mega sporting event setting, particularly for a unique type of volunteer (i.e. media worker) assigned to a special set of tasks. Unlike Galindo-Kuhn and Guzley’s results that revealed participation efficacy and group integration to be strong predictors of volunteer satisfaction, organizational support was the primary predictor for media centre volunteers’ re-participation intention towards future volunteering programmes.     

Does digital footprint act as a digital asset? – Enhancing brand experience through remarketing

The purpose of this paper is to examine the utilization of the marketing adaptability of branded mobile applications (apps) in order to understand the relationship between consumers and their attachment to branded apps. We develop a model grounded in the purchaser-brand relationship theory of remarketing in order to develop the consumer-brand relationship through mediator brand experience (BE) and moderator digital footprint. A survey was conducted with 421 participants from different regions in India. AMOS 21.0 and SPSS plugin called “Process Analysis System” proposed by Hayes (2013) were used to analyze the hypotheses. The results corroborate the proposed research model. It approves brand association with brand connection for those brands that are easily identifiable. The result also confirms that the comprehensive consumption values are the major influencing factors in the adoption of branded apps. The study enhances the comprehension of the impact of brand connotation on consumer behavior in terms of the usage of various branded apps and the practical and non-useful esteem attached to them.     

中国马拉松赛事参赛者的满意度测评指数模型的构建

借鉴ACSI顾客满意度测评指数模型,结合中国群众性马拉松赛事的特点,运用探索性因子分析法建立中国马拉松赛事参赛者满意度测评指标体系,基于此,构建中国马拉松赛事参赛者满意度测评指数模型。研究发现:中国马拉松赛事参赛者满意度测评指数模型的指标包括参赛者期望、硬服务质量感知、软服务质量感知、感知价值、参赛者满意度、参赛者抱怨、参赛者忠诚度7个因素。就各个自变量对中国马拉松赛事参赛者满意度的影响路径来看,参赛者对服务的预期通过对软服务质量感知、硬服务质量感知间接正向影响中国马拉松赛事参赛者满意度;参赛者的服务质量感知既直接又间接地正向影响参赛者的满意度,参赛者的软服务质量感知通过硬服务质量感知和感知价值间接正向影响参赛者的满意度,参赛者的硬服务质量感知通过感知价值间接正向影响参赛者的满意度。就各个自变量对中国马拉松赛事参赛者满意度的影响程度而言,参赛者的软服务质量感知对其满意度影响最大,其次依次为硬服务质量感知、服务期望和感知价值。     

Acculturation and academic achievement of rural to urban migrant youth: The role of school satisfaction and family closeness

China's 'tidal wave' of rural to urban migration has had a tremendous impact on the educational outcomes of its children. It remains unexplored how and when do migrant children’s experience of acculturation following arrival in the place of settlement influence their academic achievement. This study used a stratified cross-sectional sample of 2412 Chinese migrant children and adolescents aged 10–18 (Mean = 14, 45 % female) to investigate the role of school satisfaction and family closeness in the relationship between acculturation patterns and academic achievement. Acculturation patterns are derived from the bidimensional model proposed by Berry (2005). The results indicated that integration had a positive association with concurrent academic achievement. School satisfaction was a mediator between integration and academic achievement. Furthermore, the full mediation of school satisfaction was only supported when there was a high level of family closeness. Findings from this study underline the usefulness of the bi-dimensional model in understanding the individual differences in academic achievement and suggest greater attention to the cultural variations in interpersonal functioning at the family and school context.     

Identifying the combinations of motivations and emotions for creating satisfied users in SNSs: An fsQCA approach

Social Networking Sites (SNSs) play an important role in our daily lives and the number of their users increases regularly. To understand how users can be satisfied in the complex digital environment of SNSs, this study examines how motivations and emotions combine with each other to explain high satisfaction. Users’ motivations comprise four attributes, entertainment, information, social-psychological, and convenience. Emotions are divided into their two main categories, that is positive and negative emotions. We draw on complexity and configuration theories, present a conceptual model along with propositions and perform a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Through an empirically study with 582 SNSs users, we present eight combinations (configurations) of motivations and emotions that lead to high satisfaction, which highlight the role of high convenience, followed by entertainment and information motivations in being satisfied with SNSs. High satisfaction can be achieved both when positive and negative emotions are high and low, depending on how they combine users’ motivations. None of the factors are indispensable to explain high satisfaction on their own, instead they are insufficient but necessary parts of the causal combinations that explain high satisfaction. This study contributes in SNSs literature by extending current knowledge on how motivations and emotions combine to increase satisfaction, and by identifying specific patterns of users for whom these factors are important and influence greatly their satisfaction.     

Work–family conflict,relational turbulence mechanisms,conflict tactics and marital satisfaction*

ABSTRACT

This study examined how work–family conflict (WFC) is associated with mechanisms of relational turbulence, conflict tactics, and marital satisfaction. Six hundred and thirty-three married workers completed an online survey. Family interference with work and spouses’ work interfering with one’s family predicted greater relational uncertainty and interference from partners, whereas one’s own work interfering with family did not predict these mechanisms of turbulence. All three sources of relational uncertainty, and interference from partners, predicted increased avoidance and distributive tactic use. Facilitation from partners predicted increased use of integrative tactics. Finally, relational uncertainty, interference from partners, and distributive conflict tactics partially mediated the associations of WFC with marital satisfaction.     

The Ultimate Survey: Asking One Question at a Time to Get Feedback from Library Users

ABSTRACT

Libraries use surveys and other instruments to gather feedback from their users. However, with competition from many other campus entities requesting input, how can survey fatigue be avoided? To gather this feedback, the Social Sciences Reference Desk utilized a short, fun and easy method. Each week for 10 weeks during the fall semester of 2017, the reference assistants wrote a survey question on a whiteboard and provided sticky notes for patrons to write their answers. The survey provided valuable information about patrons’ needs and expectations. It also fostered changes that were easily implemented to improve the delivery of library services.     

Porto street stage at Rally Portugal: the determinants of the length of stay

ABSTRACT

We present the determinants of the length of stay (LOS) of Porto Street Stage that integrated the program of the 52nd edition of Rally de Portugal. Sport events assume an important role in the marketing of tourism destinations. However, when we compare them with other segments in tourism, it still remains underexplored. This study represents an opportunity to contribute to the literature, and it could become a significant toll for the organizers, public entities and other stakeholders. We contemplate a set of information and data that may improve the management of the future editions in a more rigorous and effective way. As we are dealing with an international event, it is an occasion to enlist tourists and promote the tourist destination. We applied a quantitative analysis and considered the sociodemographic characteristics of the spectators, factors that influenced the trip, expenses per day in the city, level of satisfaction with the event, and the intention to return. An OLS regression model, a Weibull survival model and a zero-truncated negative binomial regression model were estimated, and the results were compared. On the LOS determinants it is not common to consider the influence of each item of expenditure during the stay and the satisfaction levels with the event and different effects were observed. The travel and accommodation expenditures present a negative effect on the LOS. In the opposite side the satisfaction level and intention to return, both present a positive effect on the LOS. The sociodemographic characteristics have diverse impacts on the LOS.     

Perils of perfectionistic concerns among teachers

The current study examined how teachers’ perfectionism (personal standards [PS] and concern over mistakes [COM]) relates to their achievement goals for teaching, instructional practices (creation of mastery vs. performance classroom goal structures), job satisfaction, and flow experience during teaching. The data were collected from teachers (N = 143; mean age = 43.5; 70% female; 100% European American) practicing in the Midwestern U.S. Path analyses indicated that teachers’ high personal standards predicted endorsement of mastery goals for teaching, creation of mastery goal structure emphasizing personal progress and learning, high job satisfaction, and frequent flow experience during teaching. On the contrary, teachers’ high concern over mistakes predicted endorsement of performance-approach and -avoidance goals, creation of classroom performance goal structure emphasizing competition among students, low job satisfaction, and infrequent flow experience during teaching. A significant interaction between PS and COM was found for fluency (subscale of flow) experience, indicating that PS can buffer the harmful effects of COM. Therefore, the study evidenced the benefits of PS and the drawbacks of COM.     

Correlates of staff motivation,satisfaction, and job performance of library staff in selected Nigerian University libraries

Abstract

This study examined staff motivation, satisfaction, and job performance among the librarians and library staff in six selected university libraries in Nigeria. The target population for the study includes the professionals and nonprofessional library staff. A total enumeration sampling technique was used to select 180 respondents, which represent the sample for the study. Data was collected using a self-designed questionnaire titled “Staff Motivation, Satisfaction and Job Performance Questionnaire” (SMSJPQ). Six research questions were developed and answered by the study. The results indicate that librarian and library staff are highly motivated with regular pay while the least motivational factor is frequent interaction with their friends. Library staff are primarily satisfied with their jobs when they are in constant link with their friends. Professional library staff significantly experience better work motivation than their nonprofessional counterparts. Significant correlation exists between staff motivation and job performance and between job satisfaction and job performance. In addition, the two factors (motivation and satisfaction) exert significant contribution to the determinant of librarians and library staff job performance. Based on the findings, the study recommended improvement in the level of motivation of nonprofessionals so that the significant difference with the professional counterpart would not be so much pronounced.