Anil Mathur, Benny Barak, Yong Zhang, Keun S. Lee, Boonghee Yoo and Jeeyeon Ha
– The purpose of this paper is to develop a scale to measure social religiosity (SR) and assess its measurement invariance across different cultures.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a scale to measure social religiosity (SR) and assess its measurement invariance across different cultures.
Design/methodology/approach
The research relied on samples from China (n=486), India (n=377), Japan (n=362), Korea (n=386), and the USA (n=580). The invariance process involved carrying out a series of confirmatory factor analyses with progressively more restrictive constraints.
Findings
Results show the SR scale to be reliable and valid across culturally and religiously diverse countries. Implications of the findings are also discussed.
Originality/value
Based on Katz (1988) this is a new scale to measure SR and its measurement invariance is assessed across culturally divergent countries.
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Sejeong Kim, Soomin Lee, Hyemin Oh, Jimyeong Ha, Jeeyeon Lee, Yukyung Choi, Yewon Lee, Yujin Kim, Yeong-Eun Seo and Yohan Yoon
Gut microbial changes are associated with diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes and may be influenced by diet patterns. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the effects of…
Abstract
Purpose
Gut microbial changes are associated with diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes and may be influenced by diet patterns. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the effects of alcohol, sodium chloride (NaCl) and dietary restriction on the composition of the gut microflora.
Design/methodology/approach
Five-week-old male C57BL/6N mice were orally administered by gavage with ethanol (ET; 4 g/kg), 200 µL of 6% NaCl (NC), or equivalent volumes of phosphate-buffered saline (ET-control and NC-control) every two days for 10 weeks. The mice were also orally administered by gavage with the recommended diet (RD-control; 3 g per mouse per day), or with 40% (RD-40) or 60% restricted level (RD-60). DNA samples obtained from mice ceca were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq Sequencing system; raw data were analyzed using BIOiPLUG software.
Findings
This study shows that high ethanol and NaCl consumption, and diet restriction can change the composition of the intestinal microflora, especially Akkermansia muciniphila in ET (p = 0.0050) and NT (p = 0.0366) groups. In addition, the ratio of Bacteriodetes/Firmicutes and the diversity of microflora were generally reduced (p = 0.0487-0.4929).
Originality/value
These results raise the possibility of a relationship between diet patterns, change of intestinal microbiome and disease, which must be further evaluated.
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Xiaoxiao Fu, Juhee Kang, Jeeyeon Jeannie Hahm and Jessica Wiitala
This paper aims to propose and test a conceptual model of theme park experiences by investigating the relationships among brand experience, self-congruity, flow and brand-related…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose and test a conceptual model of theme park experiences by investigating the relationships among brand experience, self-congruity, flow and brand-related outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from guests who had visited a theme park in the past 12 months. Confirmatory factor analysis, consisting of second-order factor analysis and structural equation modeling with the incorporation of alternative model testing, was employed.
Findings
The findings revealed that theme park customers’ internalization of brand experience influenced their attitudinal and behavioral tendency with regard to the brand through self-congruity and flow.
Practical implications
This study provides strategies for theme park designers and marketers under pressure to create a desired experiential setting that motivates visitors to engage in activities through various brand stimuli. Well-designed theme parks can create an optimal state of focus and attention, immersing visitors to the extent that they lose their sense of time and place, affecting their attitude and behavior toward the theme park brand.
Originality/value
Theme parks provide a highly experiential, immersive and personally relevant experience with brand elements. Very few studies have attempted to investigate the consequences of theme park experience from the theoretical perspective of customers’ connection with the brand. This study proposed and validated a conceptual model to capture how theme park experience influenced visitors’ commitment to and active engagement with theme park brands through the mechanisms of self-congruity and flow.