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This study aims to examine the cultural and economic circumstances that shape esports consumer agency through case studies of “experiential consumption” (Miles, 2021).

A multiple-case study approach (Stake, 2006) is deployed alongside participant observation and document analysis to identify three cases of experiential consumption in esports – an esports tournament, a large online community for gaming peripherals and accessories, and an esportswear fashion brand.

The research identifies three aspects of experiential consumption relevant to esports. First, tournaments are sensory and emotional “spectacles”, immersing consumers in memorable experiences. Second, online gaming communities enable consumers to express themselves through “self-work”. Third, esportswear companies engage consumers with exclusive, authentic fashion experiences via “lifestyle branding”.

The case studies highlight the need for future cross-cultural research on esports experiences, particularly how regional differences shape consumer behaviour. The impact of emerging technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), blockchain and AI on personalising experiences, enhancing interactivity and related ethical considerations should be further explored.

Esports stakeholders can enhance esports events with real-time data analytics, VR and AR to create immersive experiences. They can also diversify income streams via personalised and exclusive apparel lines that reflect consumer identity, collaborating with mainstream fashion or entertainment brands. Compelling, emotionally resonant storytelling can deepen fan engagement and help build brand loyalty.

This article presents a new theoretical understanding of esports consumption through multiple case studies of experiential consumption, revealing the central role that “experience” plays in shaping the design and choice of esports products and services.

The purpose of this paper is to consider the key findings of a yearlong collaborative research project focusing on the London Symphony Orchestra’s development, implementation and testing of a branded smartphone app. This app was designed to primarily sell discounted tickets, engage and inform a student audience.

A mixed-method approach including an analysis of the technology, focus groups and interviews was used.

Though the aims of app developers and marketers are often to provide customers with more choice and interactivity, this research suggests that though the app proved a useful mechanism for selling discounted tickets, it indicates that existing customers were mostly enroled and mobilised via a limited and focused functionality for the app.

This paper is significant as mobile phone use remains comparatively under-researched, in particular there is still a relatively small literature on the growing phenomena of apps, and even less on their use in brand marketing. Also importantly, though this paper offers a consideration of one case, the app has since been expanded to include the ticketing for ten major orchestras in London, and moreover, many of the lessons learnt from this study will be of relevance to other arts organisations.

This chapter explores how the development of football fandom for the Chinese national team and local football clubs is strongly associated with societal changes. Although the performances of Chinese football teams, especially the national team, have failed to impress the world, football remains the most popular because of millions of supporters with loyalty and passion. Most studies related to fans mainly focus on the economic and political implications of spectatorship along with the rise of China. Nevertheless, few articles are available to answer the fundamental questions, such as ‘When did these supporters come out?’ and ‘What were the factors of the development of fandom?’. By going through archival records and published documents over the last decades, this chapter offers a comprehensive and historical analysis of the development of football fandom in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and deals with these unanswered questions. As such, this chapter does not intend to be the most authoritative one but is one of the rare sources to lay down the foundation for research on Chinese football fandom. Furthermore, this chapter also proves that studies on football fandom can be a useful window for observing Chinese society.

Following the rapid shift to online learning due to COVID-19, this paper aims to compare the relative efficacy of face-to-face and online university teaching methods.

A scoping review was conducted to examine the learning outcomes within and between online and face-to-face (F2F) university teaching programmes.

Although previous research has supported a “no significant difference” position, the review of 91 comparative studies during 2000–2020 identified 37 (41%) which found online teaching was associated with better learning outcomes, 17 (18%) which favoured F2F and 37 (41%) reporting no significant difference. Purpose-developed online content which supports “student-led” enquiry and cognitive challenge were cited as factors supporting better learning outcomes.

This study adopts a pre-defined methodology in reviewing literature which ensures rigour in identifying relevant studies. The large sample of studies (n = 91) supported the comparison of discrete learning modes although high variability in key concepts and outcome variables made it difficult to directly compare some studies. A lack of methodological rigour was observed in some studies.

As a result of COVID-19, online university teaching has become the “new normal” but also re-focussed questions regarding its efficacy. The weight of evidence from this review is that online learning is at least as effective and often better than, F2F modalities in supporting learning outcomes, albeit these differences are often modest. The findings raise questions about the presumed benefits of F2F learning and complicate the case for a return to physical classrooms during the pandemic and beyond.

This study aims to explore the experiences of non-offending partners (NOPs) of men who perpetrated contact and non-contact sexual offences.

In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight women and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Findings yielded two superordinate themes, eight subordinate themes and an overarching theme. The first superordinate theme “Paying for their Husband’s Transgressions” captured many ways in which the women’s lives were impacted by their husbands offending. The second superordinate theme “Navigating the Darkness” encompassed the women’s experiences of trying to adapt to their new lives. The overarching theme “A Contaminated Life” pertained to the shared experiences of the women who all described encountering instant and profound consequences. This research highlighted the need for immediate signposting to support services for NOPs. The value of a humanistic counselling approach paired with forensic expertise was also identified. Future research with cross-cultural samples and same sex-couples would enrich the current understanding of this experience.

This research highlighted the need for immediate signposting to support services for NOPs. The value of a humanistic counselling approach paired with forensic expertise was also identified.

Qualitative research on the experiences of NOPs of men who perpetrated sexual offences is sparse. Furthermore, existing research focuses on the experiences of women who’s own children were abused, with the partners of men who have perpetrated extra-familial or non-contact offenses remaining largely neglected.

This study contributes to the understanding of the health effects of pesticides exposure and of how pesticides have been and should be regulated.

This study presents literature reviews for the period 2000–2013 on (i) the health effects of pesticides and on (ii) preference valuation of health risks related to pesticides, as well as a discussion of the role of benefit-cost analysis applied to pesticide regulatory measures.

This study indicates that the health literature has focused on individuals with direct exposure to pesticides, i.e. farmers, while the literature on preference valuation has focused on those with indirect exposure, i.e. consumers. The discussion highlights the need to clarify the rationale for regulating pesticides, the role of risk perceptions in benefit-cost analysis, and the importance of inter-disciplinary research in this area.

This study relates findings of different disciplines (health, economics, public policy) regarding pesticides, and identifies gaps for future research.

Efforts and initiatives aimed at poverty reduction are motivated by the ultimate objective of reducing the prevalence of people living in poverty. The primary goal of such efforts is to ensure that individuals and families living in low-income households have fair access to basic essentials such as food, vital resources and critical services. According to the World Economic Forum, poverty is a significant loss of well-being that can appear in a variety of ways. Two instances of this are low wages and the difficulty of accessing the necessities for daily living in the form of goods and services. Poor physical and mental health, insufficient access to sanitary services, lack of a voice and a lack of resources to improve one's situation are all characteristics of poverty. The goal of this study is to provide insight into the various poverty eradication programmes undertaken in India and the Middle East, i.e. Yemen. This exploratory study aims to give an overview comprising an analysis of more than 52 published research articles on this topic. The evaluation covers papers from prominent publications as well as general management journals with significant links to the topic. This chapter makes a significant contribution to theory by understanding different challenges leading to poverty, giving insights into the various programmes taken to eradicate poverty and suggesting measures to mitigate poverty through various literature reviews; this study is a general review in the context of the paper type. This study will give discernment for academicians and executives of different organisations.

Want to keep up with personal computing periodicals? It's not easy. One look at the magazine racks in any good bookstore will show you that there are too many PC magazines out there for any sane person to follow in their entirety. That's particularly true if you're a librarian or otherwise have a life.