Member Clubs Research Articles

Food insecurity and diet quality in households accessing food membership clubs in Wessex: a mixed-methods study

BackgroundFood membership clubs that charge a small fee for a set number of items are in place in Wessex to address food insecurity (inadequate reliable access to sufficient affordable, nutritious food). These clubs incorporate longer-term solutions such as budgeting support, benefit maximisation, and cooking skills. The Wessex DIET project was established to measure acceptability and impact of these clubs. Given the paucity of evidence on the prevalence of food insecurity in those accessing such clubs, we aimed to quantify food insecurity and assess diet quality and wellbeing at recruitment. MethodsIn this mixed-methods study, we recruited individuals accessing food clubs in Wessex from March 31 to July 31, 2022. Participants provided informed consent and completed a survey (paper or online) at recruitment that collected data on diet and health. We used the modified six-item US Department of Agriculture (USDA) food security survey module. Follow-up surveys were administered after use of clubs (planned for 3, 6, and 12 months). Participants were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. We used data from the baseline survey to quantify food insecurity and assess diet quality and wellbeing at point of first access to food clubs. FindingsOf 97 participants recruited, five (5%) were aged 18–24 years, 15 (15%) 25–34 years, 48 (49%) 35–54 years, 13 (13%) 55–64 years, and nine (9%) 65 years and older (seven [7%] did not report their age). 69 (71%) participants were female and 23 (24%) were male (five [5%] did not respond to this question), 79 (81%) were White, and 65 (67%) reported having at least one dependent child. 55 (57%) reported skipping or cutting size of meals because there was not enough money for food. Food security status was calculated in 74 participants who answered all six questions of the USDA module, with 30 (41%) reporting low food security and 32 (43%) reporting very low food security. 31 (32%) of 97 participants reported rarely or never eating fruit, with 23 (24%) eating fruit at least once a day. The most common reported frequency of vegetable consumption was 2–3 times a week (26, 27%) and 4–6 times a week (23, 24%). 12 participants agreed to an interview. The clubs were well received, with participants noticing an improvement in their diet and finances. InterpretationThis study highlights the high prevalence of food insecurity in those accessing food clubs in Wessex, which is expected in a population using food aid, and positive reflections from participants regarding their diet quality after using this service. Findings might not be generalisable nationally. Follow-up will assess impact of the clubs on food insecurity, diet quality and wellbeing, contributing to the evidence base of the effectiveness of food clubs to address these outcomes. FundingNational Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration Wessex.

Environmental sustainability in sport federations: a Swiss case study of environmental policy genesis

Since national sport federations (NSFs) represent sport clubs and engage in sport policy issues, they could play a crucial role in establishing measures to ensure the environmental sustainability of sport. Several Swiss sport federations have already launched such programmes. However, sport federations are primarily committed to the interests of their member clubs and the sport as their core business and environmental sustainability is generally not their primary issue. With regard to the usually limited resources, their environmental engagement does not appear to be evident. Therefore, this study investigated the extent to which environmental policies are generated by NSFs and which factors are relevant for policy genesis (agenda setting and decision coupling). We conducted an in-depth case study of the Swiss Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association based on the multiple streams approach with two coupling phases. The findings showed that whereas agenda setting of policies regarding biodiversity and access to nature primarily occurs through national regulations, climate protection policies are mainly pushed by engaged policy entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, member interests, functional issues (as opposed to normative arguments) and the practices of similar federations were found to be crucial for all environmental policies. Because decisions regarding environmental policies require knowledge that does not necessarily belong to the core topics of the board of management, the support of environmental officers is key for the decision coupling of such. An understanding of environmental policy genesis is essential because it is prerequisite for the subsequent implementation of such policies and their effects.

Expectation-based types of voluntary sports clubs in regional sports federations.

Sports federations as non-profit organizations play a crucial role for organized sports activities of the population. However, one key responsibility of sports federations is providing needs-based support services to affiliated member sports clubs. Due to limited resources and simultaneously increasing heterogeneous expectations from their member sports clubs, designing an appropriate service portfolio poses increasing difficulties for sports federations. This study addresses these challenges by analyzing member clubs' expectations and identifying distinct expectation types to enable more individually designed services. To analyze the expectations of member clubs (n = 354), the explorative case study was carried out in a regional sports federation in Germany. The findings reveal that member clubs' expectations can be represented using six reliable factors. The subsequent cluster analysis indicates four different expectation-based club types with heterogenous profiles. Based on the z-standardized factor values, the identified club types were labelled as follows: (1) "People Promoters" (32%), (2) "Undemanding" (22%), (3) "Competition-oriented Self-administrators" (23%) and (4) "Demanding Communicators" (23%). The extracted clusters were also reflected and validated by other structural and organizational characteristics of the sports clubs. The extracted types provide a first empirical step to identify different expectation schemes regarding services of sports federations. These schemes enable managers of sports federations to professionalize their service portfolios and, at the same time, to design services contributing to the development of sports clubs in a more targeted manner.

Expectation based types of voluntary sports clubs in regional sports federations and the perspectives for professionalisation

Sports clubs in different levels of professionalisation show different organisational problems (Lang et al., 2022). At the same time, one part of the key responsibilities of sports federations as umbrella organisations is the needs-based support of voluntary sports clubs (VSC) as their members. However, different professionalisation levels and heterogeneous organisational problems of member clubs are increasingly challenging the design of appropriate service offerings by sports federations. Thus, services provided by sports federations should be adapted in relation to the expectations and needs of its member clubs. In this way sports clubs also effects with their expectations developments within sports federations to optimise their supporting services in a more targeted manner. This study addresses these challenges by analysing VSCs’ expectations and identify distinct expectation types. The empirical study was carried out in a regional sports federation in tennis, the Bavarian Tennis Federation (BTV). This leads to the research questions: What expectations do VSCs as members generally address to the BTV? To what extent can VSCs be classified in terms of their expectations regarding BTV services? To address these expectations, the performance measurement literature provides a fruitful theoretical frame. In order to base appropriate performance parameters, stakeholders’ expectations need to be identified ex ante (Bayle & Madella, 2002). In the literature it is consensus that measuring the performance of sports federations requires a multidimensional approach (e.g., Winand et al., 2010). To analyse expectations of VSCs an online survey was conducted. Access to the survey was given to BTV member club representatives in a leadership position. For operationalisation, an exploratory factor analysis was performed, which shows the best solution with six reliable factors. The identified factors were used for Ward’s hierarchy cluster analysis with squared Euclidean distances. The analysis showed that an optimal cluster solution can be determined with four clusters. Based on the z-standardised factor values the identified clusters were labelled as follows: (1) “People developer” (n = 57, 32%); (2) “Mass sports clubs” (n = 39, 22%); (3) “Self-governmenters” (n = 40, 23%) and (4) “High expecting communicators” (n = 41, 23%). For validation, the extracted clusters are also reflected by other characteristics of the organisations. The findings reveal that there are heterogeneous expectations of VSCs that need to be addressed more individually by sport federations. The extracted types provide a first empirical step to identify different expectation schemes. These schemes enable managers of sports federations to professionalise their service offer portfolio and at the same time, to design targeted services to contribute to the development and professionalisation of sports clubs.

The promotion of women and girls in Swiss sports associations: Addressing, launching, and implementing decision-making structures and promotion programmes

Many historically male-dominated sports still have a lower participation of women and girls at all levels. Women also seldom occupy decision-making positions at both association and club levels. At the same time, associations and sponsors increasingly advance civil society obligations to promote the participation and integration of women and girls in sport. Sport federations with relatively low female athlete participation are becoming proactive in this area, however, they depend on the cooperation of member clubs to promote integration. There are a variety of starting points of a commitment to promotion, which raises the question as to how the promotion of women and girls moves on a federation agenda and then further into the operational area. Against a background of launching and implementation, the extent to which sports federations trigger control impulses and initiate programmes, is also relevant, as is how the clubs organise local and club-specific implementation.
 This study uses qualitative case studies to examine federation policy processes and the structural anchoring of the promotion of women and girls, as well as specific promotion programmes and measures. In three selected Swiss sports federations, ten problem-centred interviews with decision-makers and six focus groups with club representatives were used to trace various phases of the promotion of women and girls. The policy analysis procedure is based on the phases of the policy cycle - a simplified representation of programme development and implementation - and draws on differentiated explanatory approaches (Campbell, 2004; Enjolras & Waldahl, 2007; Kingdon, 1995). Qualitative summary content analysis was used for the analysis.
 The research shows that functions and offices at the federation level are held by women, but that decision-making influence is not ensured overall. An interesting observation includes the process of outsourcing a “women’s sport department” in two federations. While this generates more visibility, it can also create challenges in clarifying responsibilities if other departments are sufficiently sensitised to the issues. In addition, specific bodies for the promotion of women and girls should be provided with sufficient financial and human resources to have impact beyond visibility. The redistribution of resources thus becomes a barrier to the effective interpretation of funding commitments. In particular, the (partial) financing of funding projects by external actors seems to motivate associations towards implementation. It should be noted that committed actors at both federation and club levels are key drivers of development of the promotion of women and girls in sport. Other important drivers are sport policy and societal expectations and demands. This applies both to the structural anchoring in federations and the local implementation in clubs, which are in many cases already committed organisations. In summary, external pressures, steering impulses and organisational goals are conditions for the successful promotion of women and girls in organised sport.
 Campbell, J. L. (2004). Institutional Change and Globalization. Princeton University Press.
 Enjolras, B., & Waldahl, R. (2007). Policy-making in sport: The Norwegian case. International Review for the Sociology of Sport 42(2), 201-216. https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690207084753
 Kingdon, J. (1995). Agendas, Alternatives and Public Policy (2nd ed.). Little Brown.

The British Ju-jitsu Society and the influence of Kodokan Judo on early jujutsu in the U.K.

In the United Kingdom (U.K.) in the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras there was an explosion in the popularity of the Japanese martial art jujutsu, with seemingly invincible Japanese exponents touring and taking on all comers in the music halls. As this early wave of popularity subsided a number of organisations were established to continue the practice of jujutsu, and other Japanese martial arts. Most notable of these was The Budokwai in London, established in 1918 by Gunji Koizumi, which from 1920 would become one of the foremost judo clubs in the West. Recent discoveries shed light on another organisation from this era called the British Ju-jitsu Society (BJS). Established in 1926, the BJS co-existed with The Budokwai and had member clubs throughout the U.K. Here, we provide an overview of the BJS, its activity, and insights into its operation and legacy.

European Super League Gets a Red Card: 12 Breakaway Clubs

On April 18, 2021, 12 of Europe’s elite men’s professional football (soccer) clubs announced they were creating a stand-alone midweek European Super League (ESL). The league would be separate and independent from existing governance bodies controlling the sport worldwide. In addition, the league would exist in a closed competition format where only member clubs played against each other. A total departure from the traditional open competition format of relegation and promotion. However, the ESL clubs also proposed to continue playing in their current national weekend leagues. During the next 72 hr an extraordinary drama played out. Enraged fans, players, and football governance officials were unrelenting in their efforts to kill the ESL. This case examines the contextual background, precipitating factors, and intense counter forces that quickly led to ESL’s demise. The case raises five questions: Were there valid reasons for the clubs to seek a new business model? Were elements in the strategic planning process missing in the decision to launch ESL? Were club owners justified in breaking away to form the ESL? Was the decision to create ESL unethical? and What actions can the clubs take to repair relationships with stakeholders?

Is there an old girls’ network? Girls’ schools and recruitment to the British elite

Private schools have long played a crucial role in male elite formation but their importance to women’s trajectories is less clear. In this paper, we explore the relationship between girls’ private schools and elite recruitment in Britain over the past 120 years – drawing on the historical database of Who’s Who, a unique catalogue of the elite. We find that alumni of elite girls schools have been around 20 times more likely than other women to reach elite positions. They are also more likely to follow particular channels of elite recruitment, via the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, private members clubs and elite spouses. Yet such schools have also consistently been less propulsive than their male-only counterparts. We argue this is rooted in the ambivalent aims of girls elite education, where there has been a longstanding tension between promoting academic achievement and upholding traditional processes of gendered social reproduction.

Rugby's Celtic fringe goes global – an economic analysis of the Pro14

PurposeThe introduction of professionalism in 1995 posed serious challenges for Rugby Union in Ireland, Scotland and Wales given their limited fan bases and broadcast markets. It led to the creation of a new league, the Pro14, with teams from all three countries. The paper asks whether the Pro14 has been a success and whether it might offer lessons for other sports. It thus seeks to extend the knowledge base on professional team sports and derive lessons for management of professional sports leagues in small countries.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyse Pro14 performance using a range of metrics, including attendances, competitive balance and team performances, in European competitions. The authors also analyse the limited financial data available for Pro14 teams.FindingsPro14 teams have competed successfully in European competition, offering support for claims that mergers of smaller country leagues could improve competitive balance in European soccer. The Pro14 has increased attendances through specific measures and increased broadcast income through geographic expansion. Many Pro14 teams have struggled financially. Several English and French rugby clubs have also experienced financial problems, suggesting that European rugby may need to introduce financial fair play rules (FFPs) similar to soccer.Practical implicationsThe paper has implications for the Pro14 and its member clubs, particularly with reference to competition design. It may also have lessons for European football where some have suggested that mergers of smaller country leagues could improve competitive balance in European competitions.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the academic discussion on professional team sports, particularly Rugby Union. The paper has implications for Pro14 clubs and league organisers, particularly with reference to competition design. It may also have lessons for European soccer where some have suggested that mergers of smaller country leagues could reduce the dominance of larger country leagues.

Armchair fans: Modelling audience size for televised football matches

Modelling audience size for televised football matches has utility for a number of stakeholders. In the short-term it can inform the choice of broadcasters as to which matches to show and decisions of firms regarding how much to bid for advertising slots during the game. For elite clubs and leagues, for which television rights is their principal source of revenue, it offers a means of understanding which match characteristics will draw the largest audience and this should inform long-term decisions on how to structure their competitions. The paper argues that previous modelling in this area has typically depended on an inappropriate measure of audience size and unsatisfactory metrics to capture important match characteristics such as the quality of the talent on show and the significance of the match for the championship or relegation. In contrast to this prior literature, the present paper draws on sport analytics to derive its measures of player talent and match significance. This makes a material difference to findings from modelling audience size for 790 English Premier League matches between 2013 and 2019. For example, it identifies elevated interest for matches potentially significant for end-of-season outcomes. This has implications when organisers consider the optimal structure of the competition and revenue sharing arrangements between member clubs of the league. For the wider television industry, we show that measurement of audience size (and some results from modelling) are sensitive to whether focus is on the whole programme or just its core content (in this case the match itself).

Meaningful change or ‘more of the same’: the voluntary recruitment code in men’s professional football coaching in England

ABSTRACT This article offers an original empirical and theoretically grounded examination of the English Football League’s (EFL) Voluntary Recruitment Code (VRC): a positive action intervention designed to establish inclusive practices of coach recruitment and increase the representation of minoritised coaches in first team coaching operations at men’s professional football clubs in England. In doing so, it draws on semi-structured interviews with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) at clubs (n = 5), football stakeholder representatives (n = 14) and minoritised coaches (n = 26) to ascertain their perceptions, experiences, and reflections in relation to three inter-connected areas of focus. Firstly, the operational and attitudinal implementation of the VRC at clubs. Secondly, the effectiveness of the VRC in engendering its intended operational and representational impacts at clubs. Thirdly, critical reflections as to the ways in which the VRC might be reformulated and reimplemented to stimulate the conditions through which equality of opportunities, experiences, and outcomes for minoritised coaches might be realised. Finally, the article will conclude from a Critical Race Theory (CRT) perspective that racial equality measures of this kind should be strongly interventionist and transformational in their policy intentions and ideological scope, and seek to challenge and disrupt dominant liberal discourses of meritocracy, race-neutrality, colour-blindness, and the normativity of Whiteness in professional football coaching contexts. In doing so, the article calls on the EFL to work consultatively with member clubs, football stakeholders, and minoritised coaches to develop a holistic legislative and pedagogical approach to tackling racialised inequities in football coaching, which incorporate strongly regulated and reformatory positive actions.

COVID-19 in US Youth Soccer Athletes During Summer 2020.

As sports are reinitiated around the United States, the incidence of COVID-19 among youth soccer athletes remains unknown. To determine the incidence of COVID-19 among youth soccer athletes and the risk-mitigation practices used by youth soccer organizations. Cohort study. Survey distributed to Elite Clubs National League member clubs. Youth soccer club directors throughout the United States. Surveys were completed in late August 2020 regarding the club's current phase of return to soccer (individual only, group noncontact, group contact), date of reinitiation, number of players, cases of COVID-19, and risk-reduction procedures being implemented. Case and incidence rates were compared with national pediatric data and county data from the prior 10 weeks. A negative binomial regression model was developed to predict club COVID-19 cases using the local incidence rate and phase of return as covariates and the log of club player-days as an offset. A total of 124 respondents had reinitiated soccer, representing 91 007 players with a median duration of 73 days (interquartile range = 53-83 days) since restarting. Of the 119 clubs that had progressed to group activities, 218 cases of COVID-19 were reported among 85 861 players. Youth soccer players had a lower case rate and incidence rate than children in the United States (254 versus 477 cases per 100 000; incidence rate ratio = 0.511, 95% CI = 0.40, 0.57; P < .001) and the general population in the counties where data were available (268 versus 864 cases per 100 000; incidence rate ratio = 0.202, 95% CI = 0.19, 0.21; P < .001). After adjusting for the local COVID-19 incidence, we found no relationship between the club COVID-19 incidence and the phase of return (noncontact: b = 0.35 ± 0.67, P = .61; contact: b = 0.18 ± 0.67, P = .79). Soccer clubs reported using a median of 8 (interquartile range = 6-10) risk-reduction procedures. The incidence of COVID-19 among youth soccer athletes was relatively low when compared with the background incidence among children in the United States during the summer of 2020. No relationship was identified between the club COVID-19 incidence and the phase of return to soccer.

What NCAA v. Alston Means for Professional Sports Leagues

The Supreme Court in Alston held that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and its member conferences violated the antitrust laws by collectively restricting, in the name of amateurism, the education-related benefits offered to college athletes. While the Court accepted that NCAA amateurism serves consumers by offering a brand of athletic contests distinct from professional sports, it found the NCAA’s fluctuating and incoherent definition of amateurism insufficient to justify the breadth of its student-athlete compensation rules. As a result, student athletes will now have access to, for example, graduate or vocational school tuition, payments for academic tutoring, paid post-eligibility internships, and similar education-related benefits, as long as these benefits are not tantamount to a professional athlete’s salary. Despite this defeat for the NCAA joint venture, the Court recognized the value of joint ventures generally, and clarified the framework for evaluating their competitive impact. Specifically referring to sports leagues, the unanimous Alston Court warned the lower courts against reflexively condemning joint venture arrangements that are necessary to create a product and advised deference to the business judgments of venture participants. Mining that vein of thought, this essay identifies three significant take-aways for professional sports leagues from the Alston decision: (1) “quick look” review is generally not appropriate to summarily disapprove sports league coordinated conduct under the antitrust laws; (2) “rule of reason” antitrust analysis does not require sports leagues to structure their business in the “least restrictive” way; and (3) to the extent a professional sports league is more analogous to an individual college athletic conference, as opposed to the entire NCAA, member clubs may have more latitude to coordinate their conduct without violating the antitrust laws.

International retail format transfer: A comparison study of Australian and U.S. warehouse club members

Costco successfully transferred its Warehouse Membership Club (WMC) format to Australia. This research: 1) develops a conceptual framework to examine the role of consumer perception of format-specific core attributes in shaping the hedonic shopping experience and customer loyalty; and 2) compares Australian consumers' responses to the novel WMC format with U.S. consumers' responses to the familiar, mature format. We collected survey data from Australian and U.S. Costco members after Costco's entry into Australia's retail market and we tested the proposed model with a multiple-group structural equation modelling technique. Our findings suggest that value and hedonic shopping experience contribute to consumer loyalty in both countries. However, value is perceived as more important in shaping hedonic shopping experience, but less important in building loyalty in Australia than in U.S. When transferring a retail format that is novel to host country consumers, global retailers should factor in the novelty effect and emphasize the management of core format attributes that embrace the differences and carry particular importance in building customer loyalty.

RMetS National Meeting ‐ Avoiding myth, mayhem and myopia: the challenge of climate science communication

RMetS National Meeting ‐ Avoiding myth, mayhem and myopia: the challenge of climate science communication

Retirement villages: Hospitals or hospitality operations – Management attributes and traits

Abstract This paper considers the growth in large retirement villages which appear to have many of the same facilities as upscale resorts, and asks what attributes and traits the managers of these facilities require in order to be successful in their roles. After a literature review of what is known about characteristics of hotel managers, the literature available on retirement homes, and the private member clubs sector, the paper discusses the findings of five in-depth interviews with ‘village managers’, the most common title for those in charge of these facilities. Managers were found to be well-qualified, often in hospitality management. Most did not have a medical background and all stressed the customer-focused aspects of their role, and in particular the importance of building long-term relationships with well-educated and eloquent residents. Managers felt their hospitality background helped them but that their village manager roles enabled them to build communities rather than constantly crisis managing as in hotels. Several emphasised that to do well in the retirement village sector required life experience and that while they acknowledged the need to develop future village managers, recent hospitality graduates may struggle to gain respect from the residents. Recommendations for further large-scale quantitative studies and comparisons with other regions are made. Studies into the experience of residents is also recommended.

The Decline and Persistence of the Old Boy: Private Schools and Elite Recruitment 1897 to 2016

We draw on 120 years of biographical data ( N = 120,764) contained within Who’s Who—a unique catalogue of the British elite—to explore the changing relationship between elite schools and elite recruitment. We find that the propulsive power of Britain’s public schools has diminished significantly over time. This is driven in part by the wane of military and religious elites, and the rise of women in the labor force. However, the most dramatic declines followed key educational reforms that increased access to the credentials needed to access elite trajectories, while also standardizing and differentiating them. Notwithstanding these changes, public schools remain extraordinarily powerful channels of elite formation. Even today, the alumni of the nine Clarendon schools are 94 times more likely to reach the British elite than are those who attended any other school. Alumni of elite schools also retain a striking capacity to enter the elite even without passing through other prestigious institutions, such as Oxford, Cambridge, or private members clubs. Our analysis not only points to the dogged persistence of the “old boy,” but also underlines the theoretical importance of reviving and refining the study of elite recruitment.

Juega al fútbol la Teoría de la Agencia

This paper aims to analyze how ownership influences the performance of European football teams. The study of efficiency allows us to identify relative performance in the achievement of several objectives, as is the case of football teams pursuing both financial performance and sports success. The analysis shows that football teams organized as members clubs, with dispersed ownership and uncontrolled by foreign investors perform better. Thus, property structures facilitating less control over managers relate positively to performance.

Change Management: A Golf Clubs Struggle With Assimilation of Members Who Dont Conform

Membership to private social and recreational clubs is taking root in Kenya, especially with the growing consumerism of an emerging middle class. Further, the number of women who are taking up club membership – either for leisure, sports or social interactions – is on the upward trend. Most membership clubs, especially golf clubs, have been primarily male-dominated, private, and with locked-in members. This research seeks to find out the effect of assimilating members who have hitherto not been able to access the services of these closed-in groups. The research employed an ethnographic approach in which the researchers interacted closely with other club members for a one-year period. During this time, the researchers observed the interactions among club members, held interviews with some of them, and examined archival data held at the club. Content analysis was used to analyze the large amount of data. Findings indicate that there are many benefits accruing to the club as a result of admitting new “different” members. These benefits include, but are not limited to, increased funding, more patronage, and expanded quality of league players. However, with the coming of this new category of members, problems arose in areas such as club norms, facilities, social change and the pain of sudden change for the established members. The researchers provide several recommendations that can hasten and ease the assimilation of members with diverse characteristics and preferences.

Airline co-branded credit cards—An application of the theory of planned behavior

A customer with an airline co-branded credit card could enjoy not only the benefits of a traditional bank-issued credit card but also additional privileges such as access to the airline membership club lounges in airports. Based on data collected from Taiwan, this study investigated the key antecedents of customers’ behavioral intentions in using/adopting an airline co-branded credit card within the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework. Empirical findings demonstrate that consumers’ perceived benefits of airline co-branded credit cards, attitude toward airline co-branded credit cards, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control are all positively and significantly correlated. Meanwhile, consumers’ perceived benefits of airline co-branded credit cards could be further categorized into generic, core, expected, and augmented benefits. Empirical findings suggest that the airlines should invest in the airline co-branded credit cards campaign to enhance consumers’ value perception of the co-branded cards and attract cardholders’ frequent usage. The airlines should also inform their current and potential customers the main reasons and/or added benefits (e.g., no foreign transaction fee) why air travelers should use the co-branded credit cards to purchase air transport services in order to further penetrate the target market and generate fruitful profits.