Sport Consumer Behavior: Assessment and Direction



Sport Consumer Behavior: Assessment and Direction Chris KerlinEndicott CollegeMAA 515 DATE \@ "MMMM d, yyyy" June 22, 2011Dr. WooIntroductionThis article is an introductory article in a special issue of Sports Marketing Quarterly from 2003 on the theme of sport consumer behavior. In the article the authors use a comprehensive analysis of consumer behavior research to evaluate the state of sport consumer behavior research and recommend directions for the future. Guidelines for Improving ResearchAs a framework, the authors use Wells’s (1993) five guidelines to suggest how to take sport consumer research and writing to the next level. Wells’s guidelines are: (a) leave home, (b) forsake methodology, (c) reach out, (d) start small and stay real, and (e) research backwards. CITATION Fun03 \l 1033 (Funk, Mahony, & Havitz, 2003) Leave HomeUsing this guideline, the authors state that sport consumer research has currently focused most of its energy on motives within the consumer decision-making process. The existing research has been especially dedicated to consumption activities like event attendance, sport participation, wearing team merchandise, and television viewing. CITATION Fun03 \l 1033 (Funk, Mahony, & Havitz, 2003)The suggestions for future research relate to exploring other aspects of the consumer decision-making process. These would include looking at how consumers deal with situational and contextual topics like life-altering events and individual budgeting issues. CITATION Fun03 \l 1033 (Funk, Mahony, & Havitz, 2003) Another area for future research would be to examine the relationship between being a fan of a sport at one level and being a fan of the same sport at other levels. Researchers could also investigate connections between an individual’s relationship with a sport object and how that might be linked to other non-sport related consumption activities. Lastly, with the global reach of the sporting industry, research could be done to explore and understand the world outside of the United States to extend the knowledge base on this subject.Forsake MethodologyA strength of sport consumer behavior research has been the ability to test theories in naturalistic settings like attendance at a game or using members at a gym. On the other hand, a weakness has been the difficulty to have strict experimental control in these settings. CITATION Fun03 \l 1033 (Funk, Mahony, & Havitz, 2003) As for future efforts in sport consumer research, more attention needs to focus on measuring consumer’s experiences before, and while they are happening. More work also needs to be done to carry out research using qualitative data and inductive methodologies as opposed to the quantitative data and deductive methodologies that are currently being used by researchers. CITATION Fun03 \l 1033 (Funk, Mahony, & Havitz, 2003) Lastly, more caution needs to be taken by researchers when generalizing their findings at the conclusion of their articles. Reach OutWhile current sport consumer research has done a good job in using other research models and strategies from other disciplines, more work needs to be done in this area to strengthen the body of knowledge. In doing so, new perspectives can be gained from which we can view problems and investigate them further.Start Small and Stay RealUsing this guideline, the authors state there is a need to develop more universal lines of research over longer periods of time. CITATION Fun03 \l 1033 (Funk, Mahony, & Havitz, 2003) Current research has had a tendency to be carried out in a “one and done” fashion, but by tracking results over time, researchers will be able to better understand sport consumer behavior in a broader context. In the future, researchers also need to focus on finding a balance with regards to reporting the findings of the research so it is better understood by interested parties. Research BackwardWells’s (1993) final guideline advises that researchers reverse the normal research process. The seven-step procedure, referred to in the article, asks researchers to start at the end of the investigation and then work back to the beginning. In doing so, the research will breed new questions to study and will lessen the current tendency of research, which seems to be carried out just for the sake of reporting and investigating. CITATION Fun03 \l 1033 (Funk, Mahony, & Havitz, 2003)ReferencesFunk, D. C., Mahony, D. F., & Havitz, M. E. (2003). Sport Consumer Behavior: Assessment and Direction. Sport Marketing Quarterly, 12 (4), 200-205.Wells, W. D. (1993). Discovery-oriented consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research, 19, 489-504. ................
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