Sport Management Journal

The Investigation of Fans' Involvement Levels in Selected Teams of the Football Premier League of Iran Based on Psychological Continuum Model

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mohsen Behnam 1
Mohamad Khabiri 2
Simin Halabian 3
Hamid Ahmadi 3
Hosein Bakhshandeh 4

1 Ph.D. Student, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 M.Sc., Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

4 Ph.D. Student, Department of Sport Management, Sport Sciences Research Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22059/jsm.2014.50149
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate fans' involvement levels in the selected teams of the football premier league of Iran based on psychological continuum model. Research method was descriptive survey and application by its aim. For this purpose, 394 fans of four popular teams of football premier league (Esteghlal, Persepolis, Tractor and Sepahan) were selected as the sample. Funk's questionnaire (2008) was used to gather data. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated and obtained 0.92 by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analysis were used for data analysis. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that multidimensional model of participation could be used to classify the fans in various theoretical stages. In fact, the concept of involvement offered an appropriate platform to study the psychological relationships of fans with the teams. Based on the psychological continuum model, the results indicated that in the selected teams of football premier league, fans' involvement levels were more related to the attachment level and the lowest involvement levels were related to the loyalty level. Managers can improve the fane to the loyalty level and maintain them at this level through providing the opportunity for fans to take pictures with players, to establish meetings for fans' clubs and to donate the fan cards.

Keywords

attachment
Attraction
Awareness
fans
Football Premier League
Loyalty
Sport Management Journal
Volume 6, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
Spring 2014
Pages 135-155

  • Receive Date 28 July 2012
  • Revise Date 06 May 2014
  • Accept Date 13 November 2012

Home

Guide for Authors

Submit Manuscript

Reviewers

Contact Us