Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran and Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz,, Tehran and Ahvaz, Iran

2 Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jsm.2020.284193.2293

Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this research was development and psychometric evaluation of the football stadium atmosphere scale with the marketing approach.
Methods: The research was conducted in three sections. In the first section to identify the most important factors that shape the stadium atmosphere, a three-stage Delphi survey was conducted which in the first stage, semi-structured interviews with experts were done and in the next stages, a questionnaire was used and finally after the last review, 80 items were specified. In the second section, 80 items specified in the previous study, formed a questionnaire and after confirmation of its validation by experts it was distributed among spectators in two matches. To reduce variables, exploratory factor analysis was used and finally, 15 factors with 54 items were specified. In the third section, obtained questionnaires from the previous step, based on cluster sampling were distributed among Iranian Primer league spectators. Collected data was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis in the partial least square method to confirm the main factors and to evaluate structural validation.
Results: Based on the result of this test, 8 main affective factors on football stadium atmosphere in Iran were specified which include of sports club's Last performance, perceived respect, stadium, event, facility, organizer, stadium architecture and designing, and spectator’s behavior.
Conclusion: The scale designed in this research can be used in future research and help marketers and football clubs attract and retain their customers.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Bitner, M. J. (1992). Servicescapes: The impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees. Journal of Marketing, 56, 57-71. https://doi.org/10.2307/1252042
Edensor, T. (2014). Producing atmospheres at the match: Fan cultures, commercialisation and mood management in English football. Emotion, Space and Society, Contents lists available at ScienceDirect(in press). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2013.12.010.
Fernandes, T., & Neves, S. (2014). The role of servicescape as a driver of customer value in experience-centric service organizations: the Dragon Football Stadium case. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2014.914058
Greenwell, T. C., Fink, J. S., & Pastore, D. L. (2002). Assessing the influence of the physical sports facility on customer satisfaction within the context of the service experience. Sport Management Review, 5(2), 129-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1441-3523(02)70064-8.
Hock, C., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2010). Management of multi-purpose stadiums: Importance and performance measurement of service interfaces. International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 14(2), 188-207. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSTM.2010.034327
Koenigstorfer, J., Groeppel-Klein, A., & Kunkel, T. (2010). The Attractiveness of National and International Football Leagues: Perspectives of Fans of ‘‘Star Clubs’’ and ‘‘Underdogs’’. European Sport Management Quarterly, 10(2), 127-163. Doi:10.1080/16184740903563406.
Price, K., & Palmero, M. (2014). Sport Environment/Atmospherics: Impact on the Physical and Online Spectator Event Experience. In M. A. D. Santos (Ed.), Strategies in Sports Marketing: Technologies and Emerging Trends ( 1st ed., pp. 363). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-5994-0.ch008
Turley, L., Bolton, D., & (1999). Measuring the affective evaluations of retail service environments. Journal of Professional Services Marketing, 19(1), 31-44. https://doi.org/doi:10.1300/J090v19n01_03