NEW TRENDS IN SPORT MANAGEMENT
Year:2017 | Volume:5 | Issue:17 |Papers Count:7

The aim of the current study was to study the effect of brand identity elements on identification of fans with the brands of Iran football pro league clubs. The research method was descriptive– correlation, survey and practical. The data were collected by brand identity of Koo (2009) and a combination of fan-team identification scale of Meal & Ashforth (1992) and Wann & Branscomb (1993). The statistical population consisted of fans of popular teams in Iran football pro league and a sample (n=266) was randomly selected. The validity of the questionnaire was verified by viewpoints of experts in sport and marketing management and the reliability of the total questionnaire was found to be 0. 851 according to Cronbach’ s alpha. The conceptual framework of the current study was a model which involved visual identity, product identity, non-product identity, experience identity as well as fan-team identification. To measure the validity and fitness of the model, Structural Equations Modeling (SEM) was applied, and based on path analysis, the relationships of the study variables were verified. AMOS22 and SPSS20 were used for data analysis. The results indicated that visual identity, experience identity, product identity, as well as non-product identity had a positive and significant effect on fans’ identification with brands of Iran football pro league clubs.

The aim of this study was to determine the regression relationship between brand equity and sport customer loyalty. The statistical population consisted of customers of sport brands with a random sample. 340 out of 350 questionnaires were examined. The data were collected by two researcher-made questionnaires which were confirmed by sport management professors. The construct validity was investigated by confirmatory factor analysis. Brand Equity Questionnaire (α =0. 859) and Customer Loyalty Questionnaire (α =0. 814) were used based on 5-point Likert Scale from (5) strongly agree to (1) strongly disagree. Date were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression with SPSS21. 0, and LISREL. The results showed a significant correlation coefficient between brand equity and customer loyalty at 99% confidence level. The highest correlation was reported between brand awareness and intention to return (r=0. 6), and the lowest was observed between brand image and intention to buy other products (r=0. 22). Multiple regression coefficient between brand equity and customer loyalty was significant in terms of F and α =0. 01 and adjusted R2=0. 547. All parameters were highly fitted.

This study aimed at assessing factor structure and validity of Nationalism Scale as fan motivation in sport. The statistical population consisted of spectators present in the third week of World Volleyball League in Iran in 2016. 320 questionnaires were distributed randomly among the research population. Bogdanov (2005) Nationalism Scale with 16 items and 3 factors was used in the 7-point Likert Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for data analysis. Results approved the three-factor structure of the original Nationalism Scale as fan motivation in Iranian society which formed the nationalism construct in the second order factor analysis. Also, results revealed that the model had a good fit (RMSEA=0. 080, GFI=0. 91, NFI=0. 91, CFI=0. 94, χ 2/df=2. 88). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for factors and whole Nationalism Scale was higher than 0. 70 that indicated the acceptable reliability and appropriateness of this scale in Iranian population. In general, Nationalism Scale has a similar structure to its original version and shows a valid and reliable scale of nationalism. In general, psychometric evidence obtained from confirmatory factor analysis and reliability of the research instrument indicated the adequacy of Nationalism Scale in sport environments in order to assess the causes or factors affecting the attendance of sport fans.

The aim of this study was to provide a model the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty and to promote brand strategic position of the private clubs. This study was application, descriptive in terms of strategy and a survey. The data were collected by field method using a questionnaire. The population consisted of all customers of Isfahan private clubs (5 years of membership) in 2016 (N=750). 254 subjects were selected as sample by Cochran formula. To collect data, Service Quality Questionnaire (Mahmudi, 2016), Customer Satisfaction (Malekakhlagh, 2011) and Promoted Brand Strategic Position Questionnaire (Ghavami, 2016) were used. Face and content validity of these questionnaires were confirmed by professionals while their reliability was calculated by Cronbach's alpha (respectively 0. 90, 0. 91, 0. 92). Path analysis of structural equation was used to analyze data. The results showed that service quality had an effect on customer satisfaction and loyalty and the promotion of brand strategic position. The implementation of models of measuring the effect of strategies of service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty and promotion of brand strategic position of private clubs showed good fit and confirmed the conceptual model of the study. Therefore, it is recommended that the club managers should consider those services tailored to the interests and demands of customers to promote brand position in the competitive market.

The aim of this study was to design the evaluation model of marketing management in Iran sport federations. The statistical population included all sport management faculty members of physical education faculties, managers of sport federations and experts who were familiar with sport marketing (N=520). On the basis of Morgan Table, 220 subjects were selected as the sample by simple random sampling method. To achieve the goals, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. The face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by 12 sport management experts and its construct validity was studied and confirmed with confirmatory factor analysis. The reliability was calculated in a pilot study with 30 subjects as 0. 78. For data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics including Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Bartlet test, KMO, confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis by AMOS and SPSS software were used. Findings showed 10 factors played a role in evaluating marketing management in sport federations: capability, sponsors, customers, process, financial, creativity, planning, intangible assets, effectiveness, and advancement respectively. Also, the achieved model had a good fit.

This study aimed at measuring the relationships of perceived organizational support, organizational apathy, and organizational image in Sport Organization of Municipality of Isfahan, as well as providing the path model of the above mentioned variables. The statistical population included all staff employed in the mentioned organization in 2016 (N=293). 167 staff members were selected as the sample for this study. Perceived Organizational Support Questionnaire (Eisenberger et al., 1986), Organizational Apathy Questionnaire (Danaeifard, Hasanzadeh & Salariyeh, 2011), and Organizational Image Questionnaire (Kazoleas, Kim & Moffit, 2001) were used. Pearson correlation coefficient and path analysis were used for data analysis. The results indicated positive relationships between perceived organizational support and organizational image and its dimensions and reverse relationships between organizational apathy and its dimensions, and organizational support and its dimensions (P≤ 0. 01). The results of path analysis indicated that perceived organizational support directly (β =0. 39) and indirectly through influencing organizational apathy (β =-0. 40) affected organizational image of Sport Organization of Municipality of Isfahan.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of sport Olympiads within a province in developing sport in Golestan province from the viewpoints of sport managers and experts. The statistical population consisted of sport Olympiad administrative cadres (N=381) and 190 subjects were selected as the statistical sample by Morgan Table. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts and its reliability was obtained 0. 88 using Cronbach’ s alpha coefficient. The factorial analysis was used to analyze data. Seven factors were identified as the consequences of holding sport Olympiads within a province: management development, financial development, spiritual and mental development, social participation development, facilities and infrastructure development, advertisement development and cultural and tourism development. Spiritual and mental development (with mean rank of 5. 09) and financial development (with mean rank of 2. 37) were the most and least important consequences of sport Olympiads. Among different items, “ responsibility of the host community” and “ the extended attendance of spectators and fans” had the highest and lowest factor loading respectively. Therefore, it can be concluded that holding sport Olympiads in a province can be considered as a main approach to develop various dimensions of sport in Golestan province.