Existing team identification research uses various definitions, conceptualisations, and theoretical frameworks. In this paper, we provide a theoretical analysis of previous research using the two ...dominant theoretical approaches: identity theory and the social identity approach. Our primary purpose is to provide a theoretical framework for the on-going study of 'team' identification in sport management research.
Scholars have used identity theory (role) and the social identity approach (group) in their quest to understand team identification, however, limited attention has been paid to the differences between the two frameworks. We focus on two aspects of role and group identification that epitomise divergence in terms of analytical focus and explanations for behaviour: the basis for identification and salience.
The manuscript concludes with three recommendations for future research. First, with the aim of making future research more specific, we recommend the use of fan (spectator) identification in studies using identity theory and team identification (organisation/brand) in studies exploring the influence of group identity. Second, we outline definitions for role (fan) and group (team) identification in sport research. Finally, we reflect on the measurement of team identification.
The Multiple In-group Identity Framework Lock, Daniel J.; Funk, Daniel C.
Sport management review,
April 2016, 2016-04-01, 20160401, Volume:
19, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
•We advance a Multiple In-group Identity Framework (MIIF).•It consists of three levels: superordinate, sub and relational.•Sport consumers seek out multiple in-group identities to satiate different ...social needs.•The effect of each MIIF level depends on the self-importance of the identity.•Managers should design products to encourage behaviour in sub and relational groups.
The effects of team identification on sport consumer behaviour are well established. Recent research, however, has moved beyond this perspective to examine how groups within and beyond the team identity influence consumption. Assimilating previous research findings, we advance a Multiple In-group Identity Framework (MIIF), which consists of three levels: (1) superordinate (e.g., team identity), (2) subgroup (e.g., specific stadium area), and (3) relational group (e.g., friends or family). In the MIIF, we conceptualise the complex array of groups to which a consumer may belong within a superordinate identity. Each level includes groups with varying degrees of inclusiveness, homogeneity, and interpersonal attachment to other consumers between members. Individuals seek out sub and relational group membership because solely identifying at the superordinate level may not provide optimal distinctiveness or sufficient interpersonal attachment to other consumers. This provides self-concept benefits that nourish and operate in complement with the superordinate identification. The extent that different in-group identities influence behaviour relates to their importance in a consumer's self-concept and relevance to context. We provide implications for theory and practice.
•We focus on examining the benefits of spectating from the individual's perspective.•Positive psychology and the PERMA framework are applied to spectator sport.•We reveal how positive emotions, ...relationships, meaning and accomplishment are activated during the season, and in the off-season.•Managerial actions focus on fostering the relationships derived through spectating.
Sport spectating provides numerous benefits for sport organisations and individuals. In this paper we use a positive psychology approach to examine the individual-level benefits of sport consumption in order to investigate the activation of five domains of well-being: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment (PERMA). Using a two-study panel research design, we collected qualitative data from a sample of Australian Rules Football consumers. In the first study, we explored how the PERMA domains were activated during the season. Study two included a follow-up interview with eight initial respondents in the off-season. We found evidence of four PERMA domains that were activated in the sport spectator context by a variety of consumer experiences. The emergence of these domains in both studies suggests sport marketers would benefit from actions including: creating more social spaces within their stadiums, hosting regular off-season events, and creating social-media based competitions which promote fan engagement and interactions throughout the calendar year.
Understanding the role of the league brand on consumers’ support for individual teams is important for the successful management and marketing of both leagues and teams. In the current research, ...brand architecture and brand association literature are integrated to examine the role of the league brand on the relationship between the team brand and team-related behavior. Data from an online survey of professional soccer league consumers (
N
= 414) were analyzed using structural equation modeling with bootstrapping procedures. The relationship between the team brand and team-related behavior was partially mediated by the league brand. Findings of this research contribute new knowledge by empirically demonstrating that characteristics of the league brand have an influence on team-related behavioral intentions. Furthermore, we contribute a different analytical approach for brand association research using formative indicators to measure team and league brand associations. In the managerial implications, we outline how league managers can support individual teams and how team managers can leverage off the league brand to attract consumers.
The propensity of strongly identified fans to contribute positive organizational outcomes for sport teams underpins why team identification maintains a central position in sport management. In the ...current study we examine the multidimensional structure, stability, and interrelationships between the dimensions of team identification, using longitudinal data (April 2011-April 2012) collected from fans of a new Australian Rules football team (N = 602). A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the team identification items included (measured using the Team*ID scale), supported a five-dimensional model structure. This model was subsequently computed as a longitudinal CFA to test the configural and metric invariance of the Team*ID scale. We used a cross-lagged panel model to examine the longitudinal stability of, and interrelationships between, the dimensions: affect, behavioral involvement, cognitive awareness, private evaluation, and public evaluation. Each dimension displayed relative stability over time. In addition, public evaluation and private evaluation in April 2011 displayed a positive relationship with behavioral involvement in April 2012. Similarly, cognitive awareness in April 2011 predicted increases in public evaluation in April 2012. We conclude with implications for theory and practice.
You belonged to something Filo, Kevin; Lock, Daniel; Sherry, Emma ...
European sport management quarterly,
03/2018, Volume:
18, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Research question: participatory sport event managers and marketers encourage individuals to register and complete events as members of teams that raise funds for a specific charitable cause. The ...prevalence of fundraising teams presents an opportunity to investigate how these subgroups can deliver social impacts that are complementary to those sought by event organisers. Accordingly, the purpose of the current research is to examine how successful teams contribute to the social interactions and event experience of members. Research methods: We purposively sampled two highly successful fundraising teams that participated in a running and swimming event. Qualitative data were collected via post-event focus groups and 14 interviews with members of Mands' Mob (Run Melbourne) and the Yarra Babes (MS 24-Hour Mega Swim) who raised funds for two charities: Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation and Multiple Sclerosis Australia. Results and Findings: Five themes were uncovered: (1) team leader communication, (2) team catch-ups, (3) theming, (4) humanising the cause, and (5) bonding at the event. These themes demonstrate that fundraising teams bolster the experience throughout, assist with training, and facilitate social interaction throughout the event among team members. Implications: The themes demonstrate how successful fundraising teams create social impacts that might be leveraged by organisers. There is scope to broaden efforts to complement the work of team leaders in order to inspire participants through personal narratives and distinguish teams through a visual identity and image. (Autor).
Events such as player protests can create image crises that require sport organizations to engage in political issues. In this manuscript, we blend image repair theory with the social identity ...approach to leadership to advance knowledge about how sport organizations communicate in response to crises. Applying a discursive social psychology framework to analyze 21 NFL communications and interview statements, we explored how the NFL’s rhetoric evolved in response to the 2016–2020 national anthem and Black Lives Matter protests. The NFL augmented its traditionally militarized patriot identity as the crisis progressed, to address the social change issues raised by protestors. We show that sport organizations use rhetoric to mobilize support for their version of events to manage threats to organizational image. Accordingly, we provide theoretical and managerial implications arguing that apolitical identities are increasingly untenable in sport.
The emergence of social media has profoundly impacted the delivery and consumption of sport. In the current review we analysed the existing body of knowledge of social media in the field of sport ...management from a service-dominant logic perspective, with an emphasis on relationship marketing. We reviewed 70 journal articles published in English-language sport management journals, which investigated new media technologies facilitating interactivity and co-creation that allow for the development and sharing of user-generated content among and between brands and individuals (i.e., social media). Three categories of social media research were identified: strategic, operational, and user-focussed. The findings of the review demonstrate that social media research in sport management aligns with service-dominant logic and illustrates the role of social media in cultivating relationships among and between brands and individuals. Interaction and engagement play a crucial role in cultivating these relationships. Discussion of each category, opportunities for future research as well as suggestions for theoretical approaches, research design and context are advanced.
Organizations increasingly use gamification to engage with, and influence, consumers’ attitudes and behaviors. In this article, we present findings from a longitudinal, mixed‐method research design ...that (1) examined the extent to which game design elements created by a third‐party app lead to increased attitudinal loyalty toward core service providers and (2) sought to explain the underlying processes that invoke attitudinal change. Behavioral data collected from app users indicated that knowledge‐focused affordances positively influenced consumer loyalty and explained 11.3% of the variance in attitudinal change. Follow‐up interviews revealed that Rewards, Competition, Sense of Achievement, and Gaining Knowledge were representative of consumers’ motives for using the app, and Engagement and Identity explained how using the gamified application influenced users’ attitudinal loyalty toward the core service. Overall, we contribute to knowledge about how gamified affordances can be used to add value to consumer experiences, both in relation to the gamified consumption experiences, and the focal brand that is serviced by a third‐party app.
PurposeThe purpose of this article is to propose an overall framework for brand community formation that separates antecedents that lead to the formation of a brand community from those outcomes that ...are associated with established communities.Design/methodology/approachThe authors approached this review through an interdisciplinary literature review that delineated psychological, structural and behavioral processes that underline the formation of the brand community, often illustrated by contemporary cases in the sport industry.FindingsThe findings outline 18 different constructs, categorized in three overarching dimensions, separating structural, behavioral and psychological constructs. The authors posit these 18 constructs are at the heart of brand community formation. These constructs provide managers with a guide to inform their efforts to form a new brand community.Originality/valueIt is emphasized that brand community formation is a complex process that is paradoxical in nature and requires organizations to balance a non-interventionist approach that would allow for consumer empowerment, with a pro-active approach that creates conditions for a successful brand community formation process.
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