Examining the Process Behind the Decision of Sports Fans to Attend Sports Matches at Stadiums Amid the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: The Case of South Korea

Yunduk Jeong, Suk-Kyu Kim and Jae-Gu Yu
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Yunduk Jeong: College of General Education, Kookmin University, Seoul 02707, Korea
Suk-Kyu Kim: Department of Sports Science, Dongguk University, Gyeongju 38066, Korea
Jae-Gu Yu: Department of Sport Industry, Chungang University, Anseong 17546, Korea

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: The spread of SARS-CoV-2 has taken a toll on the sports industry worldwide. One of the key challenges for team managers or marketers is to understand how it affects the decision-making process of sports fans. This study examined the process behind the decision of sports fans to attend sports matches at stadiums amid the pandemic using the theory of planned behavior (TPB), which includes the moderating roles of team identification. Responses were obtained from 269 undergraduate and graduate students who had attended a sports match in 2019. Structural equation modeling was performed to evaluate three factors: the attitude toward attending sports matches, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control on the decision to attend. In addition, a hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to test the moderating effects of team identification. The findings displayed the positive influences on attendance intention from the perspective of (a) attitude, (b) subjective norm and (c) perceived behavioral control. On the other hand, team identification did not have a moderating effect on the relationships among attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control regarding the intention to attend a sport event. These findings suggest that it is important to grasp the role of volitional and non-volitional processes to explain the how the decision to attend sports matches is made.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; the Theory of Planned Behavior; sport event attendance intention; professional sports league; South Korea (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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