Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
SPORT, BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT, cilt.13, sa.6, ss.685-703, 2023 (ESCI)
Abstract
Purpose – The study aimed to establish football fans’ levels of social identity, team loyalty, and behavioral
intentions toward sports consumption and to determine the relationship between these variables using a
structural equation model.
Design/methodology/approach – Research methods: The research model was tested by data analysis using
AMOS 23.0. The study sample included 518 football fans with mean age 30.87 (±10.15) years. Data were
collected using an online questionnaire delivered to football fans via social media.
Findings – The results supported the study hypotheses and showed that social identity and team loyalty had
a significant effect on behavioral intention toward sport consumption for football teams. Social identity was
found to have a direct effect on sport consumption behaviors. It was further established that team loyalty was a
mediator in the relationship between the fans’ social identity and behavioral intention toward sports
consumption.
Research limitations/implications – The study planned to collect the data at the stadium entrance before
the game; however, it was not possible to reach the fans face-to-face due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and
therefore, the data were collected online.
Practical implications – By understanding how the extent of social identity affects sports consumption
intention, sports club managers can achieve a higher level of fan loyalty to their teams.
Social implications – The present study provides additional insight into the available literature on team
identification. It demonstrated that team identification was associated with social identity and that social
identity had an impact on sports consumption behaviors.
Originality/value – This study is an original study in that it is a study in which the social identity scale is
used together with the variables of team loyalty and sports consumption behavior intention. The findings of
this study help understand the processes that shape the behavioral intentions of football fans toward sports
consumption. Furthermore, the mediating role of the developed model was tested using team loyalty.
Keywords Social identity, Team loyalty, Sports consumption behavior, Team identification