Analysing the professional sport experience: A hierarchical approach

Abstract

Strategically managing spectator perceptions of service quality and understanding how these perceptions affect value, satisfaction and behavioural intentions is very important if sports organisations are going to succeed in today's competitive entertainment environment. As a response to variations in the service quality dimensions found in previous sport and leisure studies, outcome focused sport satisfaction and process-dominant service quality factors are integrated with higher order attitudinal and behavioural constructs to develop a hierarchical model of the professional sport experience. Eleven first-order sub-dimensions are present in the hierarchical factor structure. The study's findings also support inclusion of the second-order primary dimensions of service quality: interaction quality, physical environment quality and outcome quality. Fanship (enduring involvement), service quality, value, satisfaction and behavioural intentions are found to be positively related. The third-order hierarchical model significantly improves on the explanatory power of previous service quality and sport spectator satisfaction models.