Impact of perceived value on behaviour intention of parent-child runners in a marathon event

Abstract

In China, there has been a rapid growth of marathon events in recent years. With more events being staged, an opportunity has arisen for parents to attend with their children as a way of family time together. Due to the swift pace of industrialization, urbanization, and work commitment, parenting time and family interaction have become a major challenge for Chinese residents today. Building on previous research indications that individual value beliefs and perceptions would affect one’s behaviour, this study was designed to examine the impact of perceived value parents placed on marathons as an opportunity to bond with their children. Through a comprehensive review of literature and test of content validity, the Scale of Parenting Value Perception was developed. The survey form also contained items assessing consumption behaviour. A total of 384 marathon runners who were parents to one or more children participating in a marathon event responded to the survey. Perceived value of parents and children fell into five factors, including functional value, social value, sentiment value, experiential value, and personal value, which were significantly (p < .001) predictive of behavioural intentions. The findings highlight the benefits parents perceive and children receive through joint participation in sports and also indicate the necessity for sport managers to build family friendly events and promote the family value of these events through educational programs, publicity mechanism, and most importantly, high-quality family services to accommodate the needs and wants of parents and their children.