Nicholas D. Theodorakis

Relationship between measures of service quality and satisfaction of spectators in professional sports

This paper attempts to examine the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in spectator sports. The relationship between these two constructs is examined, first, by a review of the literature to date and, second, by the results of almost 200 questionnaires completed by spectators at two professional basketball games in Athens, Greece. The results of the questionnaire study are examined and, in conclusion, the implications and limitations of the study are discussed. Areas for further research are also suggested.

Customers’ expectations of service in Greek fitness centers

Purpose – Aims to identify the aspects of service delivery deemed most important by the users of Greek fitness centers and to examine whether their desires differ according to the type of fitness center they use as well as according to certain demographic and motivation patterns.Design/methodology/approach – The study was based on the QUESC instrument developed by Kim and Kim. A total of 346 individuals who were members of public and private fitness centers in Athens/Greece completed the questionnaires. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was conducted for each item of the instrument in order to examine whether different groups had different desires for service delivery. Where a difference between group means was identified, Duncans multiple range tests were performed to determine which means were significantly different.Findings – The aspects of service delivery desired more by sports centers users refer to the tangible elements of the facilities, the personnel attitudes and abilities, attributes relat...

Role Ambiguity, Role Conflict and Job Satisfaction among Physical Education Teachers in Greece.

This study examines role conflict, role ambiguity, and job satisfaction among Greek physical education teachers, and the extent to which role conflict and role ambiguity predict job satisfaction. All members of the sample of 61 physical education teachers were employed in Greek “Sport for all” programs. The standard multiple regression analysis shows that role conflict and role ambiguity are significant predictors of job satisfaction. This paper concludes with suggestions directed to the General Secretariat of Sports in Greece with a view to redesigning the work of physical education teachers in “Sport for all” programs.

Moderating role of team identification on the relationship between service quality and repurchase intentions among spectators of professional sports

Purpose – This study seeks to examine the moderating role of team identification regarding the relationship between service quality and repurchase intentions among spectators of professional sports.Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative data are collected from a questionnaire survey of 257 spectators attending a professional soccer game in Greece. Multiple regression analyses are used to assess the relationships among the constructs of service quality, repurchase intentions, and team identification.Findings – Team identification is shown to moderate the relationship between service quality and repurchase intentions among spectators at this professional sports event. Both overall service quality and two specific service‐quality dimensions (“responsiveness” and “reliability”) are found to be positively associated with repurchase intentions only among respondents with low and medium team identification. No relationship is found between service quality and repurchase intentions among those with high team ...

Sports advertising in print media: the case of 2000 Olympic Games

This research attempted to investigate why sport themes are used in advertisements, and the motives that lead companies and advertisers to use sport celebrities and sport concepts in advertisements. The detailed examination of the fieldwork took place in Sydney, prior to and during the 2000 Olympic Games. Printed media were observed for a period of five to six months. Many parameters were taken into consideration comparing three monthly magazines and two daily newspapers in order to gain knowledge and provide answers to the fundamental questions. In addition, two famous athletes, a sport manager and an advertising executive were interviewed. Furthermore the outcome of the research showed that Olympic Games did not play a catalyst role in sport advertisement issues in the particular print media. It also concluded that the selection procedures that advertising companies followed, in order to select athletes, were not based only on their achievements but mostly were related to their personalities.

Reassessing the Structure of Enduring Leisure Involvement

Using data collected from U.S. and Greek respondents, we tested an alternate conceptualization of enduring leisure involvement where identity was considered a key driver of other affective and conative outcomes. Rather than existing on the same temporal plane, as has been the tradition in the leisure literature, we observed that identity was an antecedent of the other involvement facets. Our work provides a theoretical framework ground in microsociological approaches to identity for conceptualizing enduring involvement and other constructs that examine recreationists’ lasting ties with leisure (e.g., serious leisure, specialization, commitment) and their settings (e.g., sense of place, place identity).

Effect of Event Service Quality and Satisfaction on Happiness Among Runners of a Recurring Sport Event

The consumption of sport events through direct participation can influence participants’ perception of happiness with that experiential purchase given the time and resources invested in that experience. The purpose of the study was to examine how sport event service quality aspects operationalized through the physical environment, interaction, and outcome factors influence overall satisfaction with the event and experiential happiness. Data were collected from 300 runners who participated in 5k and 10k races. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed the positive effect of outcome and physical environment factors on satisfaction with the event and the positive influence of event satisfaction and outcome quality on experiential happiness. The overall expectations on the quality of the event experience can be a focus for event managers aiming to achieve social marketing goals related to positive psychology from the event participation.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Team Identification Scale among Greek Sport Fans: A Cross-validation Approach

Abstract The aim of the present study was to explore the multidimensional nature of sport team identification. More specifically, the study tested the psychometric properties of the Team Identification Scale (TIS) among Greek sport fans using a cross-validation approach. Following a thorough procedure, the TIS was initially translated and then validated using a sample of 327 Greek sport fans. Item meaning equivalence was also examined using a sample of 257 Australian sport fans. Results presented evidence regarding TISs reliability, factorial validity, predictive efficacy and cross-national generalizability. It seems that the TIS is a valid tool for assessing the multidimensional nature of this construct among both English- and Greek-speaking populations.

A comparison of service evaluation models in the context of sport and fitness centres in Greece

The present study examines three competing models to clarify the relative role of antecedents to behavioural intentions in sport and fitness centres. In other sport and fitness research, there is some variability in respect to the relative influence on loyalty measures of such antecedents as service quality, value and satisfaction. Results of the present study support a satisfaction model with satisfaction as a mediator between both service quality and value and behavioural intentions. The satisfaction model was deemed superior to a value model and a comprehensive model. Recommendations are for future research to examine more comprehensive models in sport and fitness contexts to include a wider range of antecedents to explain the variance in global satisfaction and its influence on a range of loyalty measures additional to behavioural intentions.

The relationship between sport team identification and the need to belong.

Because sport team identification plays an important role in facilitating higher levels of sport attendance and consumption (Wann et al., 2001), sport management and marketing professionals are often interested in determining variables that serve as antecedents of identification. Some authors have suggested that the need to belong may be one such variable (Gwinner and Swanson, 2003; Wann et al., 2001). Thus, two studies were designed to examine the relationship between need to belong and identification. Study 1 involved 119 US college students completing measures of demographics, identification, fandom, and the need to belong. Consistent with expectations, the need to belong was positively correlated with level of identification with a local sport team, but not identification with a distant team or mere sport fandom. Study 2 contained a sample of 100 Greek university students and replicated the positive relationship between identification with a local team and the need to belong. Discussion centres on the causal relationships among the variables, implications for fans of distant teams, and suggestions for sport marketers and managers.