Purpose

Drawing upon a push-pull-mooring model and the literature on behavioral loyalty, this research aims to examine the underlying factors and mechanisms that influence switching intention in the context of professional sport in Japan.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a two-wave survey design (pregame and postgame surveys), we collected data from 367 fans of a professional soccer team in Japan. Our data included three push factors (quality, satisfaction, and perceived value of the current favorite team), a pull factor (alternative team attractiveness), a mooring factor (team identification), and behavioral loyalty and switching intention to the alternative team. We used structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses.

Findings

A mediation analysis revealed that perceived value of an individual’s current favorite team was negatively associated with behavioral loyalty to an alternative team, whereas attractiveness of the alternative team was positively associated with behavioral loyalty, which, in turn, resulted in fans’ switching intention. Latent moderated structural equation modeling further revealed the negative moderating effect of team identification with the current team on the relationship between behavioral loyalty and switching intention.

Originality/value

The findings provide new evidence about the role of behavioral loyalty in understanding sport consumers’ switching intention and highlight the importance of team identification that can foster a sustainable and long-term relationship between fans and their favorite sport teams.

中文翻译：

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检查职业运动中的转换意图：推拉系泊视角

 目的

本研究利用推拉系泊模型和行为忠诚文献，旨在研究在日本职业体育背景下影响转换意图的潜在因素和机制。

设计/方法论/途径

我们采用两波调查设计（赛前和赛后调查），收集了日本职业足球队 367 名球迷的数据。我们的数据包括三个推动因素（当前最喜欢的团队的质量、满意度和感知价值）、一个拉动因素（替代团队吸引力）、一个锚定因素（团队认同）以及行为忠诚度和转向替代团队的意图。我们使用结构方程模型来检验我们的假设。

 发现

中介分析显示，个人当前最喜欢的球队的感知价值与对替代球队的行为忠诚度呈负相关，而替代球队的吸引力与行为忠诚度呈正相关，这反过来又导致球迷的转换意图。潜在调节结构方程模型进一步揭示了当前团队的团队认同对行为忠诚度和转换意图之间关系的负调节作用。

 原创性/价值

研究结果提供了关于行为忠诚度在理解体育消费者转变意图方面的作用的新证据，并强调了球队认同的重要性，这种认同可以促进球迷和他们最喜欢的运动队之间建立可持续和长期的关系。