Scheduled for Research Consortium Poster Session: Thematic Sport Posters, Thursday, March 15, 2007, 12:45 PM - 2:15 PM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall Poster Area I


Causal Relationships of Psychological Commitment, Subjective Norms and Situational Factors to Future Intention

Jaehyun Ha1, Richard Hsiao2, Keunsu Han3 and Jerome Quarterman3, (1)The College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY, (2)Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA, (3)Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

The purpose of this study is to identify the variables affecting attendance to sports games in the future and to examine the causal relationships of psychological commitment, subjective norms and situational factors to future intention on attending games toward a sports team. It has been widely suggested that psychological commitment and subjective norms are positively related to future intention (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980; Dick & Basu, 1994; Funk & James, 2001; Ha, 1998; Iwasaki & Havitz, 1998; Kim, 2003; Mahony, et al., 2000; Pritchard, 1991; Pritchard et al., 1999). However, situational factors are negatively related to future intention (Mahony et al., 2000; Sheppart, Hartwick, & Warshaw, 1988; Zhang, Pease, Hui, & Michaud, 1995). Useable data were collected from undergraduate students (n = 443) enrolled at a large, public university. Elements of survey instrument were modified from existing scales and developed on the basis of a pre-test with use of the elicitation technique (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980; Cunningham & Kwon, 2003; Mahony, Madrigal, & Howard, 2000; Kwon & Trail, 2003). In order to analyze data, the samples were split (sample A =221 & sample B = 222). Sample A was utilized to purify the scales with use of Cronbach's ƒÑ, item-to-total correlation, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Sample B was utilized to confirm the factor structure with use of the items retained from the results of Sample A using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results of CFA revealed acceptable model fit to the data (£q2 [98] = 244.251, p < .05, £q2/df = 2.49, NFI = .923, CFI = .952, and RMSEA = 0.082). Upon estimation of the model fit indices, construct validity was measured. The results of construct validity were confirmed using standardized loadings (convergent validity) and the estimated correlations (discriminant validity). Upon CFA, the hypothesized structural model was tested. The result of structural model indicated that the path coefficient between psychological commitment and future intention was .70, which was statistically significant (p < .05); the path coefficient between subjective norms and future intention was .25, which was statistically significant (p < .05); the path coefficient between situational factors and future intention was -.03, which was not statistically significant (p < .05). The results reveal that psychological commitment and subjective norms positively influence future intention on attending games toward a sports team. However, situational factors didn't influence future intention on attending games toward a sports team.
Keyword(s): research, sport management, sport topics

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