Constraints and constraint negotiation of Japanese Masters Games participants based on the subjective typology

Abstract

  Due to the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai as well as the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games have been postponed for a year. To re-energize the Masters Games culture after the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, this study aimed to examine similarities and differences in constraints and constraint negotiation of Japanese Masters Games participants across the subjective typology. The subjective typology consisted of the following four groups of Masters Games participants: Games Competitor (high fun-orientation and high competition-orientation), Games Enthusiast (high fun-orientation and low competition-orientation), Serious Competitor (low fun-orientation and high competition-orientation), and Novice (low fun-orientation and low competition-orientation). An online survey was conducted and usable data were collected from 449 Japanese who participated in masters games within the last three years. The results of importance-performance analysis, analyses of variance, and multiple comparisons indicated that (a) no significant differences in constraints were identified across Games Competitors, Games Enthusiasts, Serious Competitors, and Novice, and (b) Games Competitors utilized psychological and physical negotiation strategies more than Novice. These results suggest that unlike the objective typology, the subjective typology discerns differences in constraint negotiation. These insights can be utilized for the development of effective segmentation marketing for Masters Games promotion activities, which is expected to contribute to the success of the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai after the COVID-19 pandemic.