2024 Volume 20 Issue 2 Pages 35-46
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of social impact, spectator satisfaction, and behavioral intention among Japan Rugby League One (JRLO) spectators. A questionnaire survey, conducted on December 17, 2022, gathered 153 valid responses from Mie Honda Heat fans residing in the host region for analysis. To analyze the data, hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed. For the first analysis, spectator satisfaction was considered the dependent variable, while demographic variables (gender, age) were treated as independent variables for Step 1. Subsequently, the three social impact factors (community excitement, rugby excitement, and community pride) were added as independent variables for Step 2. In the second analysis, behavioral intention was the dependent variable, and the same demographic variables were used as independent variables for Step 1. For Step 2, the three social impact factors (community excitement, rugby excitement, and community pride) were added as independent variables. Lastly, in Step 3, spectator satisfaction was included as an additional independent variable. The results of the hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that (a) social impact of rugby excitement and community pride were positively related to spectator satisfaction, (b) the two demographic variables and rugby excitement were negatively and positively related to behavioral intention, respectively, (c) spectator satisfaction was positively related to behavioral intention, and (d) the inclusion of social impact and spectator satisfaction as independent variables significantly increased the coefficient of determination for behavioral intention. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the interplay between social impact, spectator satisfaction, and behavioral intention among JRLO spectators, providing valuable insights for sports organizations and marketing strategies.
