2021 Volume 18 Pages 161-186
Many fan communities exist in the entertainment industry from movies and music to sports. This study sheds light on fan communities of professional sports teams, which readily generate shared identification among people. It examines the structure of factors across multiple dimensions, and aims to logically set out the antecedents and consequences of fan community identification. Collecting data from attendees of professional baseball (Study 1) and soccer (Study 2) home games, a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were performed. In Study 1, we conceptualized fan community identification as a second-order latent construct, consisting of six first-order dimensions. It was found that this higher-order factor model had an acceptable fit to the data, proving evidence for construct validity. In Study 2, the results showed further evidence for the construct validity of the measurement model and highlighted the importance of two types of relationships between (1) stereotyped image-relevant factors (fan community distinctiveness→behavioral loyalty) and (2) value congruence-relevant factors (fan community similarity→fan community identification→behavioral loyalty). The proposed multidimensional scale will contribute to future research on group consumer psychology and behavior.
