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Abstract
This study examined what motives and constraints influence Sport Twitter Consumption (STC) in regard to following athletes. Furthermore, the study attempted to cultivate a reliable and valid model through which researchers and practitioners can measure Twitter consumption-related motivations and constraints. The proposed combined model consisted of 12 items with four measures of motivation (i.e., information, entertainment, pass time, and fanship) and 12 items with four measures of constraints (i.e., accessibility, economic, skills, social). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method with a convenience sample of 1,124 respondents was employed to analyze the conceptual framework and elements of the scale. Motivations for STC among the respondents were positively and significantly related, whereas constraints were negatively and significantly related to their Twitter consumption in regard to following athletes. Results and future implications for practical and theoretical sport marketing research are also discussed.
Introduction
In an article by Nielsen Online (McGiboney, 2009), reports show Twitter grew exponentially from February 2008 through February 2009, increasing its users from 475,000 to over seven million. In terms of percentages, this was almost 1,400% growth. By 2010, Twitter users increased by 100 million according to Sysomos, a social media monitoring company (Van Grove, 2010). More recently, reports indicate Twitter has grown to 200 million users (Shiels, 2011).
Twitter is a service in which users can interact with one another through the use of 140 characters. It shares features with communication mediums people already use, but in a simple and quick way. It has elements much like those of email, instant messaging, RSS, texting, blogging, social networks, and so forth (O'Reilly & Milstein, 2009). Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and receive "tweets" from other users. These messages can be delivered to user "followers" automatically (Williams, 2009).
This information leads to the primary purpose of this research, which is to ascertain the reasoning behind why individuals adopt Twitter as a medium to follow their favorite athletes, and propose a model to aid in the understanding of this consumer behavior. More specifically, this study investigates the motivation and constraint factors which influence Sport Twitter Consumption. This study is unique because it examines both motivations and constraints simultaneously.
Hur, Ko, and Valacich (2007) began looking at...