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Consumer satisfaction with an action sports event

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 Sport Marketing Quarterly, 2007, 16, 199-208, © 2007 West Virginia University
Consumer Satisfaction with an
Action Sports Event
Yosuke Tsuji, Gregg Bennett, and James Zhang
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the relation-
ships of service quality, satisfaction, and future inten-
tions of attendees at a large-scale action sports event.
More specifically, effects of core service quality and
peripheral service quality on satisfaction and future
intention were examined in an action sports event set-
ting. Structural equation modeling was utilized to
investigate the effects of the two service components
on satisfaction and future intentions. Respondents (N
= 2,297) were satisfied with the event and reported
positive responses toward services provided by event
managers. Similarly, respondents reported that they
were likely to return to the event in the future.
Findings suggest core service quality and peripheral
service quality to be significant predictors of satisfac-
tion. Additionally, peripheral service quality and satis-
faction were found to be significantly related to future
intentions. However, core service quality was not sig-
nificantly related to future intention; yet, it had an
indirect influence on future intentions.
Consumer Satisfaction with an
Action Sports Event
The growth of the action sports genre of the sport
industry has been well documented (Bennett &
Henson, 2003; Bennett, Henson, & Zhang, 2002, 2003;
Yosuke Tsuji completed this article while he was a doc-
toral student at Texas A&M University. He currently is a
visiting assistant professor of sport administration at the
University of Miami. His research interest is in the area
of sport consumer behavior.
Gregg Bennett, EdD, is an assistant professor of sport
management and the Director of the Sport Marketing
Laboratory at Texas A & M University. His primary
research interests is in line focus on effective event marketing.
James Zhang, PhD, is a professor in the Department of
Tourism, Recreation & Sport Management at the
University of Florida. His primary research interests are
applied measurement and/or applied studies examining
sport consumer and organizational behaviors.
Volume 16 • Number 4 • 2007 • Sport Marketing Quarterly 199
SPORT CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
“Action sports have also become popular globally
with participants from South American, European,
and Asian countries. There have been numerous
events outside the United States...”
Clelend, 2001; Fitzgerald, 2000; Gladden & McDonald,
2005; Griffin, 2002; Petrecca, 1999, 2000). Action sports
have been described as individualistic, risky, and
unorthodox as compared to traditional team sports
(Bennett & Henson, 2003). Action sports include, but
are not limited to, skateboarding, BMX bike riding,
aggressive in-line skating, wakeboarding, freestyle
motocross, street luge, downhill skateboarding, rock
climbing, and snow boarding. These sports collectively
have been categorized as “extreme”, “alternative”,
“core”, and/or “lifestyle” sports. The phrase “extreme”
implies an atypical activity, one that runs counter to
conventional or traditional sports (Bennett et al., 2002).
The media has played a major role in the growth of
these once-unconventional sports as they combined
action sports into made-for-television events such as
ESPN’s X-Games (Griffin, 2002). Some of the major
action sports events that are broadcast on television are
the Gravity Games, the Summer X-Games, the Winter
X-Games, Dew Action Sports Tour, and the Great
Outdoor Games (Bennett et al., 2002; Bennett &
Henson, 2003). Action sports have also become popu-
lar globally with participants from South American,
European, and Asian countries. There have been
numerous events outside the United States, such as the
Asian X-Games V held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Asian X-Games V, which is a qualifying event for
the X-Games, attracted 200 athletes and 150,000 spec-
tators in January of 2003 (Asian X-Games, 2003).
Major action sports events (e.g., X-Games and
Gravity Games) are often held as multi-day events with
competitions, interactive festival villages, and music
concerts. Most of the events start in mid-morning and
finish in late evening. Competitions are held concur-
rently at different venues within one large location or
sometimes simultaneously in different cities. These
events usually include concerts by musicians and musi-
cal groups popular with Generation Y (see Bennett et
al., 2003 for more information on Generation Y and
action sports). Interactive festival villages are an
opportunity for the attendees to “experience” action
sports and action sports lifestyles. Event attendees have
a choice to attend the competition, the interactive fes-
tival village, and/or the concert.
In order for action sports events to be successful,
management personnel must possess a thorough
knowledge of action sports and develop effective event
management strategies. Providing consumers with a
quality experience that meets their expectations will
likely promote future event attendance and consump-
tion. For continued growth of action sports events that
are of a limited history and unique culture, it is imper-
ative to understand, maintain, and increase consumer
support and loyalty. To accomplish these, it is neces-
sary to study event attendees’ perception of service
quality and satisfaction with action sports events.
Much of the previous research work on service quali-
ty and consumer satisfaction has been focused on pro-
fessional sports settings that do not account for the
unique characteristics of an action sports event. There
is a relative paucity of original research exploring the
context of consumer perception of service quality and
satisfaction with action sports events. Therefore, the
purpose of this study was to investigate consumer per-
ception of service quality and consumer satisfaction
with a large-scale action sport event. Moreover, this
study attempted to explore the relationship between the
aforementioned constructs and behavioral intentions.
Relevant Literature and Hypotheses
Service Quality and Satisfaction
The quest for profitability is essential to any organiza-
tion. One factor that affects organizational profits is
consumer satisfaction with service providers.
Numerous scholars have analyzed the impact of service
quality on business and sports organizations
(Anderson, Fornell, & Lehmann, 1994; Anderson &
Sullivan, 1993; Cronin, Brady, & Hult, 2000; Fornell,
1992; Greenwell, Fink, & Pastore, 2002; Hill & Green,
2000; Howat, Murray, & Crilley, 1999; McDonald,
Sutton, & Milne, 1995; McDougall & Levesque, 2000;
Oliver, 1980; Parasuraman, Zeithaml, & Berry, 1985,
1988, 1994; Reichheld & Sasser, 1990; Zeithaml, Berry,
& Parasuraman, 1996; Zhang, Smith, Pease, & Lam,
1998). Service quality has been recognized as one of the
major factors that influence the long-term profitability
of an organization (Parasuraman et al., 1988).
Perceived high levels of service quality can increase
consumer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention, all of
which potentially generate revenue for the organization
(Zeithaml et al., 1996). Studies have found that loyal
200 Volume 16 • Number 4 • 2007 • Sport Marketing Quarterly
consumers will tend to make repeated purchases of the
same brand (Assael, 2004; Parasuraman et al., 1988). In
addition, retaining customers is less expensive than
attracting new customers for an organization (Kotler,
2003). Furthermore, satisfied consumers are expected
to become more associated with the organization, more
willing to pay for the benefits they receive, and more
likely to accept price increases (Anderson et al., 1994;
Anderson & Sullivan, 1993; Fornell, 1992; Reichheld &
Sasser, 1990). In this way, previous research findings
have repeatedly reinforced the linkage between service
quality and satisfaction, and between satisfaction and
organizational success. There is no doubt that managers
should continuously seek and adopt procedures to
understand, evaluate, and improve on the quality of
services provided to their consumers.
“For continued growth of action sports events that
are of a limited history and unique culture, it is
imperative to understand, maintain, and increase
consumer support and loyalty.”
To enhance systematic examination of consumer sat-
isfactions, Oliver (1980) proposed the “expectancy-dis-
confirmation” model, which suggests that consumer
satisfaction or dissatisfaction is the balance of con-
sumers’ feelings of perceived performance of a service
versus their expectations (Oliver, 1980). In order for
the consumers to be satisfied, the consumers’ perceived
performance of a service should be greater than the
consumers’ expectation. On the contrary, consumers
will be dissatisfied when service performance and the
consumers’ expectations are not met or exceeded. In
order to assess the service quality of an organization, a
systematic and valid instrument is essential. Based
upon the “expectancy-disconfirmation” model,
Parasuraman et al. (1988) developed the SERVQUAL
scale to assess consumers’ perception of service quality
and how organizations can improve their delivery of
service quality. Five dimensions of service quality were
identified in SERVQUAL: Tangibles, Reliability,
Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy. SERVQUAL
has been widely adopted by scholars (Brown,
Churchill, & Peter, 1993).
Parasuraman et al. (1988) described SERVQUAL as a
basic scale designed to measure service quality in vari-
ous business settings. In spite of its popularity among
researchers, some scholars have suggested that the scale
is too general to cover all industries. It is not a useful
instrument across industries (Brown et al., 1993;
Carman, 1990). Thus, there is a need for industry-spe-
cific dimensions of service quality when measuring the
construct. One reason behind the call for industry-spe-
cific dimensions is that there is variability among
industries in terms of the service content and environ-
ment. In addition, numerous researchers have ques-
tioned the use of the “expectancy-disconfirmation”
model to measure service quality. SERVQUAL, which
uses this model, was operationalized by the difference
between consumers’ expectations and perceptions of
services provided (Parasuraman et al., 1988). Zeithaml
et al. (1996) suggested the use of a perception-only
scale when “the primary purpose of measuring service
quality is to attempt to explain variance in some
dependent construct” (p. 40). Crompton and Love
(1995) and Cronin and Taylor (1992) have provided
empirical evidence to support this suggestion.
“Interactive festival villages are an opportunity for
the attendees to ‘experience’ action sports and
action sports lifestyles. Event attendees have a
choice to attend the competition, the interactive
festival village, and/or the concert.”
In an effort to measure service qualities within the
sports industry, McDonald et al. (1995) developed the
TEAMQUAL™ scale, which was intended to measure
operations of professional sport teams. TEAMQUAL™,
which followed the framework of SERVQUAL, is
seemingly a more pertinent scale when measuring serv-
ice quality of a professional sports game. Researchers
have identified different dimensions of service quality
in a sport setting (Howat et al., 1999; Murray &
Howat, 2002; Van Leeuwen, Quick, & Daniel, 2002;
Zhang et al., 1998). According to Zhang et al. (1998),
actual sport competitions are operationalized as core
product functions of the game, whereas other func-
tions of the game (e.g., ticket service and stadium qual-
ity) are considered to be game-support programs.
Other researchers have taken different approaches to
define dimensions of service quality. Van Leeuwen et
al. (2002) operationalized the core product function of
the game as core service quality, but categorized game
support programs as peripheral services. Howat et al.
(1999) derived a three-factor solution from 19 service
quality items, which they operationalized as Personnel,
Core, and Peripheral service quality. In a similar
approach, McDougall and Levesque (2000) have differ-
entiated services according to what is delivered (core
aspects of service) and how it is delivered (relational
aspects of service). This investigation adopts Van
Leeuwen et al.’s (2002) constructs of core and periph-
eral service quality for the following reasons: Actual
games, or the core service, are often uncontrollable by
the event managers, while peripheral service qualities
can be adjusted according to the consumers’ needs. In
the context of sport, it seems more appropriate to dif-
Volume 16 • Number 4 • 2007 • Sport Marketing Quarterly 201
ferentiate the dimensions of service quality based on
this distinction.
Van Leeuwen et al.’s (2002) assessment of service
quality has been utilized in business as well as in sport
marketing literature (Iacobucci, Grayson, & Ostrom,
1994a, 1994b; Greenwell et al., 2002; Hill & Green,
2000; Jones & Sasser, 1995; Kasky, 1994; Madrigal,
1995; Tomlinson, Buttle, & Moores, 1995; Wakefield &
Blodgett, 1994, 1996; Walker, 1995). In a sport setting,
Madrigal (1995) found that core service quality (expec-
tation-disconfirmation, Team Identification, Quality of
Opponent) contributed to consumers’ satisfaction.
Likewise, Greenwell et al. (2002) found core service
quality to be significantly related to satisfaction. In
regard to peripheral service quality, Wakefield and
Blodgett (1994, 1996) suggest facility aspects of services
to be important indicators of spectators’ satisfaction.
Greenwell et al. (2002), Kasky (1994), and Tomlinson
et al. (1995) found that both core and peripheral serv-
ices were important to the spectator in professional
sport settings; in particular, peripheral aspects of serv-
ices were more important than the core services. Thus,
investigation of these effects of service quality dimen-
sions in other sport settings seems appropriate to
understand consumer satisfaction. We propose the fol-
lowing hypotheses regarding the effect of core service
quality and peripheral service quality on consumer sat-
isfaction:
H1 : Core service quality is directly and signifi-
cantly related to consumers’ satisfaction with
an action sports event.
H2 : Peripheral service quality is directly and sig-
nificantly related to consumers’ satisfaction
with an action sports event.
Future Intentions
Measuring future intentions of attendees is important
for the continued success of an event. Ajzen (1991) has
suggested that reported future intentions are directly
related to one’s future behaviors. Sport managers should
foster an environment that cultivates this specific con-
struct. Likewise, they need to investigate, evaluate, and
improve on spectators’ perception of service quality and
satisfaction levels (Cronin et al., 2000). Previous
research indicates that satisfaction has significant influ-
ence on future behavioral intentions. For example, stud-
ies have indicated that service quality influences
satisfaction, which in turn influences future purchasing
behaviors (Cronin et al., 2000; McDougall & Levesque,
2000;). Furthermore, studies conducted in sport and
recreation setting (Murray & Howat, 2002; Wakefield &
Blodgett, 1994, 1996) generated similar results.
In regard to service quality’s influence on future
intentions, Zeithaml et al. (1996) found a direct influ-
Figure 1.
Proposed Model
ence on future behavioral patterns of consumers. More
specifically, they found that service quality can lead to
loyalty to the organization, less switching of businesses,
recommendation of the service to others, and willing-
ness to pay more for services (Parasuraman et al.,
1988; Zeithaml, et al., 1996). Zhang et al. (1998) found
that support programs (i.e., peripheral services) direct-
ly influenced spectators’ intention to revisit the profes-
sional hockey games, and Hill and Green (2000)
suggest that facility features (i.e., peripheral services)
contribute to spectators’ intention to revisit. Based on
these findings, we propose the following hypotheses:
H3 : Core service quality is directly and signifi-
cantly related to future intentions of atten-
dees at an action sport event.
H4 : Peripheral service quality is directly and sig-
nificantly related to future intentions of
attendees at an action sport event.
H5 : Consumer satisfaction with the event is
directly and significantly related to future
intentions of attendees at an action sport
event.
Proposed Model
Based on the aforementioned literature, hypotheses
presented, and the importance of obtaining empirical
evidence on the relationship of service quality, satisfac-
tion, and future intentions among attendees at a large-
scale action sports event, we propose the following
model (Figure 1).
202 Volume 16 • Number 4 • 2007 • Sport Marketing Quarterly
Methods
Participants and Setting
Participants (N = 2,297) were attendees at the Gravity
Games held in Cleveland, Ohio. Data and demographics
of the respondents were collected on site during the
event. The Gravity Games had a total of 162,000 specta-
tors who viewed competitions such as wakeboarding,
BMX, skateboarding, aggressive in-line skating, street
luge, and freestyle motocross (Gravity Games, 2003).
Approximately 68% of the respondents were males and
32% were females, ranging in age from under 14 and
over 50 years (M=22.75.14; SD=11.74), with 66% of
them being equal to or under 22 years old. The majority
of respondents were Caucasian (83.4%) and single
(70%). Close to 50% of event attendees were enrolled in
either middle or high school. Detailed statistics of the
sociodemographics of attendees are presented in Table 1.
Data Collection
Data were collected by students from a large southeast-
ern university in the United States. Collection and
organization of the data were requirements of an event
management course for each of the students. Collectors
were trained as they attended orientation meetings
prior to actually collecting data at the event. Data were
collected between 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., over the
course of five days of the event. Data collectors were
stationed at four booths located at different venues on-
site, while others roamed through the venue to collect
data. Surveys, clipboards, and pens were stored at the
information booths and drop boxes were positioned
next to the booths and at the exit of the event. The goal
was to collect 1,000 completed surveys from the report-
ed 162,000 people who attended the event. Collectors,
as well as booths, were placed in the heavy traffic areas
so that they could ask all individuals to voluntarily par-
ticipate in the study by completing a survey. Individuals
who approached the information booth were asked to
provide feedback on the event. Respondents were then
asked to place the completed survey into a drop box
located next to each booth. Collectors who roamed
throughout the event site utilized the traditional inter-
cept methodology to collect data.
Instrumentation
The instrument used in this study, the Scale of Gravity
Games (SGG), included measures of all four con-
structs: core service quality, peripheral service quality,
satisfaction, and future intentions. We operationalized
core service quality as the core product offerings of the
game; while peripheral service quality was defined as
Table 1.
Descriptive Statistics for the Sociodemographic Variables (N=2,297)
non-game related services (see Van Leeuwen et al.,
2002). These two service quality dimensions were
measured using 17 service quality items. Service quality
items were created for the purpose of measuring the
core service quality and peripheral service quality of a
large-scale action sports event. Satisfaction was meas-
ured by utilizing a single-item scale, which asked par-
ticipants to evaluate their overall experience of
attending the event. Lastly, future intentions were
assessed by asking participants about the likelihood
they would return to the Gravity Games the following
year. Using a single item to measure satisfaction is con-
sistent with past research measuring service quality and
satisfaction (Cunningham & Sagas, 2002; Murray &
Howat, 2002; Petrick, 2004). All items were scaled on a
5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very dissatisfied)
to 5 (very satisfied).
The content validity of the initial survey was evaluat-
ed first by a panel of six experts (three sport manage-
ment faculty members, one social scientist specializing

Variable Category N % Cumulative %

Age under 14 years 326 15.1 15.1

14-17 years 794 36.7 51.8
(M=22.75) 18-22 years 306 14.1 65.9
(SD=11.74) 23-30 years 204 9.4 75.3
31-40 years 266 12.3 87.6
41-50 years 221 10.2 97.8
51 years and up 47 2.2 100.0

Gender Male 1,537 67.6 67.6

Female 737 32.4 100.0

Marital Status Married 494 22.1 22.1

Unmarried 1,565 70.1 92.2
Living with significant other 175 7.8 100.0

Ethnicity African American 125 5.6 5.6

Asian 34 1.5 7.1
Hispanic 48 2.1 9.2
Native American 57 2.5 11.7
White (not Hispanic) 1,874 83.4 95.1
Other 110 4.9 100.0

Education Enrolled in Middle/High School 1,108 49.5 49.5

High School Graduate 261 11.7 61.2
Trade/Technology Diploma 86 3.8 65.0
Some College 379 16.9 81.9
College Graduate 269 12.1 94.0
Graduate Degree 135 6.0 100.0

Volume 16 • Number 4 • 2007 • Sport Marketing Quarterly 203

Table 2.
Descriptive Statistics and Factor Loadings for the Service Quality, Satisfaction, and Future Intention Items
Variable M SD Factor Alpha
Loadings Coefficient

Core Services .87

Skateboarding 4.35 0.98 .866
Aggressive inline skating 4.19 1.08 .809
Motocross 4.33 0.99 .687
Wakeboarding 4.19 1.10 .833
Bike events 4.40 0.94 .747

Peripheral Services .93

On-site ticket staff friendliness 4.15 1.04 .890
Event staff courtesy 4.19 1.02 .872
Helpfulness of information distributed 4.15 1.04 .868
Ease of entrance 4.18 1.05 .848
Interactive Festival Village 4.16 1.02 .676
Spectator viewing locations 4.11 1.07 .671
Video screens and replays 4.15 1.05 .667
Gravity Games merchandise selection 4.02 1.08 .651
Seating availability 4.00 1.16 .593
Event site cleanliness 4.13 1.02 .575
Music & concerts 4.16 1.05 .494
Security 4.18 1.02 .479

Satisfaction
Overall Experience 4.45 0.89

Future Intention
How likely to attend the event next year? 4.13 1.00

in scale construction, one education researcher, and
one action sport industry manager) who were asked to
judge the content relevance, representativeness, and
clarity of the items. They were likewise asked to pro-
vide suggestions for improving the questionnaire. The
survey was then field tested by 36 students enrolled in
an event management class. In this sample were stu-
dents pursuing a master’s degree in business adminis-
tration and in sport management. They were asked to
analyze the questionnaire’s appropriateness, phrasing,
and clarity. The students were also asked to consider
the appropriateness of items for its intended audience
since the sample would consist of individuals attending
a large-scale action sports event. Some minor modifi-
cations to the wording were made after the scale was
field-tested and reviewed.
After the data collection, due to the exploratory
nature of the study, exploratory factor analysis was
conducted to identify the dimensionality of service
quality items. Exploratory factor analysis with princi-
pal component extraction and direct oblimin rotation
204 Volume 16 • Number 4 • 2007 • Sport Marketing Quarterly
was performed on the 17 items. Using an eigenvalue
equal to or greater than 1.0, two factors were extracted.
These two extracted factors were named core service
quality and peripheral service quality and explained
6.46% and 55.15% of variance, respectively. Alpha reli-
ability coefficients for the factors were .93 and .87, sug-
gesting that the factors had acceptable internal
consistency for the study to proceed (Baumgartner &
Jackson, 1999).
Results
The findings of this investigation are presented in the
following sections: (a) descriptive statistics, and (b)
analysis of the proposed model.
Descriptive Statistics
Descriptive statistics, factor loadings, and alpha relia-
bility, for the core service quality, peripheral service
quality, satisfaction, and future intentions variables are
presented in Table 2. The mean scores for each con-
Figure 2.
Results of the Proposed Model
** Significant at p < .01 level
*** Significant at p < .001 level
struct were all above 3.0 (the neutral point on a 5-
point Likert scale).
Analysis of the Proposed Model
Testing of the proposed model was analyzed with
structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS 5.
The results of the analysis are provided in Figure 2. For
this study, we report the chi-square goodness of fit sta-
tistic to assess the proposed model. Additionally, we
provide two other commonly used indices, compara-
tive fit index (CFI) and root mean square error of
approximation (RMSEA), as chi-square indices tend to
inflate with large sample size.
Results of the SEM for the proposed model indicated
a good fit to the data, χ2 = 1420.14 (df = 148; N =2297),
p <. 001; RMSEA = .06; CFI = .94. Core service quality
and peripheral service quality were respectively found to
significantly influence satisfaction (core: β = .64, p <
.001; peripheral: β = .12, p < .001) confirming H1 and
H2. For hypotheses predicting influence on future
intentions (H3, H4, and H5), all hypotheses except for
Volume 16 • Number 4 • 2007 • Sport Marketing Quarterly 205
H3 were supported. Peripheral service quality was found
to be the most influential on future intentions (β = .14,
p = .002), followed by satisfaction (β = .11, p = .001).
Core service quality did not have a significant impact on
future intentions (β = -.06, p = .259).
Following the direct effects on future intentions, we
tested for indirect effects of service quality factors on
future intention. Cronin et al. (2000) recommend
examining indirect effects to further understand the
complex decision-making process. In order to test for
this effect, we followed the recommendation of
MacKinnon, Lockwood, Hoffman, West, and Sheets
(2002). According to MacKinnon et al. (2002), the
commonly reported mediation tests of Judd and
Kenny (1981), Baron and Kenny (1986), and Sobel
(1982) have low statistical power. Thus, we adopted
MacKinnon, Lockwood, and Hoffman’s (1998) distri-
bution of αβ/σαβ‚ test (see MacKinnon et al., 2002 for
details). Core service quality had a significant indirect
effect on future intentions through satisfaction (β =
.07, p < .01). Similarly, peripheral service quality had a
significant indirect effect on future intentions via satis-
faction (β = .01, p < .01). The proposed model
explained 54.3% of variance in satisfaction, and 3.0%
of variance in future intentions.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to explore the relation-
ships among the service quality, satisfaction, and
future intentions variables associated with a large-scale
action sports event. A model that includes all five
hypotheses was proposed to understand the attendees’
decision-making process.
The first hypothesis suggested that core service quali-
ty would be a significant predictor of consumer satis-
faction. Results indicate that core service quality is
positively and significantly related to satisfaction. This
result is consistent with past studies (Greenwell et al.,
2002; Madrigal, 1995), which have indicated core serv-
ice quality positively affects consumer satisfaction. The
second hypothesis stated that peripheral service quality
would predict consumer satisfaction. Results confirm
this hypothesis, which is in agreement with previous
investigations suggesting facilities affect spectator satis-
faction (Wakefield & Blodgett, 1994, 1996). These two
confirmed hypotheses indicate that core service quality
was the greater contributor in predicting attendees’
satisfaction level. This result may be due to attendees’
preference for watching the athletes compete.
However, the finding that core service quality was
the greater contributor in predicting attendees’ satis-
faction level is in contrast with previous findings by
Greenwell et al. (2002), Kasky (1994), and Tomlinson
et al. (1995). This result could be indicative of the
uniqueness of the action sports consumer. That is,
consumers may be so focused on the competition that
other services are not as important. Action sports are
still considered to be a niche sport among many in the
sports industry and there is limited television coverage.
These factors may have contributed to the increased
importance of the competition to those who attended
the event. Another explanation may be due to the
unique nature of action sports competition.
Consumers of action sports may view the competition
differently from traditional team sports. That is, spec-
tators of the event may care less about the outcome of
the competition. They may perceive winning or losing
in action sports competition to be of less importance
than the actual performance (e.g., skills and tricks) by
the athletes. Further research investigating the effects
of core service quality of team sports and individual
sports on satisfaction seems appropriate.
The third, fourth, and fifth hypotheses predicted
direct and significant influence of core service quality,
peripheral service quality, and satisfaction on future
206 Volume 16 • Number 4 • 2007 • Sport Marketing Quarterly
intentions, respectively. Results indicate all relation-
ships to be direct and significant, except for the path
leading from core service quality to future intentions.
For event attendees, peripheral service quality and sat-
isfaction were influential when expressing future atten-
dance intentions. Results are in agreement with prior
investigations suggesting peripheral service quality and
consumer satisfaction influence behavioral intentions
of consumers. (Cronin et al., 2000; McDougall &
Levesque, 2000; Murray & Howat, 2002; Zeithaml et
al., 1996; Zhang et al., 1998). The reason core service
quality was not influential in explaining future atten-
dance intentions may be due to the shared variance of
core service quality and satisfaction. Thus, in order to
understand the actual effect of core service quality on
future attendance intentions, Cronin et al.’s (2000)
suggestions were followed. The findings indicate core
service quality had an indirect effect on future inten-
tion via satisfaction. In other words, an increase in per-
ceived core service quality will raise attendees’
intentions to revisit by a certain degree. Similarly,
peripheral service quality had an indirect effect on
future intention through satisfaction. Although core
service quality was not directly related to future inten-
tions, it still is an important construct to consider
when discussing attendees’ future intentions.
“… managers should continuously seek and adopt
procedures to understand, evaluate, and improve on
the quality of services provided to their consumers.”
Managerial Implications
Respondents were satisfied with the actual competition
of the action sports event (motocross, in-line skate,
skateboard, BMX, and wakeboard), and the competi-
tion influenced their expressed future behavioral inten-
tions. Those who manage the Gravity Games should
view these results positively, and based upon this find-
ing, they should continue to focus on attracting the
best athletes to participate in the event. One strategy
for accomplishing this would be to raise the award for
the winners in order to attract top-notch athletes.
Attracting world-class athletes should bolster con-
sumer perceptions of core service quality and satisfac-
tion as suggested by our data.
Results indicated attendees perceived the peripheral
services to be of good quality. However, they did
express seating availability at the event to be a problem
item within peripheral service quality, a finding that is
likely to be the result of limited seating in the stands
during the event. The seating areas located near the
vert ramps (i.e., half pipes for skateboard and BMX)
were quite limited (some were directed to a different
venue to watch the action on a screen), and this proba-
bly negatively influenced respondents’ views of periph-
eral service quality. In addition, action sports events
typically have to import temporary seating and it may
not be of the best quality. Those who manage and
market action sports events may consider additional
strategies (e.g., better seating and better sight lines) to
combat this issue in an effort to provide more and bet-
ter opportunities for attendees to see the event.
Respondents at the event expressed satisfaction with
their overall experience at the event. As a result of this
satisfaction, they also indicated a strong likelihood of
their revisiting the event in the future. These responses
underscore the importance of providing quality servic-
es that would meet or exceed consumers’ expectations,
as they influence both satisfaction and future behav-
ioral intentions.
“Attracting world-class athletes should bolster con-
sumer perceptions of core service quality and satis-
faction as suggested by our data.”
Limitations and Future Research
One limitation of this study is that it was conducted
onsite at a single large-scale action sports event.
Investigation of other multi-day sporting events seems
appropriate, and could further the understanding of
the satisfaction of consumers with action sporting
events. Additional analyses should look more closely at
demographic differences on the perception of service
quality and its influence on satisfaction and future
behavioral intentions among action sports consumers.
Since members of Generation Y are such an important
generational cohort to the health of action sports,
exploration of this generation and its perceptions of
action sports events could provide practical and
important information for the members of the sport
industry. Furthermore, it may be interesting to investi-
gate the differences between first-time visitors and
repeat visitors to the event. It may be informative to
explore how repeat attendees perceive services differ-
ently and how cumulative satisfaction forms over time.
The proposed model fit the data well. While the
model explained 54.3% of the variance in satisfaction, it
only explained 3% of the variance in future intentions.
This indicates that there is much more to explore in
regard to spectators’ behavioral intentions. Accordingly,
there needs to be multiple endeavors to decipher atten-
dees’ complex decision-making process. For instance,
revision of service quality items may be appropriate as
well as utilizing multiple items to measure satisfaction
and behavioral intention of event attendees. Another
suggestion may be to introduce different constructs per-
Volume 16 • Number 4 • 2007 • Sport Marketing Quarterly 207
tinent to explaining behavioral intentions. For instance,
the perceived value construct (Petrick, 2004; Zeithaml,
1988) has been utilized to measure behavioral inten-
tions. In fact, Cronin et al. (2000) have found perceived
value to be the most influential in explaining future
attendance intentions. Perceived value was not included
in the study as this event was the first large-scale action
sports event to charge admission. We believed it was
safe to exclude this construct as attendees may overreact
to the price. Future studies may examine this concept as
admission fees have become common practice in action
sports events.
Conclusion
This study was an initial attempt to investigate the
relationship among service quality, satisfaction, and
behavioral intentions at a large-scale action sports
event. Respondents at this event seemed satisfied with
the services provided and expressed their intention to
revisit the event in the future. The results of this study
provide both theoretical and practical contributions to
the literature on the relationships among service quali-
ty, satisfaction and behavioral intentions. It also adds
to the extant literature on action sports. Still, further
inquiries focused on understanding the complex rela-
tionships analyzed in this study seem justified and
appropriate.
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