Sport volunteer service performance, image formation, and service encounters

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the link between sport event volunteer service performance and sport spectator experience that leads to future intentions. Design/methodology/approach Subjects were the international visitors at a mega sporting event in South Korea (n=431). The sample was randomly drawn based on convenience sampling method. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was utilized to test the hypotheses. The adequacy and statistical significance of the path models were confirmed by individual indicator loadings, average variance explained, bootstrap t-statistics and convergent validity. Findings Volunteer service performance significantly predicted event satisfaction, event image, and host city image and indirectly influenced intentions to revisit the event and host city. Event image predicted host city image, event satisfaction and intention to revisit the event. Host city image predicted event satisfaction and intention to revisit the host city. Event satisfaction predicted both intentions to revisit the event and the host city. Originality/value Sport event volunteers are in direct contact with spectators; therefore the performance of volunteers’ service may have an impact on establishing event and host city images perceived by visitors at the event. The research findings suggest that sport event volunteer performance positively affects image formation and further induce international visitors to revisit both the event and the host city. One of the key findings includes the important role of event satisfaction in the association between volunteer performance, image formation and future behavior.