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Kaden, Martin ; Brandt, Christian ; Bauers, Sebastian ; Hovemann, Gregor:
Time to Say Goodbye? - An Analysis of German Football Fans' Exit Tendencies.
2024
Veranstaltung: 32nd European Sport Management Conference: EASM Sport Management and Social Inclusion
, 3-6 September 2024
, Paris, France.
(Veranstaltungsbeitrag: Kongress/Konferenz/Symposium/Tagung
,
Vortrag
)
Abstract
Aim and Research Questions
Fans invest time, money, and passion in their relationship with their favourite teams, and are essential stakeholders for the future success of European football in general and in Germany as one of the key markets in particular (Senaux, 2008; Winell et al., 2023). A current market and advertising media analysis, according to which more than half of the German population can be described as football fans due to a general interest, underlines this relevance once again (Statista Research Department, 2023). Against this backdrop, various media reports and research from the recent past appear to be extremely worrying, as they repeatedly address the alienation, eroding loyalty, and exit of fans (Kaden et al., 2023). The present study is intended to shed light on this important issue by investigating the central research question of whether there are tendencies for German football fans to move away from their favourite teams.
Theoretical Background and Literature Review
This study is based on Hirschman's (1970) Exit-Voice-Loyalty-Framework which provides two basic response options for customers of a company or members of an organisation in case of dissatisfaction: They can either stop buying a company's products or leave the organisation (Exit) or address the management of the company/organisation directly, for example by initiating protest campaigns or submitting complaints (Voice). Loyalty, as a «special attachment» (Hirschman, 1970, p. 77) to a company/organisation, intervenes between these two response options by preventing or delaying an exit, thus giving customers/members the opportunity to articulate voice more strongly. Previous research on the exit of football fans has been extremely discontinuous in this regard, as it is generally and simply assumed that fans support their favourite teams unconditionally and loyally (Tapp, 2004). Furthermore, although various studies show that fans are quite capable of turning their backs on their favourite teams, the reasons and extent of such an exit sometimes differ greatly (Kaden et al., 2023). The topic is also repeatedly addressed in a wide range of renowned studies, which once again underlines the need for in-depth scientific analysis. Uhrich (2021), for example, defines the feeling of estrangement as the psychological distance that fans feel from the club; Tinson et al. (2021) deal with the disruption of values in football fandom and the subsequent reactions, and Cocieru et al. (2019) explain how, among other things, growing dissatisfaction among fans can result in a loss of support. In summary, there is an almost complete lack of scientific work that allows for a comprehensive understanding of the exit of football fans. The present study addresses the identified research desideratum by taking a comprehensive look at the topic of a fan exit in the context of German football.
Research Design, Methodology and Data Analysis
This study builds on our previous qualitative investigation by including representatives of football clubs and associations as well as representatives of fan initiatives as further appropriate stakeholder groups of German professional football and relevant sources in the research process (Senaux, 2008). From April to May 2024, heterogeneously composed focus groups, consisting of various representatives of the stakeholder groups listed, will be held on the topic. Thereby, the aim is to stimulate discussions and to identify diverging as well as common opinions (Vogl, 2014). The planned implementation of three focus groups of four to five participants each also promises a profound insight into the topic, as well as a comprehensive analysis and expansion of existing findings. The resulting research material is analysed qualitatively and inductively according to the 232 methodological approach of Thematic Analysis by Braun and Clarke (2006).
Results/Findings and Discussion
Data collection and analysis of the study is currently underway but will be completed by the time of the conference. Initial impressions of the data already available indicate strongly differing opinions on the topic of fan exit, with a clear contrast to the results of preceding studies (Kaden et al., 2023). The existence of a fan exit is sometimes strongly doubted, which is also noted by the participants as surprising to a certain extent, considering the various problems fans are currently confronted with (e.g. more difficult stadium access due to increased costs or political restrictions). In this context, the participants also repeatedly point out the future challenges for German football, insofar as a change or even exit of parts of the fans, as in other countries, is to be avoided.
Conclusion, Contribution, and Implication
The present study underlines the brisance and relevance of the topic of the exit tendencies of German football fans for the future and demonstrates beyond doubt the need for further scientific examination of the topic. Particular importance should be attached to recurring surveys over time, as previous qualitative findings sometimes show strong divergences from one another. A certain latency in the exit tendencies of German football fans can also be recognised, which makes further research indispensable.
References
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Cocieru, O. C., Delia, E. B., & Katz, M. (2019). It’s our club! From supporter psychological ownership to supporter formal ownership. Sport Management Review, 22(3), 322–334.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2018.04.005
Hirschman, A. (1970). Exit, Voice, and Loyalty. Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations and States. Harvard University Press.
Kaden, M., Brandt, C., Bauers, S. B., Bunar, J., & Hovemann, G. (2023) “I don’t watch that anymore”: an analysis of online comments by German soccer fans on their relationship to their favored clubs. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1289436. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1289436
Senaux, B. (2008). A stakeholder approach to football club governance. International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 4(1), 4-17.
Statista Research Department (2023). Umfrage in Deutschland zum Interesse an der Sportart Fußball bis 2023. Available at: https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/
171037/umfrage/interesse-an-der-sportart-fussball/#:~:text=Mit%20rund%2046%20Millionen%20Personen,Verein%20der%20deutschen%20Bundesliga%20interessieren (accessed April 25, 2024).
Tapp, A. (2004) The loyalty of football fans - We'll support you evermore?. Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management, 11, 203–215. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.dbm.3240221
Tinson, J., Sinclair, G., & Gordon, R. (2021). How value is disrupted in football fandom, and how fans respond. European Sport Management Quarterly, 23(2), 411–428. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2020.1871394
Uhrich, S. (2021). Antecedents and consequences of perceived fan participation in the decision making of professional European football clubs. European Sport Management Quarterly, 21(4), 504–523. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2020.1757734
Vogl, S. (2014). Gruppendiskussionen. In N. Baur & J. Blasius (Eds.), Handbuch Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung (p. 581-586). Springer VS.
Weitere Angaben
| Publikationsform: | Veranstaltungsbeitrag (Vortrag) |
|---|---|
| Begutachteter Beitrag: | Ja |
| Institutionen der Universität: | Forschungseinrichtungen > Zentrale wissenschaftliche Einrichtungen > Bayreuther Zentrum für Sportwissenschaft (BaySpo) |
| Titel an der UBT entstanden: | Ja |
| Themengebiete aus DDC: | 300 Sozialwissenschaften 700 Künste und Unterhaltung > 790 Sport, Spiele, Unterhaltung |
| Eingestellt am: | 02 Dec 2024 09:01 |
| Letzte Änderung: | 02 Dec 2024 09:04 |
| URI: | https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/91293 |