Int. j. econ. manag. soc. sci., Vol(4), No (1), January, 2015. pp.

18-20

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International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences

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ISSN:
2306-7276

Copyright 2015. All rights reserved for TI Journals.

The Relationship between Perception of Quality of Services and

Spectators Satisfaction in Tractorsazi Tabriz Football Team
Mohammad Hossein Beyrami
Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.

Mohammad Rahim Najafzadeh*

Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
*Corresponding Author: najafzadeh@iaut.ac.ir

Keywords

Abstract

Perception of Quality of Services

Spectators Satisfaction
Tractorsazi Football Team

The present research aimed to determine a study of the relationship between perception of quality of services
and spectators satisfaction in Tractorsazi Tabriz football team. The statistical population consisted of 39,000
Tractorsazi Tabriz fans above 21 years of age who gathered in the Yadegar Imam (RA) Stadium to watch a
football game held in the 2013-14 Asian Championship League series. A sample of 225 spectators was
selected randomly for determining sample size. For collecting data, two questionnaires of, Wakefield et al
quality of services (1996) and Olivers satisfaction inventory (1980) were used. After data collection, data
were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and one-sample T-test. The result indicated that the
quality of services in Yadegare-Imam Stadium of Tabriz was significantly moderate according to Spectators
of Tractorsazi Football Team. Also the rate of satisfaction of spectators has significantly higher than average
(t=16.40, sig=0.001). Analyzing correlation between variables showed that there is no significant correlation
between perception of quality of services and spectators satisfaction (r= 0.112, Sig= 0.107).

1.

Introduction

Today, provision of customer satisfaction is one of the basic requirements in management systems, and customer satisfaction is being raised
during the recent decade as one of the strategic subjects. Now and in global economy, customers figure out survival of organizations. Firms
cannot be indifferent to expectations and demands of customers because their customers are the only resource to return their investment [13].
Revealing the perception of customers from their experience of services has been always important for successful organizations [10, 11].
Satisfaction means any judgment about qualification of products and services or the products and services themselves which completes the
enjoyable level of consuming [18]. Quality of services is another important subject in marketing literature and relates to customer satisfaction
and retention of customers [4, 22]. Quality of services, perceived value of services and customer satisfaction are three concepts playing a major
role in retention and increase of customers and subsequently in profitability and success of organizations. In fact, these three concepts have a
very important role in customer selection process, decision of customer to continue or terminate a relationship and at last, retention of customers
and long-term profitability of organization [6]. Experimental studies [2]. Alexandris et al, (2004) in sport industry show that customer
satisfaction is the result of customers perception from quality of services [2]. Above all, every unhappy customer transfers his or her experience
at least to seven other people [16].
While considering the effects of perception of quality of services or sports facilities on customer satisfaction in two great stadiums of Baseball
Major League, Wakefield and Blodgett (1994) concluded that customer satisfaction has a direct relationship with quality of services; in fact,
higher perception of quality of facilities leads to more satisfaction [19, 20]. The results of Choi (2001), Greenwell et al (2002), Tsuji et al (2007),
Yusof and See (2008), Ha et al (2010), Seyed Javadin et al (2010), Mahmoudi (2011), Alidost Ghahfarrokhi and Ahmadi (2012), Ahmadi
Bazdi(2012) and Naserian et al (2013) researches in sport enviroments showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between
quality of services and satisfaction [5, 8, 17, 21, 9, 15, 12, 3, 1, 14].
With professionalization of football and enhancing excitements of football matches, the number of spectators has been increased gradually, so
that reaches more than 100 thousand spectators in some stadiums [7]. Perception of quality of services and customer satisfaction are two
variables being studied in this research. So, the main goal of this research is to consider the relationship between perception of quality of services
and Spectators Satisfaction in Tractorsazi Tabriz Football Team during Asian Championships League being held in 2013-2014 season. Based on
the review of research literature, it was found that other researches in the Country about sport industry have been performed to consider
dimensions of satisfaction and quality of services in some sport environments like swimming pools and fitness clubs in which, consumers of
sport products have an active participation, and no study is done for environments with inactive consumers (for example spectators in stadiums
and sports halls). So, the current research is the first effort to investigate above-mentioned variables in sport environments.

2.

Methodology

2.1. Research methodology

This research is of a descriptive-correlation nature and data collection is carried out through a field research.
2.2. Statistical Population and Samples
The statistical population consisted of 39,000 Tractorsazi Tabriz fans above 21 years of age who gathered in the Yadegar Imam (RA) Stadium to
watch a football game held in the 2013-14 Asian Championship League series. The simple random sampling method was used to collect
information from 550 spectators sitting in a stadium platform. A sample of 225 spectators was selected randomly for determining sample size
and subsequently, questionnaires were distributed among this population. Of these, 207 questionnaires were returned for further analysis.

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The Relationship between Perception of Quality of Services and Spectators Satisfaction in Tractorsazi Tabriz Football Team
International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences Vol(4), No (1), January, 2015.

2.3. Measuring Tool

For collecting data for determining the state of quality of services, Wakefield et al questionnaire (1996) was used. This questionnaire involves 24
questions and seven components: environment of stadium, beauty of facilities, quality of scoreboard, rest seats, decoration of stadium, space of
stadium, signs inside the stadium and quality of staff in a seven-point Likert scale. The reliability of the questionnaire in this study using
Cronbach alpha was calculated at 0.93.
For collecting data for determining the state of satisfaction, Olivers questionnaire (1980) was used. This questionnaire involves three questions
in a seven-point Likert scale. The reliability of the questionnaire in this study using Cronbach alpha was calculated at 0.76.
2.4. Data collection method
For gathering data, the questionnaires were given to the spectators. In total, out of 225 distributed questionnaires, 207 questionnaires were
completely filled out and returned. In this study, descriptive statistics were used in order to summarize and classify the data and to calculate the
mean, frequency, standard deviation and to draw diagrams and tables, and KolmogorovSmirnov test, Pearson test and One sample t test were
used for testing the hypotheses.

3.

Results

The descriptive results of the data demonstrate that the highest age range of the participants was between 31-40 years equal to 31.4 percent and
the lowest age range of the participants was in > 40 years equal to 19.3 percent. The greatest attendance frequency in Tractorsazi team play was
obtained for the more than 10 times of attendance class (42%). The greatest attendance frequency in Tabriz Yaderar Imam Stadium was
obtained for the more than 10 times of attendance class (60.4%) (Table1).
Table 1. Description of the demographic characteristics of spectators
31-40

40 >

1-3

4-6

7-10

10 >

1-3

4-6

7-10

10 >

Attendance in Tabriz Yaderar Imam Stadium

26-30

Frequency
Frequency Percentage

Attendance in Tractorsazi Team Play

21-25

Age (Year)

52
25.1

50
24.2

65
31.4

40
19.3

49
23.7

37
17.9

34
16.4

87
42

31
15

29
14

22
10.6

125
60.4

The One sample t-test was used to investigate the status of the quality of services and spectators satisfaction. The results showed that the mean
quality of services variable was 3.99 and the level of test significance was 0.87. Therefore, the null hypothesis regarding quality of services and
the assumed mean (equal to 4) is confirmed. Based on this, we conclude that the quality of services in Yadegare-Imam Stadium of Tabriz was
significantly moderate according to spectators of Tractorsazi Football Team. Also the mean spectators satisfaction variable was 5.30 and the
level of test significance was 0.001. We conclude that status of spectators satisfaction according to spectators of Tractorsazi Football Team has
significantly an above the average level.
Table 2. One-Sample T Test for perception of quality of services and spectators satisfaction

Perception of Quality of Services

Spectators Satisfaction

N
207
207

Mean
3.99
5.30

Std. Deviation
1.137
1.140

Test Value = 4
t
df
-0.164
206
16.40
206

Sig. (2-tailed)
0.870
0.001

Mean Difference
-0.0129
1.3040

Results obtained by this research indicated that there is no significant relationship between perception of quality of services and satisfaction.
Research hypothesis was rejected regarding Pearson correlation coefficient (r=0.112, Sig=0.107) (Table 3).
Table 3. The relationship between perception of quality of services and spectators satisfaction (n=207)
Perception of Quality of Service
Spectators Satisfaction

4.

Mean
3.99
5.30

Std. Deviation
1.14
1.14

Min
1.46
2.33

Max
6.72
7.00

Pearson Correlation
r=0.112
Sig= 0.107

Discussion and Conclusion

The results of correlation between two main variables of the research indicated that there is no significant relationship between the perception of
quality of services and satisfaction. Given that there is a significant relationship between quality of services and satisfaction in most studies,
there is also a positive but weak relationship between quality of services and satisfaction in this research not being significant statistically.
Findings of this research are not consistent with findings of studies of Wakefield and Blodgett (1994), Choi (2001), Greenwell et al (2002), Tsuji
et al (2007), Yusof and See (2008), Ha et al (2010), Seyed Javadin et al (2010), Mahmoudi (2011), Alidost Ghahfarrokhi and Ahmadi (2012),
Ahmadi Bazdi(2012) and Naserian et al (2013). This inconsistency probably relates to different statistical societies in two cases. Another
reason of this inconsistency probably relates to effects of some other factors such as identity and loyalty to team, the effect of which is far more
than the effects of quality of services; this is the reason for quality of services not having a lot of influence on the interest on a sport team and
satisfaction. Namely, loving the match and paying a great attention to it keeps the attention of spectators away from quality of services. Deep
attention to customers and customer orientation is the mystery of sport industry and this concept is a great driving force in all sport
organizations. Satisfaction of customers brings many benefits for clubs and teams in the realm of sports enjoying a great number of spectators,
and the main source of income for sport clubs is due to presence of spectators in stadiums. Quality of services is one of the most important
factors leading to satisfaction of spectators and their continued presence in football stadiums. So, sport managers are required to make their
utmost effort to improve quality of services and to meet requirements of spectators in order to take the greatest profit by the presence of
spectators in stadiums and also for continuation of this presence. Since the major part of professional football clubs income is due to presence of

Mohammad Hossein Beyrami, Mohammad Rahim Najafzadeh *

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International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences Vol(4), No (1), January, 2015.

spectators in stadiums, it is suggested to club managers to construct stadiums being able to meet different requirements of customers or stadiums
with classified places instead of making facilities from which all customers have the same experience. It is also required to conform all
equipments and exterior and especially interior facades to requirements and demands of spectators, and to provide recreational and entertainment
activities for more satisfaction of customers. So, efforts must be to make facilities distinctive and more attractive for customers to bring more
satisfaction. Moreover, it is suggested to conduct periodical and continual surveys in football stadiums to assess the rate of satisfaction among
spectators and also to promote quality of services.

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