Globalization in Professional Sport: A Comparison of Chinese and American Basketball Spectators

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to develop a model for cross-cultural sport spectatorship, and then to compare American and Chinese basketball spectators. Means-end theory guided the development of a conceptual framework, and structural equation modeling was used to test the relationship between focal attributes and expected consequences. Focal attributes referred to the concrete features of basketball games, while expected consequences referred to abstract motives for watching sporting events. Participants were National Basketball Association spectators in the United States and Chinese Basketball Association spectators in China. Self-administered questionnaires were administered at games in the two countries. Significant findings included cross-cultural similarities and differences in the spectators’ reasons for attending games. Spectators in the two countries were compared on their preferences for: Kahle’s List of Values, individualism/collectivism dimensions, attributes, consequences, consequence-attribute paths, and behavioral intentions. Recommendations for the field and future research are included, as well as limitations of the study. This study provides a new methodology for testing means-end theory, and a new model for analyzing sport spectatorship. This study also contributes to the growing body of literature in cross-cultural sport marketing.