Browsing by Author "Diniz, Ana"
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- An examination of intentions of recommending fitness centers by user membersPublication . Gonçalves, Celina; Biscaia, Rui; Correia, Abel; Diniz, AnaThe goal of this study was to examine what experiences members have with fitness centers that influence their intentions for recommendation. After item generation and content validity, as well as a pilot test, a survey was conducted among members of five different clubs (n=1750). The questionnaire included measures of service quality attributes, accessibility, well-being in life, well-being in a club, and intentions to recommend a fitness center. Results using a structural equation model provide evidence that only service quality attributes and well-being in a club have positive effect on intentions of users to recommend it. Well-being in life has a negative effect on the intentions for re- commendation, while accessibility shows no predictive effect. These findings suggest implications for the management of a club, such as the need to create a pleasant environment and to provide a personalized service directed towards the members’ goals in order to improve well-being in a club and contribute to increase the intentions to recommend the fitness centers to others.
- An examination of members’ intentions to recommend fitness centresPublication . Gonçalves, Celina; Biscaia, Rui; Correia, Abel; Diniz, AnaIn the sports industry, service recommendation is pivotal due to its impact on the organizations’ profitability (Alexandris et al., 2004). Recommendation is a way of expressing positive behavioral intentions towards the organization, and several studies have focused on understanding its antecedents (Ferrand et al., 2010). For example, perceptions of service attributes and accessibilities (Chelladurai & Chang, 2000) have been highlighted as vital aspects guiding behavioral intentions, including service recommendations. Additionally, recent studies suggest that well-being in life is related to consumption levels in a variety of settings, while well-being in the fitness club tends to contribute to positive behavioral intentions towards the club (Barros & Gonçalves, 2009). While previous studies have focused on measuring each of these variables separately, little is known about the simultaneous effects of these variables. This is a vital aspect to provide a global understanding of how to improve members’ recommendations in fitness consumption environments. Drawing on previous literature, the purpose of this study is to examine the antecedents of service recommendations in an integrated model, including the attributes of the service, accessibilities, well-being in life and well-being in the fitness club. The study sample consisted of paid members from one the biggest Portuguese fitness networks. Based on the conceptual dimensions proposed in the literature, a survey with 18 items was created with the cooperation of a panel of specialists including two Portuguese club managers and two professors of sport management from a mid-sized Portuguese University. Service attributes were measured using 5 items (e.g. innovative equipment), while accessibilities were assessed using 2 items (e.g. good location). These items were designed by the experts. Well-being in life (5 items) and well-being in the club (5 items) were based on Diener et al. (1997). Service recommendation was measured using a single item based on Alexandris et al. (2004). The use of a single item is consistent with previous studies (Ferrand et al., 2010). All items were measured with a 5-point Likert-type scale (1=strongly disagree, to 5=strongly agree). The surveys were distributed by an experienced interviewer in seven clubs located in four different cities. Members were asked to participate in a study when arriving the club, and the surveys were self-administered in a room near the reception desk. A total of 2,500 surveys were collected and, after data screening, 1,750 were deemed usable for data analysis. Data were submitted to a two-step maximum likelihood structural equation model (AMOS 20.0). The results of the measurement model indicated an acceptable fit to the data [χ²(113)=493.99 (p<.001), CFI=.98, GFI=.97, RMSEA=.04]. The composite reliability values of the constructs were above the cut-off point of .70, while AVE values were greater than .50 providing evidence of convergent validity. Discriminant validity was accepted given that the AVE value for each construct was greater than the squared correlations between that construct and any other. Additionally, the overall assessment of the structural model indicated an acceptable fit to the data [χ²(126)=547.92 (p<.001), CFI=.98, GFI=.97, RMSEA=.04]. The results indicate that service attributes (β=.22, p<.01) and well-being in club (β=.54, p<.01) have a significant positive effect on recommendations. Accessibilities did not show a significant relationship with recommendation (p>.05), while well-being in life showed a significant negative effect on recommendation (β=-.09, p<.01). The ability of the hypothesized model to explain variation in the outcome variable was assessed through the R2 value (R2recommendation=48%). The findings are consistent with previous studies suggesting that the perceptions of service attributes are vital to increase recommendations (Ferrand et al., 2010). Additionally, well-being in club was the strongest predictor of recommendations highlighting the role of delivering the service in pleasant environments. Based on the items of this study, fitness managers should keep innovating in terms of the facilities and equipment, showing interest in solving member’s needs in order to ensure they feel good in the club, and thus, increasing their intentions to recommend the club. In turn, the findings did not show a significant role of the accessibilities dimension, which may be due to the good accessibilities of the clubs tested in the study. All clubs of this fitness network are located in central areas of the cities, and thus, a good accessibility may be seen as pre-requisite of the service provided by the club. On the other hand, well-being in life showed a negative effect on recommendations. These findings should be considered by fitness managers when designing marketing strategies for increasing the number of members, and provide opportunities to continue advancing our knowledge of how to manage fitness clubs.
- Analysis of member retention in fitness through satisfaction, attributes perception, expectations and well-beingPublication . Gonçalves, Celina; Diniz, AnaThe objective of this study was to understand how attributes perception, expectations, well-being and satisfaction influence membership retention in fitness clubs. To what extent do the perception of the service attributes by the members; the expectations, what is expected from a certain service; the well-being, pleasant feeling of body and mind; and the satisfaction, contentment of needs and desires, influence retention in fitness clubs. Data from a sample of 2,250 fitness club members were collected from a Fitness Network; statistical analysis included descriptive and inferential analysis. The inferential study was based on factor analysis involving extraction of principal components with Varimax. Path analysis was subsequently performed, through multiple linear regressions and analytical model representation. It was observed that well-being in the club is the variable with the largest causal effect on membership retention, followed by the facilities and equipment, expectations and, less relevantly, human resources, and finally innovation and services. The results indicate that fitness clubs should focus on club maintenance, offer suitable and modern facilities and equipment, and strive to cultivate strong customer relationships, in order to provide a pleasant experience to club members and increase the duration of their training sessions.
- Fitness industry: the influence of service attributes in membership renewalPublication . Gonçalves, Celina; Correia, Abel; Diniz, AnaNowadays there are several scientific researches about factors that encourage intention to renew and consequently promote retention. Alexandris, Zahariadis, Tsorbatzoudis & Grouios (2004) consider expectations and the influence of satisfaction in retention with Murray and Howat (2002). Green (2005) focuses on motivation for the participation and commitment in physical activity. Bodet (2006) mentions that the quality is related to the member perception of results. Although the service attributes don´t have the same value and consequently don’t have the same influence in satisfaction (Bodet, 2006), it is necessary to understand the more significant attributes.
- Fitness industry: the influence of service attributes in membership renewallPublication . Gonçalves, Celina; Correia, Abel; Diniz, AnaPhysical activity is no longer seen only as leisure but it also became a need to wellbeing, health promotion, stress reduction and obesity combating (Tharrett & Peterson, 2006). Other reasons are added, which are related to harmony, body cult, aesthetics, ageing delay and emotional rebalance. Gyms and Health Clubs (GHC) have tried to understand their consumers so as to gain better members (Green, 2005) - those who will not dropout – membership renewal. However, there are limits which required further research. Considering the dimension of the fitness marketing in Portugal [in 2005 there were 1100 GHC for 480 000 members, with 4,8% average of participation (European Market Report, 2005)], the present study aims to find out to what extent the perception that the members have from GHC contributes to the intention to renew, through specific variables of positioning. Investigate what the member perceives and how this influences his behaviour.
- Member's retention in portuguese fitness clubs: the influence of expectations, positioning, well-being and satisfactionPublication . Gonçalves, Celina; Correia, Abel; Diniz, AnaThe objective of this study was to understand how positioning, expectations, well-being and satisfaction influence membership retention in fitness clubs in Portugal. We tried to answer the following question: To what extent do the positioning, perception of the service attributes by the members; the expectations, what is expected from a certain service; the well-being, pleasant being of body and mind; and the satisfaction, contentment of necessities and wishes, influence member retention in fitness clubs.
- Posicionamento e retenção em ginásios e health clubsPublication . Gonçalves, Celina; Correia, Abel; Diniz, Ana
- Retenção de membros no fitness: estudo das expectativas, posicionamento, bem-estar e satisfaçãoPublication . Gonçalves, Celina; Correia, Abel; Diniz, AnaThe objective of this study was to understand how positioning, expectations, well-being and satisfaction influence membership retention in fitness clubs. To what extent do the positioning, perception of the service attributes by the members; the expectations, what is expected from a certain service; the well-being, pleasant being of body and mind; and the satisfaction, contentment of necessities and wishes, influence member retention in fitness clubs. Data from a sample of 2250 fitness club members were collected from a Fitness Network; statistical analysis included descriptive and inferential analysis. The inferential study resorted to factor analysis involving extraction of principal components with Varimax rotation. Path analysis was subsequently performed, through multiple linear regressions and analytical model representation. It was observed that well-being in the club is the variable with the largest causal effect on membership retention, followed by the facilities and equipment, expectations and, less relevantly, human resources, followed by innovation and services. The results indicate that fitness clubs should focus on club maintenance, offer suitable and modern facilities and equipment, and strive to cultivate strong customer relationships, in order to provide a pleasant experience to club members and to increase the duration of their training sessions.
- Variáveis internas e externas ao indivíduo que influenciam o comportamento de retenção de sócios no fitnessPublication . Gonçalves, Celina; Correia, Abel; Diniz, AnaEste estudo tem como objetivo perceber a influência do comportamentos dos consumidores na retenção de sócios no fitness. Foram recolhidos dados numa Rede nacional de fitness, com uma amostra de 2250 sócios, e o tratamento estatístico foi realizado no software SPSS Statistics (v.19.0) através de análise descritiva e inferencial. Na análise descritiva recorreu-se a medidas de localização, dispersão e forma, a tabelas de frequências e diagramas de barras. Os resultados indicam que os inquiridos se dividem relativamente aos gastos por mês no clube. Grande parte dos sócios treina duas vezes por semana; a duração do treino é mais de 90 min; recomendaria o seu GHC e o seu grau de satisfação é elevado. Na análise inferencial recorreu-se à comparação através de testes de Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis e comparações múltiplas de Dunn, concluindo-se que a atitude dos sócios perante a retenção se distingue consoante o género (o feminino apresenta maior retenção), a idade (os mais novos e mais velhos mostram maior retenção) e o comportamento perante a prática (os sócios que têm uma duração de treino maior revelam maior retenção). Os resultados indicam que as organizações de fitness devem apostar no género feminino, já que este apresenta uma retenção superior ao género masculino, os sócios menores de vinte anos e os maiores de sessenta e cinco anos são os que apresentam uma retenção superior e os sócios que referem um treino de maior duração também apresentam uma taxa de retenção maior de quem treina menos tempo.