Articles in this issue:

• Meta-Analytic Review of Sport Consumption: Factors Affecting Attendance to Sporting Events

  Understanding what leads individuals to consume the product of sport is central to the study of the sport management discipline. Though the study of sport consumer behavior benefits from an extensive body of work, many key issues (e.g., external validity concerns) still require attention. This meta-analysis provides a comprehensive and systematic empirical review of the sport (mostly team sport) attendance literature. Specifically, this study examines the relationship between three categories of predictors (fan-focused, relation-ship-focused, and product-focused) and sport attendance. Also...Read more

• Perceived Influence of Word-of-Mouth Recommendation on Sport-Watching Behavior: A Gender Difference Perspective

  Akira Asada and Yong Jae Ko

  The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in the relationship between sports consumers’ perceived influence of word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendation and its antecedents. We conducted a survey with sports consumers who had received a WOM recommendation to watch a sporting event and actually watched the event. Survey participants indicated how much the WOM recommendation influenced their sport-watching behavior. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that a recommender’s trustworthiness, the richness of message content, and the strength of message delivery...Read more

• The Impact of Mega Sporting Events on Host Country’s Destination Images: The Cases of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and 2015 Beijing IAAF World Championships

  Yongjae Kim

  Jeeyoon Kim

  Sungho Cho

  and Kitae Yim

  From a tourism perspective, this study examined the change in host countries’™ destination images before and after mega sporting events. The study developed and tested a conceptual model delineating the relationship among sport event involvement, designation images, attitude towards the host country, and visit intention. This study further examined if the model has the same pattern across different sporting events. For the purpose of this study, the 2015 International Association of Athletics Federations Championships and the 2014 Winter Olympic Games were selected. Using a mall and street...Read more

• How Major League Teams Hire Entry- Level Ticket Sales Representatives: A Qualitative Analysis

  Nels Popp

  Michelle Harrolle

  and Janelle E. Wells

  Maintaining a robust salesforce is critical for nearly any business. The sport industry is no exception, as salespeople help sport organizations generate essential ticket revenue. While the sport industry is a popular career option for young professionals, relatively few aspiring sport managers desire to work in sales. As such, entry-level sport ticket sales positions experience high turnover. The purpose of this study is to assess the hiring processes of recruitment, evaluation, and selection of sales candidates among North American professional sport leagues. Qualitative interviews were...Read more