MASTER’S THESIS

Master thesis: sport spectator preferences
The empiric goal of this work is to get consumer motives, values and experiences
factors why people go to judo sport events. Therefore surveys with three different
tools are used on the judo sport events Grand Prix Düsseldorf and competitions
of the German Judo Bundesliga. In the following chapter 3 describe the methodology
of the empiric research. The empiric research use qualitative and quantitative
research tools. First tool is the technique of means-ends chains, the
second tool is a questionnaire for event experience and third tool is the fan motivation
questionnaire from Wann, et al. (1995).
3 Methodology
3.1 The technique of means-end chains
The means-end theory is used for consumer research (Grunert & Grunert, 1995).
The method measures the development of relevant consume structures and the
influence of marketing strategies on consumer behavior (Trommsdorff, 2002).
Results of means-end research help to understand the process of buying decisions.
This knowledge can be used by managers of communication and marketing.
Consumers can reach goals through consuming products and services.
“Means” are products, activities or services, which come to consumer “Ends” in
form of values or goals as security, satisfaction etc. Values are strong drivers for
human behavior. The means-end chain is a model of linked elements. Meansend
chains have three basic elements, attributes, consequences and values.
“Chain” is the relationship between the attributes, consequences and values
(Reynolds & Olson, 2001).
The understanding of positive values of products or services for individuals is the
main idea of the means-end theory (Gutman, 1982).
3.1.1 Attributes, consequences, values
The first means-end model developed by Peter & Olson (1999) combines just
three basic elements of consumer associations. Products have different attributes
for consumers. A more complex means-end model described by Olson & Reynolds
(1983) shows two kinds of attributes. The concrete product attributes are
physical characteristics, such as content substitutes for food. The abstract
attributes are subjective characteristics of consumer insights, like emotion or mo-
Methodology page 38