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Event and community involvement of sport event volunteers

Kirstin Hallmann (German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany)
Anita Zehrer (MCI Management Center Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria)

International Journal of Event and Festival Management

ISSN: 1758-2954

Article publication date: 9 October 2017

2409

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential interrelationship between different types of volunteer involvement (event involvement and community involvement) and their impact on the behavioural intentions of different types of events.

Design/methodology/approach

By means of a survey, data from an one-off sport event (n=316), including volunteer tourists, and from annual sport events (n=278) in Germany were collected. Structural equation modelling was employed for data analysis.

Findings

Findings show that event involvement and community involvement are significantly correlated. Both influence future behavioural intentions for one-off events. But only event involvement and not community involvement influences behavioural intentions for annual events.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are underpinning the rationale of social identity theory from a theoretical perspective.

Practical implications

Volunteer managers learn that not only the volunteers’ involvement with event organisations, but also with the community (i.e. hosting destination) seems to be a key contributor of behavioural intentions and should therefore be fostered during the recruitment process and prior to the event.

Originality/value

This study is the first to compare involvement with two objects for different types of events. Therefore, this study adds to the rare literature looking at different event types in which an individual can volunteer.

Keywords

Citation

Hallmann, K. and Zehrer, A. (2017), "Event and community involvement of sport event volunteers", International Journal of Event and Festival Management, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 308-323. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEFM-08-2016-0058

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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