Passion as a Determinant in Sport Consumption: the Case of Amateur Cyclists

Abstract

This paper analyses sport passion as a possible determinant for sport consumption. The purpose of this research, after defining the concept of passion for cycling, is to understand the existing relations between the latter and the costs incurred to practice this sport at an amateur level. This research is exploratory in nature and uses a qualitative mix-method approach. Given the need to isolate individual dynamics of cyclists from socio-cultural influences, the interviewees were selected from a restricted and homogeneous geographical area: the Umbria Region (Italy). The study is structured in two phases: in the first phase 22 in-depth interviews were carried out; in the second phase a group interview was preferred. In order to guarantee transparency e verifiability of the results, the answers were handled with the help of a word processing software (NVIVO). The results of this research suggest that cyclists' consumption models are instrumentally influenced by the passion for cycling, more than other characteristics previously studied in sport management literature. This study provides useful indications on how to develop new forms of market segmentation. It also offers an approach for the operationalization of the level of passion for cycling, which enriches the current equipment of sports management researchers, who can also use the work in other contexts of free time consumption. This work highlights the key role of passion as a determinant for sport consumption and represents an original connection between psychological studies on sport passion and economic studies on sport consumption.