The effects of internal marketing on job satisfaction and organizational commitment in Taipei sports centers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among internal marketing, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment of employees in the context of the sports service industry. All employees of public sports centers in Taipei City participated in this study, and the data (n = 261) were subsequently analyzed. The results show that internal marketing has a positive influence on job satisfaction among employees, and that job satisfaction in turn has a positive influence on the organizational commitment of employees. Although a direct relationship between internal marketing and organizational commitment among employees was not found, a full mediation effect of job satisfaction between the factors was revealed. The findings of this study clarify the relationships and verify the mechanisms at work among internal marketing, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment of employees. Academically, the study fills the gap in sports management literature regarding the role of internal marketing for sports services. The study also provides practical implications for sports center managers to implement internal marketing in sports centers, and thereby provide better-quality service for customers.