An exploratory examination of the impact of personal values on sport consumption preferences and behaviors: A cross-cultural study

As a result of integrated world economic and advanced technology, the market territory of the sport industry is no longer limited to North America. Technological innovation, such as the World Wide Web and digital satellite television, has globalized the distribution of sport and has enhanced sport marketers' ability to implement marketing strategies across countries in a global manner. Globalization, undoubtedly, is an inevitable trend for sport organizations that want to have a competitive advantage in the world marketplace to follow. However, an effective global strategy does not rely only on having high quality products and dazzling marketing strategies, but also on understanding the cultural differences of global consumers that may influence marketing effectiveness.;Values serve as guiding principles to our everyday lives (Kahle, 1983; Schwartz, 1992), and provide a foundation for attitudes and behaviors (Homer & Kahle, 1988). Among the variates of culture, personal values (which are the focus of this current study) have been considered significant influences on consumers' preferences, behavioral intentions, and (ultimately) behaviors. Personal values also undoubtedly influence the behaviors of sport consumers. Therefore, regarding the successful implementations of global and international sport marketing strategies, understanding the role and influence of personal values is a necessity.;The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of personal values on sport consumption preferences and sport consumption behavioral frequency in two different cultural settings. Utilizing Kahle's (1983) value scale---the List of Value (LOV), this study examined: (a) the value structure of American and Taiwanese students, (b) the extent to which personal values influenced sport consumption preferences and sport consumption behavioral frequency of American and Taiwanese students differently, and (c) the correlation between sport consumption preferences and sport consumption behavioral frequency in both cultural settings. The results revealed that the structures of personal values between American and Taiwanese students were different and personal values collectively had a significant effect on sport consumption patterns for both cultural settings. In addition, sport consumption preferences were significantly related to sport consumption behavioral frequency for both the American and Taiwanese students. From practical and theoretical implications perspectives, the findings of this study highlighted the importance of identifying and understanding the cultural differences and similarities among global sport consumers that may influence the overall success of global and international marketing strategies.