Research On The Intention Of Residents In The Pearl River Delta And Macau To Participate In Cross-border Sports Events Based On SOR Model

With its unique geographical advantages,the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area occupies an important strategic position in China’s overall development.Although the current research on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has yielded certain results,a complete framework and mature model have not yet been formed.From the perspective of the Pearl River Delta and Macao residents participating in sports events,this paper conducts preliminary research on the mechanism of participation in cross-border sports events,hoping to provide new research ideas in the field of consumer behavior prediction,and further enrich and expand consumer behavior theories and cross-border consumption theories.It will also help the related departments and enterprises better understand sports events participants’ behavior and psychological reaction in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area,and excavate potential cross-border sports consumption demand.It will give certain guiding meaning to promote the cross-communication of sports fans and the local economic growth in the Greater Bay Area.Based on the stimulus-organism-response(S-O-R)model of consumer behavior theory,this paper uses methods including literature review,random sampling questionnaire survey and mathematical statistics analysis,and puts forwards the assumptions that economic factors,transportation factors,currency exchange rate factors,related attraction factors and event product factors have impacts on cross-border participation in sports events,taking individual attitude as an intermediary variable.Macao residents participating in sports events in the Pearl River Delta and the Pearl River Delta residents participating in sports events in Macao are selected as our investigation objects.Partial least squares(PLS)method is used to verify the research model and analyze the causal relationships between potential variables.Bootstrapping method is used to verify the significance.Through PLS group comparative analysis,we research different demand between Macau residents and the Pearl River Delta residents,and conduct a more comprehensive study on cross-border sports consumption.The results of empirical research show that: 1)Event product factors are the most important factors affecting individual attitude of cross-border participation in sports events.2)Individual attitude plays a mediating role in the impact of event product factors on individual behavior intention.3)Compared with residents of the Pearl River Delta,Macao residents pay more attention to the event product factors.4)There are limited ways for residents of both places to participate in cross-border sports events.Our suggestions include: 1)enriching the content of sports events products and improving event service experience,2)strengthening the role of media publicity and enhancing residents’ concept of sports consumption,3)learning advanced experience in running sports events and building high-end sports events brands,as well as 4)broadening the ways for participating in sports events and building "Green Channel" for cross-border sports event participation.