Providing a model from the formation process of fan-team identification among football fans in Iran

Formation of fan-team identification can pay the way for development of sport team brands and reinforcing fan base and economic base of sport teams. The purpose of the current study was to provide a model from the formation process of fan-team identification among football fans in Iran. The research method was descriptive – survey and a practical one, and the data was collected by using a combination of Batacharia & Sen’s distinction identity, similarity identity, and prestige identity survey, Ahearn et al’s attractiveness identity, and Meal & Ashforth’s fan-team identification survey. The research population consisted football fans in Iran and based on a pilot study a sample of (n=344) was selected through random sampling. The validity of questionnaire was verified by using comments of experts in sport management and the reliability of the total questionnaire was found to be 0,86 according to Chronbach’s alpha. The conceptual framework of the current study was a hypothesized model involved identity distinction, identity similarity, identity prestige, identity attractiveness, and fan-team identification. To measure the validity and fitness of the model, Structural Equations Modeling (SEM) has been applied. PLS and SPSS18 were used for data analysis. The results showed that among the four casual relationships, all directions except to the direction of similarity identity to attractiveness identity were verified.