The Relationship between Innovation Characteristics and Perceived Value of Customers at Small Sports Clubs in Tehran

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between innovation characteristics and the perceived value of customers in small sports clubs in Tehran.

Based on the purpose, the present study is an applied research, and in terms of the method, it is a correlational type. It is also a survey study based on the data collection method. The statistical population was the customers of men's fitness clubs (N = 2000). Based on the Cochran formula, 267 individuals were randomly selected as the research sample. Data was collected by three researcher-made questionnaires consisting of 50 items, whose validity was confirmed by the professors. The reliability of the questionnaire was also calculated and confirmed by Cronbach's alpha. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, and to test the hypotheses, structural equation modeling and path analysis were used in particular.

The results showed that there is a significant positive correlation between the characteristics of innovation and perceived value (r = 0.62, P = 0.05). Also, among the characteristics of visibility innovation, the relationship and the complexity of the product have lesser impact than the perceived value of others.

According to the results obtained regarding the significant effect of innovation characteristics on perceived value, it can be concluded that providing innovative services in this way, can create perceived value in customers and strengthen it. Managers of sports centers should pay special attention to the desirable quality of innovation characteristics, so that customers become attracted to it quickly and decide to buy it after seeing and receiving the first information about an innovation, because the key to the success of an innovation is in its successful sale.