ABSTRACT

Research question: In spite of the increasing significance of service innovation and customer knowledge management (CKM) as key resources for sports organisations, little sport management research has examined the role of innovation in the relationship between CKM and consumers’ behavioural intentions. Using the perceived innovation as a bridge, in this study, we tested whether CKM can predict behavioural intentions of customers.

Research methods: Participants (N = 578) were recruited from non-profit sports clubs in Iran. Structural equation modelling was applied to test the research model.

Results and Findings: The results revealed that CKM is an antecedent of innovation with creativity as a mediation path, as well as customer behavioural intention as a consequence of innovation. Moreover, CKM in total, contributed to the enhanced behavioural intention.

Implications: According to customers’ perceptions, non-profit sports clubs can generate new ideas and improve innovation in their services by enhancing customer knowledge, especially through customer-staff relationships. This study highlights the significance of perceived innovation and creativity in promoting customers’ behavioural intentions at non-profit sports clubs.

摘要

研究问题：尽管服务创新和客户知识管理（CKM）作为体育组织的关键资源越来越重要，但很少有体育管理研究考察创新在 CKM 与消费者行为意图之间的关系中的作用。在这项研究中，我们以感知创新为桥梁，测试了 CKM 是否可以预测客户的行为意图。

研究方法：参与者（N = 578）是从伊朗的非营利体育俱乐部招募的。采用结构方程模型对研究模型进行检验。

结果和发现：结果表明，CKM 是创新的先决条件，以创造力为中介路径，以及作为创新结果的客户行为意图。此外，总体而言，CKM 有助于增强行为意图。

启示：根据客户的看法，非营利体育俱乐部可以通过增强客户知识，特别是通过客户与员工的关系，产生新的想法并改进其服务的创新。本研究强调了感知创新和创造力在促进非营利体育俱乐部顾客行为意图方面的重要性。