International Journal of Sport Management

Team Identification Full Circle: The Importance of Cognition, Evaluation and Affect

Michael Naylor, David Hedlund, Geoff Dickson

Abstract: Fans’ psychological connection to teams has long been of interest to sport management scholars. The connection has been explored using the team identification construct, which is derived from theories of group identity conceived well before sport-specific management inquiry emerged. In this study a multidimensional team identification scale is developed and tested. The three dimensions include two which reflect the personal aspect of group identification (cognition, affect) and one that reflects the social aspect (evaluation). The results of confirmatory factor analysis provide support for cognitive, affective and evaluative dimensions which is consistent with previous literature. Structural modeling results provide evidence supporting the relationships between team identification and behavioral intention variables. The scale is more parsimonious than its predecessors and therefore represents a step forward for measuring the construct. Significant relationships between the construct and several outcomes should generate interest from industry partners.

Citation: Naylor, M., Hedlund, D., & Dickson, G. (2017). Team identification full circle: The importance of cognition, evaluation and affect. International Journal of Sport Management, 18(4), 573-592.

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