How Service Factors Affect Sports Customers Loyalty - The Atlanta Braves Baseball Team - Research Paper Example

Business Design Research Report Executive Summary The main aim of this research is to determine the value of stadium features such as parking attendants, security personnel, ticket takers, and ushers, along with stadium identity, to sports stakeholders such as fans and employees in various capacities. The Atlanta Braves Baseball Team management could utilise this information in generating marketing research that will assist in facilitating the necessary renovations that are to be made to the team’s home stadium. This study will use quantitative estimates acquired from a number of sports databases in gathering the necessary information. The researchers expect to assess and evaluate any gathering techniques that have been employed internationally by baseball teams in making identical changes, and will use the most current data available. Aspects of special interest will include statistics on local market visits, data on executive meetings and in-person discussions with baseball managing executives of various teams, any analyses on regional trends in terms of the use of new facilities by base ball teams, data on existing conditions in the Atlanta Braves’ local market, and the assessment of facility data from competitive regional sports markets and facilities. The matter to be investigated in this research will be of great value to sports managers and policy makers. In examining different aspects that play a significant role in determining the choice to relocate to a new stadium, or the option to renovate the existing stadium, there are greater possibilities of gaining a fresh understanding of how such decisions can positively affect both the teams in question, performance-wise, and the surrounding community. This research could also come up with new methods of determining the true effects of such changes on the team and the surrounding community. This study’s agenda ought to be able to assist by providing baseball’s policy makers with more information on how to fashion their investments in such a way that they get the greatest benefits from them. To meet this research’s objectives, the researchers will investigate the evaluation techniques, as well as examine the impact hypothesis from previous studies carried out in the last ten years. The researchers will also examine factors that ought to be considered by any baseball management team, in terms of social, economical, and property aspects, before deciding on renovations or the construction of new stadia. This research will also provide an opportunity to determine if an analysis of the research’s outcomes could be used to further assess factors such as the influence of longitudinal business data in comprehending the impact of sports on the local or regional business base. The researchers will also use information from the sports databases to examine the influence of different associated costs, as well as limitations. Business Design Research Report Introduction The Atlanta Braves’ Baseball team officially moved to Turner Field in 1966, from Milwaukee. The Atlanta Braves management team’s desire to implement renovations on the field is based on the need to cater to their numerous needs of their stakeholders. For example, it is expected that after the renovations, the stadium will be able to provide entertainment throughout the year, and not just on specific game days. It will also be able to function as a mixed-use sports destination, while also having an increased seating capacity. The renovation would also allow the officials operating in Turner Field to allocate approximately $150 million in upgrading lighting fixtures, replacing the stadium’s seats with newer models, and improving plumbing systems. The Atlanta Braves’ management team is also dedicated to improving the fans’ experiences by allocating $200 million to the enhancement of various services provided in the course of games. A lot of renovation will be implemented in the parking zone, for example. In the past decade, the Atlanta Braves’ fan group has grown extensively. This means that on most game nights, there tends to be limited parking space. This means that more fans are forced to follow the games on television instead of in their preferred seats in the stadium. The proposed renovations will not only tackle these changes, but also avail a centre that is geographically closer to its fan base. The Atlanta Braves are not the first sporting franchise to engage in such renovations. Studies have revealed that this is a common trend for sports teams that experience consistent success, and the resultant growth in fan base. Statement of Research The purpose of this research is to assess information from various databases on the trend of relocating to new stadia, or implementing renovations that are meant to cater for more of the stakeholders’ requirements. The researchers will look over a number of studies published on existing information on the state of professional stadiums; while also examining the service factors that increase sports customers’ satisfaction. Previous Research and Literature There are more than 30 baseball teams in America; the majority of which have their own home stadiums. Stadia such as the Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, and Griffith Stadium have a special place in most Americans’ minds. Today, it is a common thing for new ball parks to be constructed for the purpose of capitalising on team profits. This was not always the case, though. It was the 1990s that saw the emergence of the building trend in regards to sports stadia and arenas. According to Rosentraub (2010), the period between 1991 and 2006 saw the construction of 82 different sporting venues across America. This amounted to more stadia than had been built in the nation during the past 40 years (Rosentraub 2010). One of the reasons for this building boom was because there was a change in the way that the sports arenas were purposed. In the past, the typical baseball stadium was designed in different shapes such as houses or horse shoe shapes, and hosted a number of different teams. Today, there are more teams and even more baseball venues. In the United States, most baseball venues can be said to be new, as they were built during the last 13 years. The construction of most baseball stadia is funded by public subsidies. According to Lertwachara and Cochran (2007), most of the baseball parks that were built between 2000 and 2006 cost approximately $319 without the inclusion of maintenance tax revenue. In the past few decades, 23 baseball parks have been constructed or subjected to heavy renovation. This does more than just improve the experience of baseball fans (Winfree, McCluskey, Mittlehammer, and Fort 2004). For example, after major renovations were effected in Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Boston’s Fenway Park, both home teams finished in the fourth and second positions in the national championships. This shows that such changes even inspire the players to invest more in their performance (Gitter and Rhoads 2010). In addition, some of the changes that management teams wish to improve in adding renovations have to do with intangible aspects. There are actually baseball enthusiasts such as the founders of Ballparks.com- Paul Munsey and Cory Suppes, ESPN: The Magazine’s Glen Waggoner, and Notre Dame Professor, Phillip Bess, who have come up with a way of determining the best baseball parks when assessed on the presence of intangible aspects (DeMause 2008). These baseball scholars have contended that Chicago’s Wrigley Field is the most accomplished in this aspect. Even though Wrigley Field is often cramped, cold, and crowded, it has an authenticity that is unmatched anywhere else. In contrast, the Florida Marlin’s Dolphin Stadium is widely voted as being the worst arena (Agha 2013). Recommended Research Design In this study, the research data will be subjected to mega-analysis and analysed by means of the qualitative comprehension method. Data from previous studies will be supplemented by any fresh existing information; and there will be parameters instituted to assess discrete as well as continuous variables. The improvement of service factors will be examined in terms of influence to increase customer figures; and expected outcomes of use in future projects discussed. Meta analysis will facilitate a comparative basis in regards to improved service practices, helping to establish which services are most likely to have the largest positive impact on newly built or renovated baseball stadia. Validity The use of secondary research to acquire data can present a number of challenges. For example, it may poll baseball management teams that do not provide the right information because of the need to balance the necessity to recreate a detailed picture as fast as possible in regards to the needs of sports customers for the reason of maintain market position. Furthermore, it is more difficult to determine the accuracy of collected data. It may have been compromised by unrepresentative samples, leading questions, and even biased interviewers. If the researchers wish to make efforts to ensure that the data they are using is accurate, and that all interviewers in various previous researches were objective, this could increase costs. Researchers also have to consider that there are ethical and legal constraints that have definite stipulations about how personal data is used by market researchers. In this case, for example, the researchers would have to ensure that the data was utilised only for legal purposes, and keep it only for the period of the research. Conclusion The main purpose of this study is to assess how service factors, among other external properties, affect sports customers’ loyalty. Conclusions of the study’s feasibility can be determined through market feasibility in terms of the stadium in question’s ability to draw and preserve support levels of facility usage and event activity that are either consistent with, or more than the existing industry standards. Conclusions could also be determined by the ability of the new or renovated structure to realise an operating profit, or at least break even, in regards to facility related expenses and operating revenues. The conclusion could also be determined by the new facility’s capacity to create more spending activity among local and out-of-town customers, as well as the ability to produce tax revenue for businesses in the area. In today’s modern socially conscious climate, businesses are also evaluated in accordance with their ability to bring intangible benefits to the immediate community. Recommendations The recommendations in this study will take into consideration the assessment of data, resulting conclusions, existing theories, approaches, and methodologies, and the general experience of stakeholders in regenerated sports projects. From the existing trends, it is evident that the construction of new baseball parks or renovation of new ones has to be accompanied by improved service delivery in order to sustain, and even increase the numbers of customers in regular attendance. From past examples of baseball teams that have relocated to new stadia, it is also evident that players, the employees, and even the surrounding community can benefit from such projects. The economy of the local community, in particular, stands to benefit from additional revenue from the improved infrastructure, and cultural interest in games that accompanies national sports. However, before investing in renovations, it is important for teams such as the Atlanta Braves to take into account factors the most prime location for the extension to be built. Whether to the north or south of the main building, the constructors of the stadium’s extension will have to consider factors such as attractiveness, accessibility to the customers, and adjacent properties. References Agha, N. (2013) ‘The economic impact of stadia and teams: The case of Minor League Baseball’, Journal of Sports Economics, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 227-252. DeMause, N. (2008) Field of schemes: how the great stadium swindle turns public money into private profit, Revised and Expanded Edition, Bison Books, New York. Gitter, S.R. & Rhoads, T.A. (2010) ‘Determinants of minor league baseball attendance’, Journal of Sports Economics, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 614-628. Lertwachara, K. & Cochran, J.J. (2007) ‘An event study of the economic impact of professional sport franchises on local US economies’, Journal of Sports Economics, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 244-254. Rosentraub, M.S. (2010) Major league winners: using sports and cultural centres as tools for economic development, CRC Press, Boca Raton Winfree, J.A., McCluskey, J.J., Mittlehammer, R.C. & Fort, R. (2004) ‘Location and attendance in major league baseball’, Applied Economics, vol. 36, pp. 2117-2124. Read More