The Role of Emotions in Team-licensed Merchandise Consumption: Examining the Relationships among Team Identification, Team Performance, Emotions, and Purchase Intention

AbstractThis study aimed to explore the psychological effect of team performance on consumers’ intention to purchase team-licensed merchandising products. While existing literature attested the significance of game outcomes on purchase intention, less is known about the mediating role of emotions on the relationship between team performance and intention to buy team-licensed products. The emotional states of participants (n = 152) emotional states were experimentally manipulated by four different game scenarios (i.e., close win, lopsided win, close loss, and lopsided loss), and then the participants were asked to report their purchase intention toward the team’s merchandising goods. The result showed participants’ emotional arousal renders a significant effect on the relationship between game outcomes and intention to purchase team merchandising goods. Our findings indicate the importance of uncertainty associated game outcomes and emotions triggered during the game process on consumers’ decision-making process.Keywords: Team performanceuncertainty of outcomeemotionsteam-licensed productspurchase intention Disclosure StatementNo potential conflict of interest has to be reported.Additional informationNotes on contributorsMinkyo LeeMinkyo Lee (Ph.D., Indiana University Bloomington, U.S.) is currently serving as an assistant professor in the Intercollegiate and Professional Sport Management Program, which is situated within the Department of Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), in the United States. His research focuses on areas such as sport media, sport marketing, and new media technologies. His scholarly contributions have been featured in esteemed journals such as European Sport Marketing Quarterly, Sport Management Review, Communication & Sport. He has also been recognized with several conference awards for his exceptional research endeavors.Alex C. GangAlex Gang (Ph.D., Indiana University Bloomington, U.S.) is an assistant professor of Sport Management in the Department of Educational Leadership and Sport Management at Washington State University. Gang’s primary research interest centers on identifying the outcomes of sport participation from the perspective of civic engagement, wherein he delves into sport’s potential to make positive contribution to democracy.Dae Yeon KimDae Yeon Kim (Ph.D., Indiana University – Bloomington, U.S.) is an associate professor of Sport Management at the University of Central Missouri. Kim’s research centers around the dynamic role and interplay of sport marketing and brand management, delving into their profound impact on sport consumer behaviors across various platforms.In Sung YeoIn Sung Yeo (Ph.D., The Ohio State University, U.S.) currently serves as a professor in the Department of Sports Industry Studies at Yonsei University. His research primarily centers around sport culture and history. His scholarly contributions have appeared in reputable journals, including Sport Marketing Quarterly, International Journal of Sport Communication, and Societies.Paul M. PedersenPaul M. Pedersen (Ph.D., Florida State University) is a professor of sport management in the Department of Kinesiology within the School of Public Health at Indiana University – Bloomington. Based on his work as a sportswriter and sport business columnist, Pedersen’s primary area of scholarly interest and research is the symbiotic relationship between sport and communication. He is the founding editor of the International Journal of Sport Communication (IJSC).