Fan identification, Schadenfreude toward hated rivals, and the mediating effects of Importance of Winning Index (IWIN)

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore potential negative outcomes of high fan identification as well as to identify the causal mechanism or mediator by which high identification may result in such negative responses.Design/methodology/approachA scale development process was used to develop a new mediating construct for the fan identification literature, the Importance of Winning Index (IWIN). Structural equations modeling was used to analyze the surveys.FindingsThe IWIN construct represents a new and distinct construct from fan identification. Additionally, IWIN mediates the relationship between fan identification and negative outcome behaviors, thus serving as an explanatory mechanism of when fan identification can produce negative behaviors (in this study Schadenfreude, or wishing ill/harm on rivals).Research limitations/implicationsA student sample and limitation to one context of negative outcomes leaves opportunities for future research to assess the generalizability of these results across various populations and contexts.Practical implicationsSchadenfreude is manifested toward a variety of targets associated with a rival team, including the team's sponsors. Companies should be cautious when selecting what teams they sponsor so that they do not alienate potential consumers who are fans of rival teams. Moreover, the study raises important ethical and social responsibility issues with broader implications suggesting that sports organizations need to promote strong identification among their fans in a responsible manner.Originality/valueThis article is one of few studies that addresses the adverse effects of a highly identified fan/customer base and extends the identification literature by introducing a new variable (IWIN) that mediates the relationship between identification and negative outcomes.

Reinvestigating the Impact of Conference Realignment on Rivalry in Intercollegiate Athletics

“…Further, Kilduff et al (2010) suggest that rivalry is driven more by long-term than short-term competition. Based on Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, 1974), research on rivalry has focused on the influence the phenomenon has on individual sport fans and fan groups (Dalakas & Melancon, 2012;Dalakas, Melancon, & Sreboth, 2015;Havard, 2014Havard, , 2016Havard, Eddy, & Ryan, 2016;Havard & Reams, 2016;Havard, Shapiro, & Ridinger, 2016). Because competitive history is so important to the formation and existence of rivalry, the recent bevy of schools that changed athletic conferences would fundamentally alter teams seen as rivals to fan groups.…”

Your Smartphone, my Smartphone - How Smartphone Ownership determines Social Group Affiliation

“…On the other side, there was not found any relationship between fan aggressions and rivalry [25]. The so-called Schadenfreude -the German word for a feeling by a person who experience pleasure by the failure of another person/group/object-was identified by highly identified fans toward a hatred rival [13].…”

“…Nonetheless, researchers have not been treating rivalry as a specific phenomenon in the context of competition. The term rival was more a synonym for descriptions as "disliked competitor" [13].…”

Consumer Misbehavior: Aggressive Behavior by Sports Fans

“…Therefore, it is possible for fans to have a strong liking and attachment to their own team without necessarily disparaging or denigrating other teams. In fact, Dalakas and Melancon (2012) found that high fan identification was connected to higher schadenfreude toward opponents through the mediating variable associated with importance of winning. In other words, not all highly identified fans took pleasure at their opponents' misfortunes.…”

“…Besides behavior exhibiting aggression, high fan identification has been associated with other questionable attitudes and behaviors that could be linked to aggression. For example, Dalakas and Melancon (2012) found a relationship between fan identification and schadenfreude (joy at misfortune) toward rivals, while Wann and his colleagues found that team identification influenced fans' willingness to consider illegally assisting their team (Wann, Hunter, Ryan, & Wright, 2001).…”