Modelo de Sistema

This chapter outlines the methods used to gather and analyse data to address the research questions outlined in the introductory chapter. Two studies were conducted as complementary parts of a mixed methods research design (Creswell, 2014; Hanson, Creswell, Plano Clark, Petska, & Creswell, 2005; Johnson, Onwuegbuzie, & Turner, 2007; Teddlie &

Tashakkori, 2009). The mixed method research design involved the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data in order to address the objectives stated in Chapter One (Creswell, 2014).

The research design is underpinned by a pragmatic paradigmatic approach. There were two justifications with respect to this approach: (1) the research questions are of primary importance and, therefore, (2) responding to the research questions has driven methodological choices (Johnson et al., 2007; Morgan, 2007; Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2009).

Pragmatism is concerned with the application of solutions to problems (Bryman & Bell, 2015; Creswell, 2014). The pragmatist standpoint recognises that there are multiple interpretations of the world and, therefore, a multitude of ways to undertake research (Morgan, 2007; Saunders, Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2011). The pragmatic stance implies that researchers should use research methods that explore and explain specific research problems sufficiently, rather than being wedded to a specific epistemological or ontological approach (Creswell, 2014; Plano Clark, Creswell, Green, & Shope, 2008;

Saunders et al., 2011). In this sense, the pragmatic standpoint does not involve the predetermined methodological conventions associated with interpretivism or positivism.

The pragmatic approach in the current research is justified for two reasons. First, due to the stated purpose of the current research, a quantitative approach was adopted to capture a range of motives that have previously been shown to drive sport consumers to attend sport

matches and identify with a team (Armstrong, 2002; Bilyeu & Wann, 2002; Filo, Funk, &

O'Brien, 2011; Funk, Beaton, & Alexandris, 2012; Funk et al., 2002; James & Ross, 2004;

Neale & Funk, 2005; Trail & James, 2001). However, quantitative methods only provide a superficial understanding of the nuances associated with each cultural context. As such, a qualitative approach was adopted to explore the reasons for which consumers are motivated to attend sport matches in different social and cultural contexts. The qualitative

semi-structured interviews were designed in part to explore additional motives that were specific to Vietnam, instead of following methodological approaches associated with the typical

positivist stance of researchers in the domain of sport consumer motivation (e.g., Funk et al., 2002; James & Ross, 2004; Trail & James, 2001). Therefore, a pragmatic approach provides a basis for measuring and exploring why specific motives are salient in different cities.

Moreover, this approach supplies an in-depth of understanding of motives for following the local team from multiple standpoints. By conducting the interviews following the site-survey questionnaire, the researcher can create chances for respondents to describe reasons for why they follow and identify with the team.

The mixed method research design was employed in response to the call from sport management researchers for more qualitative and mixed method approaches (Edwards &

Skinner, 2010; Jones, 1997b; Olafson, 1990; Shaw & Hoeber, 2016). By adding qualitative research in sequence, the current research can explore how respondents interpret and express their perceptions of concepts included in the quantitative phase of the study. This approach is particularly important for the current research, which aims to explore variations in sport consumer motives in different social and cultural contexts.

Second, there is anecdotal evidence that social and cultural differences exist between the three cities. However, there has been little research on consumer motives in Vietnam, especially with respect to research examining the differences in cultures across cities or

regions. In a similar fashion, research on sport consumer behaviour in Vietnam is scarce.

Therefore, examining established motives in the Vietnamese context was necessarily required. Moreover, if a purely quantitative approach were taken, it would prohibit new motives from emerging within the current research as it would involve implementing a scale developed in a country with a different set of cultural values (e.g., languages, ideologies and beliefs) and from a previous research context (e.g., The United States or European countries).

In order to uncover more specific motives applicable to Vietnamese sport consumers, a qualitative approach is also warranted. As described in Chapter One, differences in historical context, economy, and culture exist between Hanoi, Da Nang, and Saigon. The

distinguishable factors align with the tenets of CCT as discussed in the literature review.

From a practical standpoint, the research questions are also important to sport marketers who aim to understand what drives consumers to attend sport matches

(psychological dimension), and identify with a local team. These questions provide a basis for understanding why certain motives are important (or not important) in specific social and cultural contexts (sociological dimension). By addressing these issues, sport marketers can gain initial understanding of how the attitudes and behaviours of consumers are shaped by social and cultural settings. This knowledge will help sport marketers to develop cultural resonance in marketing and branding campaigns. The specific methods employed within each study are introduced next, followed by a detailed description of the participants, materials, procedures, and data analyses used in each study.

Mixed method research design

There are four primary approaches to mixed methods research, including

triangulation, embedded, exploratory, and explanatory approaches (Creswell, 2014; Creswell

& Plano Clark, 2007; Plano Clark et al., 2008). Each approach involves a distinct method and rationale for the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The current

research employed a sequential explanatory design in which the quantitative research was conducted first by measuring sport consumers’ motives in the three major cities of Vietnam, followed by a phase of qualitative research (Plano Clark et al., 2008; Teddlie & Tashakkori, 2009), in which semi-structured interviews were conducted to triangulate and to explore the findings of the quantitative study. The sequential research design provides a means to enrich quantitative findings with the addition of in-depth qualitative explanation and exploration of the results (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004; Johnson et al., 2007; Morse, 1991).

The sequential mixed methods design in which the questionnaires were conducted first, then the semi-structured interviews were following was justified for four reasons. First, qualitative has been employed in most of research in CCT vein (e.g., Arnould and

Wallendorf, 1994; Kozinets, 2002), since CCT focuses on sociocultural dimensions of consumption that are impossible to examine through surveys (Arnould & Thompson, 2005;

Sherry, 1991). However, CCT does not necessitate purely to any single method (Arnould &

Thompson, 2005). A mixed methods approach in which a quantitative surveys were conducted, then followed by a semi-structured interview was deemed to be appropriate because the quantitative method can capture the perception of consumers toward well-established motives across context, meanwhile the qualitative semi-structured interview provided them opportunities to describe further reasons why these motives are important to them.

Second, due to the lack of research in sport consumer motives in the Vietnamese context, the quantitative questionnaire, which was usually used in previous research in the domain of sport consumer motives, offered a platform to construct an examination based upon the well-established motives that had been tested in different social and cultural context (Western countries). Third, the qualitative semi-structured interviews helped to further explore the motives examined, then allowed for a more in-depth understanding of how they

applied to the Vietnamese context and were important to consumers in each city. Forth, the combination of two research methods in sequence offered the opportunity to test the applicability of existing motives (Study 1 and Study 2) and reveal new motives that specifically exist in the Vietnamese context (Study 2). The following section presents the detailed design of each method employed.