The Impact of Fitness Center Servicescape on Individual Behavior: The Mediating Role of Emotional Response

ABSTRACT

This study assesses the impact of fitness centers' servicescape on individual behavior, exploring the mediating role of the Emotional Response between servicescape dimensions and individual behavior amongst customers of the Malaysian fitness industry. Consumers place great emphasis on the surrounding environmental stimuli which facilitates engagement during active fitness activity. 200 samples were collected from six different Malaysian fitness franchises and questions focused mainly on members perceptions of servicescape and how this affects behavior. Multiple linear regression and mediation model analysis reveals positive direct effects of the Physical and Natural dimensions of servicescape on individual behaviour, whilst mediating effects of Emotional Response are present for indirect relationships of Social and Natural dimension on individual behaviour. The results of this study serve to help the management of the fitness centers' servicescape which will encourage more members' engagement during their fitness regime while improving word of mouth marketing through their increased satisfaction.

健身中心服务场景对于个体行为的影响: 情感反应的调节作用

本研究评估了健身中心服务场景对个人行为的影响, 探究了马来西亚健身行业消费者的情感反应在他们的个人行为与服务场景维度间的中介角色。现代消费者更加重视周边环境刺激, 这种刺激是一种以感受驱动的体验, 使消费者能够保持投入和积极性。本次研究从马来西亚六家不同的健身行业特许经营商中收集了200份样本。收集的数据主要关注消费者对健身中心服务场景的看法, 以及这些看法是如何影响健身中心消费者行为的。多元线性分析及中介模型分析显示, 服务场景是服务环境中一项重要的营销变量。服务场景的物理及自然维度直接影响个人行为, 而社会维度则是通过情感反应产生间接影响。虽然不是所有关系中都有情感反应这一中介角色的参与, 但是除了社交符号维度外, 每一个维度都直接影响着人们的行为。本次研究的结果旨在对健身行业特许经营经理在健身中心服务场景的管理方面有所助益, 更好的管理将鼓励更多的消费者对其健身计划更加投入, 最终通过他们对健身中心服务体验满意度的提升, 来促进口碑营销。

KEYWORDS:

• Fitness
• Natural Dimension
• Physical Dimension
• Social Dimension
• Socially Symbolic Dimension

关键词:

• 健身; 自然维度; 物理维度; 社会维度; 社交符号维度

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Derek Lai Teik Ong

Derek Lai Teik Ong (PhD, Multimedia University, Malaysia) is a Senior Lecturer in marketing in the Department of Marketing at Sunway University Business in Malaysia. His research interests include sport marketing and management, marketing research and research methodology. His work has appeared in such journals as the Journal of Sport Management, Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, and Public Library of Science One, among others. He is also a Chartered Statistician with the Royal Statistical Society, UK since 2012.

Wei Xin Yap

Wei Xin Yapin (Bachelors (Hons) in Business Studies, Lancaster University) currently holds the title of Business Development Executive in Worldgate Express Service in Malaysia. His interest includes idealistic collective presence of human, nature, science, art and business, blended hassle-freely in a living environment. Areas of interest include architecture, cosmology, servicescape and built environment.