IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

Scale development should not be just a one-time process as the evaluation of multiplex construct validity is only available in conjunction with various investigations at different settings (Golafshani, 2003). This study was a cross-sectional exploration of the possibility of SIF, which was just an initial stage of the ever-evolving process. Hence, future research is required to refine the items further and conclude the psychometric properties of the SIF scale.

First, more external measures should be included in future studies so as to test the theoretical relatedness and construct validity of the SIF instrument. Although the impact of the SIF on outcome variables, such as post familiarity, was very prized, from a

practical standpoint, it may be more useful to comprehend a potential consequence of the raised familiarity. The previous literature demonstrates that a level of familiarity is a significant factor for travelers to decide destinations (Tomoya & Yamada, 2012). Likewise, Milman and Pizam (1995) state that familiarity makes a positive effect on the likelihood of visitation. On that account, we can hypothesize that the increased familiarity (post familiarity) may positively inspire event visitors to revisit the local town. Should we find evidence of such connection from post familiarity to revisit intention to the

destination (not to the event), we can further contend that concept of SIF contributes not merely to sporting events but as well to the local community as an introductory role of the local culture.

Second, future research should also consider the relative impacts of the SIF components across diverse contexts. The development of the SIF scale targeted at wide- ranging live sporting events without restriction in regards to types of sports or venues. Nevertheless, it is still true that sporting events have different attributes, for instance, professional major league sports are usually different the minor league ones out of which often provide profoundly different experiences. According to Hill and Green (2000), the elements that contribute to the overall satisfaction of event experience in the minor league baseball are different from those that are significant in the major league frame. Minor league teams usually focus more on the quality of stadium experiences and the differentiation of the offerings at the event other than the game itself (Lienert,1998). Thus,

fans in the major league setting may have a different perception of SIF than ones in the minor league context.

In a similar fashion, types of venues may serve as a moderating factor for the perception of SIF. Indoor or outdoor events have inherent differences where spectators do not have identical experiences especially regarding the smell and sight sense (e.g., the possibility of smelling or seeing natural components of the local space). Additional focus groups could be a valid method to understand whether there is discrepancy among

dissimilar sporting events in regards to SIF. Refinement of items might be necessary to minimize a measurement error of the instrument. It is important to note that the

developed SIF instrument in this study provides only a basic foundation from which a variety of research ideas can spread out. As an application of the SIF measure does not have to be confined to the sports-related settings, the author recommends prospective users of the instrument adjusting or modifying the given items in accordance with the needs and circumstances of their works.

Third, this studies demonstrates that SIF positively affects fans’ event experience satisfaction. However, the underling mechanism of the SIF on satisfaction is still not thoroughly examined based on types of sports fans. The ways in which local and non- local fans perceive the city and an event within the area might be different even if they appreciate the event at the same space. Local fans might feel a sense of home by attending their home events and experiencing a heightened sense of their own culture (Giulianotti, 2004; Moore, 2000). On the other hand, non-local fans might expect to experience a game that features stimuli different from their own culture. As such, they consume sporting events equally as fans and tourists, whereby they can only have an

“authentic experience” amid different surroundings (Sims, 2009). Research could further make a contribution to the field of sports consumer behavior by elucidating how two different types of SIF can influence fans’ event experience satisfaction founded on two mediating factors: a sense of home for local fans and an authentic experience for non- local fans.

Fourth, the impacts of individual factors of the SIF instrument on other constructs should be considered. If the SIF has predictive power of satisfaction, future intention, and familiarity, and then the natural next step is to test whether a particular dimension of the SIF is more influential than others in sports consumer behavior. Lee et al. (2013) provide empirical evidence of the impacts of the five senses on team identity and team loyalty. Similarly, a follow-up study could be conducted to see how the five dimensions of the SIF scale affect related outcomes of interest.