Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 university of Tabriz
2 Department of Movement Behavior and Sports Management, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Urmia University, Urmia: Iran.
3 The coach, University of Qom. Qom: Iran.
4 The coach, Instructor of Student Affairs Organization, Iran.
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of social media on the authenticity, image, and brand personality of the National Federation of University Sports of Iran. The study is descriptive in nature and of a correlational type, with data collected through field research. The statistical population consisted of sports management professors, and the sample size was equal to the population size, selected based on availability (160 individuals). The data collection tools included the standard social media questionnaire by Seifollahi et al. (2021), the standard brand authenticity questionnaire by Kadiro (2010), the standard brand personality questionnaire by Tsuitsu et al. (2009), and a researcher-made brand image questionnaire. The face and content validity of the questionnaires were confirmed by 12 sports management professors, and the reliability of the questionnaires was determined through Cronbach's alpha, yielding coefficients of 0.86, 0.88, 0.82, and 0.84, respectively. Data analysis was conducted using statistical methods such as frequency percentage, mean, standard deviation, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling with the help of SPSS software version 26 and PLS software version 3. The results showed that social media has a positive and significant impact on the authenticity, image, and brand personality of the federation. Therefore, the National Federation of University Sports of Iran can use social media more actively and purposefully to create more opportunities for interaction and respond to audience comments, thereby enhancing students' sense of belonging to the federation's brand.
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