Research on Women's Sports

The Impact of Ethical Marketing on Consumption Behavior and Motivation Sports of women

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

seyyed jalil miryousefi 1
zeinab derosti 2
seyyed ahmad nezadsajjadi 3

1 Assistant professor of sport management, Department of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Vali-e-Asr University, Rafsanjan, Iran

2 MA in sport management, Department of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Vali-e-Asr University, Rafsanjan, Iran

3 Associated Professor of sport management, Department of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Vali-e-Asr University, Rafsanjan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22089/rws.2025.17903.1062
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Background and Purpose
Ethics is a fundamental necessity for human society, with many individual and social challenges rooted in ethical considerations. Enhancing ethical standards across all domains—including the economic sphere—is essential for societal reform, and marketing is no exception. Attention to business ethics is a vital driver of economic development and growth for nations. Contemporary managers can no longer operate in isolation from the broader society and expect organizational success; rather, they must pursue sustainable development by adhering to ethical principles (Mirkiaei et al., 2024).
Sport consumer behavior encompasses a range of psychological and social processes that occur before and after consumers engage with various sports products and services. Understanding how sport consumers think, behave, make decisions, and what influences their preferences is crucial for developing effective marketing strategies. Such strategies enable organizations and event organizers to achieve their predetermined objectives. Thus, comprehending consumer behavior is a critical element in the success of marketing strategies at both local and global levels (Mir Mohammadi et al., 2022).
Another influential factor in ethical marketing, serving as an internal driver of sport consumer behavior, is sports motivation. Motivation is an internal state that activates goal-directed behavior (Faryayn et al., 2021). From this perspective, ethical behaviors, perceived consumer values, and motivation—as a vital prerequisite for sports participation—are of great importance. This issue becomes particularly significant in the context of women's sports in developing countries. Gaining a deeper understanding of female sports audiences can assist managers and officials in making informed decisions and future plans. Furthermore, as honesty, transparency, and trustworthiness become increasingly valued by consumers, the importance of ethics in marketing is more pronounced, with consumers placing greater emphasis on these values.
 
Methods
This research employed a descriptive-correlational design and was conducted as a field study. The study population comprised all women over the age of 18 residing in Kerman. From this population, 384 participants were selected using a cluster sampling method. Questionnaires were distributed in person by the researcher, and completed forms were collected at a predetermined time. Participants received clear instructions on completing the questionnaires and were encouraged to consult the researcher with any questions or difficulties. All 384 returned questionnaires were fully completed and included in the analysis.
Kerman was divided into four geographical regions—north, south, east, and west. In each region, two neighborhoods (one advantaged and one disadvantaged) were identified, and from each, 48 women were selected via convenience sampling, forming the research sample. Data collection utilized three questionnaires, each employing a five-point Likert scale: the 16-item Ethical Marketing Questionnaire (Safary et al., 2017), which assesses honesty, fairness, accountability, confidentiality, and commitment adherence; the 17-item Sport Motivation Questionnaire (Pelletier et al., 2013; Ahmadi et al., 2016), covering intrinsic motivation, integrated regulation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation; and the 21-item Sport Consumer Behavior Questionnaire (Neshat et al., 2017), measuring participation frequency, purchase intentions, and media consumption behavior.
Content validity was established through expert review by ten subject matter specialists. Convergent and discriminant validity further confirmed the measurement instruments. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability, following Fornell and Larcker’s (1981) criteria. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test evaluated data normality. Descriptive statistics summarized the data, while inferential analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method. Analyses were performed with SPSS version 27 and Smart PLS version 3.
 
Results
Among the respondents, 195 (50.8%) were married and 189 (49.2%) were single. The highest educational attainment was at the postgraduate level (Master’s degree), with 86 participants (22.4%), and 99 (25.8%) were employed as office workers. The largest age group was 30–35 years (111 participants, 28.9%), and 113 (29.4%) reported a monthly income between 5 and 10 million Tomans. The measurement model demonstrated adequate fit, with acceptable convergent and discriminant validity and reliability indices. The t-value for the relationship between ethical marketing and sport consumer behavior was 30.5, and for ethical marketing and sport motivation, 115.7—both indicating statistical significance. The findings reveal that ethical marketing exerts a positive and significant effect on both sport consumer behavior and sport motivation at the 99% confidence level
 
Conclusion
Participation in sports offers women opportunities for positive emotional experiences—such as enjoyment, happiness, and a sense of achievement. Ethical marketing can enhance women’s motivation to engage in sports by leveraging cultural, social, and economic factors. When sports activities, particularly women’s sports, align with individual needs and motivations—and considering motivation as the fundamental driver of behavior—ethical marketing can positively influence athletes’ personal values and intentions, thereby improving women’s sport consumer behavior. The study’s results confirm that ethical marketing has a substantial impact on both sport consumer behavior and sport motivation among women. Implementing ethical marketing practices in sports venues and events can significantly improve performance, empower the women’s sports community, minimize wasted resources by addressing actual needs and preferences, and foster increased female participation. Integrating ethical marketing experiences is an effective strategy for attracting, engaging, and retaining loyal female participants in sporting events, directly and positively shaping their sport consumer behavior and motivation.
 
Key Words: Ethical marketing, Sports consumer behavior, Sports motivation, Women's sports.
 
Article Message
Establishing a meaningful connection between sporting events, consumer behavior, and women's motivation, through the creating of a sustainable experience, plays an important role in attracting women's and enhancing their willingness to engage in sports activities.
 
Ethical Considerations
This article is derived from a master's thesis, and all ethical principles were observed
 
Authors’ Contributions
Derosti, Z: Ideation and Data collection; Mir Yousefi, S J: Article writing, revision and editing, literature review; Nezhad Sajadi, S A: Study design, data analysis, and interpretation.
Zeinab Dostri: Ideation and data collection; Seyyed Jalil Mir Yousefi: Article writing, revision and editing, literature review; Seyyed Ahmad Nejad Sajjadi: Data analysis and interpretation.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
The authors express their gratitude to all individuals who contributed to the completion of this research.

Keywords

Ethical marketing
Sports consumer behavior
Sports motivation
Women's sports
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Research on Women's Sports
Volume 2, Issue 5
February 2025
Pages 91-108

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