Solving the Athleisure Myth: A Means-End Chain Analysis of Female Activewear Consumption

in Journal of Sport Management

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Xiaochen ZhouEast Stroudsburg University

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Daniel C. FunkTemple University

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Lu LuTemple University

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Thilo KunkelTemple University

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2019-0358
Keywords:
laddering; product design; values; consumer behavior
First Published Online:
24 Aug 2020
In Print:
Volume 35: Issue 1
Page Range:
81–93
Restricted access

The athleisure phenomenon has initiated a fast-paced evolution in the activewear industry and challenged brands to design and market activewear that fulfills consumer needs. Existing sport consumer behavior research has neglected to understand the structural relationships that connect attributes of sport products with values of sport consumers to inform values-based product design and marketing strategies. The current research utilizes the means-end chain theory and its corresponding soft laddering method to investigate the activewear consumption experience of female consumers. Findings revealed means-end chain structural relationships connecting five product attributes to three end-state values through four consequences associated with activewear consumption. Findings extend the sport management literature by understanding how sport product attributes fit into abstract consumer values and drive practical implications to enlighten activewear design and marketing.

Zhou is with the Department of Sport Management, College of Business and Management, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA, USA. Funk, Lu, and Kunkel are with the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Zhou (xzhou@esu.edu) is corresponding author.
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