Study on the Relationship between Benign Envy toward Sports Influencer, Imitative Consumption Tendency and Repurchase Intention: Focusing on MZ Generation Sports Consumers

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between benign envy towards sports influencers, the imitative consumption tendency of MZ generation sports consumers and their repurchase intention. The study participants were MZ generation sports consumers who follow sports influencers. Data were collected through Google online surveys distributed in sports related communities and sports influencer fan communities. Out of 308 collected questionnaires, 299 were used for the final analysis after excluding 9 incomplete or insincere responses. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS ver. 26.0 and AMOS ver. 27.0, including frequency analysis, reliability analysis using Cronbach's α, confirmatory factor analysis(CFA), correlation analysis and path analysis through structural equation modeling(SEM). The findings are as follows. First, among the sub factors of benign envy towards sports influencers, possessiveness had a significant positive(+) effect on conscious, impulsive and planned imitative consumption, while admiration had a significant positive(+) effect on conscious and impulsive imitative consumption. Second, among the sub factors of the MZ generation’s imitative consumption tendency, impulsive imitative consumption had a significant positive(+) effect on repurchase intention. Third, the sub factors of benign envy, possessiveness, admiration and respect had a significant positive(+) effect on repurchase intention.