The Relationship Between Internal Marketing and Attracting Customers with Regard to the Mediating Role of Service Quality in I.R.I. Police Sport Clubs

Purpose : This study aims to investigate the relationship between internal marketing and attracting customers, considering the mediating role of the service quality of I.R.I. Police sport clubs.Methods : This study is of a descriptive-correlational research type and the statistical population includes the managers of I.R.I. Police sport clubs in Tehran province. The statistical sample was randomly selected using a stratified random sampling method (n = 131). The measurement tools included Internal Marketing questionnaires (Mooney & Forman, 1995), with a reliability of 0.79, Service Quality (Parasurmon et al., 1985) with a reliability of 0.81, and Customer Acquisition and Retention (Gibb, 2005) with a reliability of 0.77. Using the inferential statistical method and structural equation modeling, the effects of the observed variables on the underlying variables were investigated.Results : The results showed that internal marketing has an effect on attracting sport clubs' customers (β = 0.96; P-Value = 32.46). Internal marketing has an effect on attracting customers (β = 0.75; P-Value = 32.46). Also, service quality has an effect on attracting customers (β = 0.81; P-Value = 21.12).Conclusion : The current research has tried to examine the relationship between internal marketing and attracting customers, considering the mediating role of service quality. Although a lot of research has been done on the relationship between internal marketing and attracting customers, the mediating role of service quality in sport clubs covered by I.R.I. Police has not been done so far. Sport clubs' officials are the primary beneficiaries of this research. Managers of clubs and sport venues can also use the basics of internal marketing to increase the quality of club services, the willingness of customers to return and make customers loyal, and take advantage of the benefits of a loyal customer for their collection.