Investigation of sense of community in case of Hungarian cyclists
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15170/MM.2022.56.KSZ.01.04Keywords:
consumer community, sense of community, cycling, Sense of Community Index 2Abstract
THE AIMS OF THE PAPER
Cycling has become determinate in many areas of life. It is a cheap, environmentally friendly and flexible mode of transport, and due to the emergence and development of bicycle sport and the growing willingness to follow a healthy lifestyle, cycling means the sport or the daily exercise for many. Furthermore, the number of cycling trips in the tourism sector is also increasing. In the research, our goal is to examine whether cycling as an activity can evoke a sense of community among cycling individuals and if so, which factors might influence the development of the sense of community. From a marketing point of view, we determine cycling not only as an activity but also as a form of consumption.
METHODOLOGY
In our research, we conducted an online questionnaire survey using validated questions from the Sense of Community Index 2 (SCI-2) model. During the data collection, a total of 362 respondents shared their views on the topic and the demnsions of the SCI-2 were investigated as well as the impact of events on the sense of community.
MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS
Based on the results, it can be said that the sense of community appears among cyclists along all 4 dimensions of the sense of community that we examined (membership, influence, integration and fulfilment of needs, shared emotional connection), however, the correlations related to attending cycling events require further investigation.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The research has important message for the community of cyclists as well as for researchers and marketing experts. On one hand, The study provide evidence about that the SCI-2 modell can be applied for measuring sense of community among this special group, on the other hand, companies can utilze their marketing activities if they rely more on cyclists as potencial consumer communities.
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