Artist-Fan Engagement Model
ARTIST-FAN ENGAGEMENT MODEL: IMPLICATIONS FOR MUSIC CONSUMPTION AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY by SARITA M. STEWART SHUHUA ZHOU, COMMITTEE CHAIR KIMBERLY BISSELL KARLA GOWER EYUN-JUNG KI ARTHUR ALLAWAY A DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Communication & Information Sciences in the Graduate School of The University of Alabama TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA 2013 Copyright Sarita Martin Stewart 2013 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT The Artist-Fan Engagement Model was developed to help explain the various factors present within the music artist-fan relationship. Its premise is based on the simple consumptive action of listening to an artist’s music. The model contains two key constructs, the first being the individual’s “Response To Artist,” which is explained using an expanded construct of parasocial interaction theory (e.g., Identification, Affinity, Similarity, and Imitation). A second “Response To Music” variable is comprised of four different music responses (e.g., Emotional, Sensorial, Imaginal, and Analytical) key in hedonic consumption. The influence of these two variables on “Engagement” was assessed. This was followed by an examination of how “Engagement” influences “Recorded Music Access” (e.g., broadcast, unpaid downloads, free streaming) and “Recorded Music Ownership” (e.g., paid subscription, paid downloads, and physical products). The study’s hypotheses and research questions were tested using an anonymous online survey. A total of 1,576 participants accessed the survey, with 940 respondents evaluating 806 individual song titles by 568 music artists. Structural Equation Modeling was the methodology used to analyze the collected survey data, which is in keeping with previous music oriented consumer behavior studies.
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