Online Leisure Communities: The Case of Tennis Enthusiasts by Nadina Ayer A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Recreation and Leisure Studies Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2017 ©Nadina Ayer 2017 EXAMINING COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP The following served on the Examining Committee for this thesis. The decision of the Examining Committee is by majority vote. External Examiner Shannon Hebblethwaite Associate Professor Department of Applied Human Sciences Concordia University Supervisor(s) Ron McCarville Professor Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Waterloo Internal Member Mark Havitz Professor Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Waterloo Internal-external Member Lorne Dawson Professor Department of Sociology and Legal Studies and the Department of Religious Studies University of Waterloo Other Member(s) Luke Potwarka Associate Professor Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies University of Waterloo ii AUTHOR’S DECLARATION I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. iii ABSTRACT Online communities represent important virtual spaces “where people come together with others to converse, exchange information or other resources, learn, play, or just be with each other” (Resnick & Kraut, 2011, p. 1). They are communication vehicles independent of time and location (Rheingold, 1994) offering users a convenient, timely, and a reliable way to socialize with others (Chayko, 2008). As such they may replace, or at least extend more traditional communities. In a tennis context, traditional clubs bring together members so that they can share their common interest in tennis. In general, the clubs facilitate their connection to the sport of tennis. This same club, in a virtual format, can play this same role but the members need not come together in a physical sense. Club members may be located from around the globe as they share and interact with their fellow club members. Online thousands of these members can engage in simultaneous discussions of any aspect of the sport. The overall goal of the study is to better understand online dynamics between posters as they interact online. The message board Talk Tennis was selected as a test site. It is the oldest and largest message board of its type and is devoted entirely to the sport of tennis. The board was monitored using three guiding questions. First, how does online community develop and evolve within Talk Tennis? Second, how do tennis enthusiasts use Talk Tennis? Third, how do tennis enthusiasts influence each other within Talk Tennis? In particular, the evolving nature of word- of-mouth communication was considered as posters share, debate, aid, and support fellow posters. Group dynamics were monitored within 19,782 messages posted to 54 Talk Tennis discussion threads. Results suggest that posters tend to use the message board to fulfill three basic functions: to express themselves, to seek utility, and to offer help to others. The online dynamics were often complex as posters sought to fulfill their various goals. For example, posters adopted a variety of roles to ensure the smooth functioning of this online community. Throughout, posters exchanged information, experiences, outside resources, collectively helping with the decision-making. They actively engaged their network while focusing on community success. These insights suggest how traditional face-to-face dynamics are reproduced and enhanced online. Keywords: netnography, interpersonal dynamics, message board, tennis iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Sincerest thanks go to my fantastic supervisor, Dr. Ron McCarville for his ongoing guidance, unconditional support, and constructive feedback. Ron, your professionalism, and expertise will inspire me to do great things, always. You make me feel amazing about my progress and academic ability, which helps me embrace new projects. I am grateful for you- your time, contagious motivation, humour, trust, and genuine advice. None of this would be possible without you. Working with you is one of the best life experiences. One day, I truly hope to make a difference in the same everlasting manner that you do. A heartfelt appreciation goes to my Master’s thesis supervisor and current committee member, Dr. Mark Havitz for seeing the potential and making the Ph.D. journey possible for me. Mark, you have taught me patience, tolerance, and respect toward the research process and people involved. You have shown me that attention to detail and hard work pays off. And yes, I do have a folder with deferred ideas for later viewing and further analysis. Special thanks go to my committee member, Dr. Luke Potwarka for always being the person with the biggest smile in the room. Your enthusiasm toward research is inspiring. Your ongoing interest and collaboration are very much appreciated. Thank you for believing in my research and providing me with data collection and editorial opportunities when least expected. I would like to thank Dr. Lorne Dawson, the internal/external committee member for his time and expertise given to my dissertation. Lorne, your genuine ideas, input, and enthusiasm were most helpful and have assisted me in making well-founded improvements to the dissertation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Shannon Hebblethwaite, the external examiner for her contributions, time and efforts through serving on this committee. Shannon, your dedication, commitment, and support in making this dissertation better are much appreciated. A very special appreciation goes out to my mentor, Dr. Roger Mannell who helps provide support and guidance throughout my academic progress. Your availability and professional advice continue to be invaluable as I venture deeper into research activities. I thank the faculty and staff of the Applied Health Sciences and the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo for the ongoing administrative and teaching assistantship support. I believe in “my” school’s philosophy and am grateful for being a part of the community that enabled me to network and seek guidance from the leading academics. The research opportunities with the Canadian Index of Wellbeing and Gambling Research Lab, their staff and students are much appreciated. Friendships and working relationships developed there have provided the much-needed support and encouragement on conference attendance and academic happenings. A warm thank you goes to my immediate family for their ongoing support and unconditional love. Your guidance helps me overcome the curviest curveballs thrown at me. I will cherish our time and memories together, forever. v TABLE OF CONTENTS EXAMINING COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP ......................................................................... ii AUTHOR’S DECLARATION ................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................ v LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................... xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 THE CHALLENGE FOR EVENT ORGANIZERS .................................................................................. 1 E-LEISURE.................................................................................................................................... 3 GOALS OF THE STUDY .................................................................................................................. 4 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ............................................................ 7 UNDERSTANDING FANS ................................................................................................................ 7 INVOLVEMENT, COMMITMENT & LOYALTY ................................................................................. 7 SOCIAL EXCHANGE THEORY ...................................................................................................... 11 Interpersonal & Group Dynamics ......................................................................................... 13 SENSE OF IDENTITY & GROUP MEMBERSHIPS ............................................................................ 14 Social Identity Theory ............................................................................................................ 15 THE EMERGING IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ....................................................................... 16 COMMUNITIES ............................................................................................................................ 17 Community Components .......................................................................................................