The screen behind the field : a netnographic study of Manchester United Fans and their perceptions of the club

• Autor(a) principal: Nielsen, Daniel
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/29074
• topic: Football; Fans; Co-creation; Perceptions; Sponsorships; Ownership; Netnography; Domínio/Área Científica::Ciências Sociais::Economia e Gestão

This dissertation aims to take a deeper look into the online interactions of Manchester United supporters. A netnographic approach is utilized in order to understand what perception these fans have with regards to the club. Some negative perceptions were observed to represent concerns to supporters. The dissertation also addresses who the main stakeholders of these concerns are. Data gathered online from two supporter forums were analyzed using a qualitative thematic approach. The results indicate that the main concerns of these supporters are related to their perceptions on ownership, performance, sponsorships and merchandise. This dissertation discusses the implications of researching the perceptions of football fans within their online communities. The results suggest that the fans show dismay with a current sponsor and with a lack of ownership on the fans’ side. Managers and stakeholders are encouraged to ‘listen’ to these supporters and engage with them in co-creative and collaborative roles in hopes that this behavior will profit the stakeholders in the long-term.