Author(s): HUANG, C.H., Institution: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY OF SPORT, Country: TAIWAN, Abstract-ID: 431

Introduction:
The fitness industry in Taiwan has experienced rapid growth over the past decade. As customers increasingly demand high-quality service from fitness centers, it has become imperative for these establishments to provide top-notch sports and recreation services. Given that service quality is central to the mission of sport and recreation centers, understanding the nature of service quality is of paramount importance. Customers play a significant role in focusing on service quality and identifying what they perceive as quality in the fitness market, especially in terms of satisfaction and behavioral intention.
In the fitness industry, consumers participation in exercise, engagement with specific sports centers, and involvement in fitness center services indicate the importance of involvement. Service encounters influence the leisure experience of participants and act as antecedents of activity involvement. Involvement represents an internal state variable that reflects the amount of arousal and interest to engage in an activity and serves as a mediator of consumer behavior.
This study aims to explore the relationship among service quality, involvement, satisfaction, and behavior in fitness centers in Taiwan. Additionally, it seeks to examine the mediating effect of participant involvement between service quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intention.
Method:
For this study, a questionnaire was designed to investigate the service quality, involvement, satisfaction, and behavior intention of fitness center participants, utilizing a five-point Likert-type scale. First, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was employed to extract the main items of service quality and involvement. Subsequently, the primary factorial dimensions of service quality and involvement were incorporated into Structural Equation Modeling to examine the relationships among service quality, involvement, satisfaction, and behavior intention. Finally, the mediation effect of involvement between service quality, satisfaction, and behavior intention was also tested.
Results:
In the EFA, there were initially 21 items for motivation, resulting in the extraction of four factor dimensions: Employees, Ambience, Price, and Convenience. According to the Structural Equation Modeling, the results showed that service quality positively and significantly influences satisfaction, behavior intention, and involvement. Involvement positively and significantly affects behavior intention but does not significantly influence satisfaction. Through bootstrapping within a 95% interval, it was found that both the direct and indirect effects are significant for both satisfaction and behavior intention. Involvement partially mediates the relationship between service quality, satisfaction, and behavior intention.
Discussion:
Service quality holds significant importance in the fitness industry in Taiwan. To enhance customer satisfaction and behavioral intention, fitness center managers should closely monitor the quality of the ambience and employees within the physical environment. Participants perceive the importance of engaging in an activity based on perceived quality in fitness centers, and involvement mediates the relationship between service quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. A higher level of customer involvement corresponds to greater input into the service delivery process and, consequently, the final outcome.