Examination of the service quality of institutions providing sports services and the level of participation in sports activities according to personality types

The aim of this research is to examine the perceived service quality of local governments providing sports services and the participation levels in sports activities according to personality types. The research was carried out using screening models. The universe of the research consists of healthy adult individuals who use sports and recreational activity areas affiliated to local governments in Adana province. The sample of the research consists of a total of 916 individuals, 288 female and 628 male, selected by random sampling method from the sports activity areas of local governments in the central districts of Adana province (Yüreğir, Seyhan, Çukurova and Sarıçam) within the specified universe. Personal Information Form, Perceived Service Quality Scale and Five Factor Personality Scale were used as data collection tools in the research. The results of Skewness and Kurtosis tests were examined for the normal distribution of the data. According to the normality test, it was determined that the data showed a normal distribution. Therefore, Independent t test was applied in paired group comparisons, and One Way ANOVA test was applied in more than two group comparisons. In case of a difference, the source of the difference was determined by Bonferroni correction. The results are given as (mean ± standard deviation). Significance was accepted as p<0.05 for this research. According to the research findings, while no significant difference was found between genders, it was found that those who do sports 7 days a week perceived the service quality higher (F(3, 915) = 14.467, p < 0.001). Significant differences were found in the perception of service quality according to age groups (F(6, 915) = 2.956, p = 0.007). Differences were also found in physical environment quality and other dimensions according to education level (F(4, 915) = 3.940, p = 0.004). In terms of income level, it was seen that the 4001-6000 TL income group perceived the service quality more positively (F(4, 915) = 13.349, p < 0.001). It was found that individuals with negative personality traits evaluated the quality of exercise equipment and programs more positively than those with positive personalities (t = 2.353, p = 0.019; t = 2.606, p = 0.009). As a result, it can be thought that demographic factors and personality traits play an important role in determining perceptions of sports service quality, and these differences may be shaped by individuals' expectations, social experiences and access to services. It can be said that especially age, education, income level and personality traits affect the perception of service quality, and gender difference is not a determinant on this perception. Keywords: Service Quality, Local Governments, Sports Activities, Personality Types, Sports Participation Level