Attracting Chinese Participants to Kainuu Orienteering Week (KOW)
Yin, Zhongxiao (2023)
2023
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023121437141
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023121437141
Tiivistelmä
Orienteering, as an outdoor sport activity with more than a hundred-year history, was originally a survival skill in military training originated in northern Europe. After World War II, Orienteering has gained popularity around the world, and it was introduced to China in the 1980s. Although orienteering is a niche sport in China, according to the data of 2019 (IOF, 2019), there are more than 5 000 domestic participants in this sport field and the industry chain has been developing rapidly. With the re-open from COVID-19 pandemic of China, Kainuu Orienteering Week (KOW), the commissioner of this thesis, is interested in understanding and attracting more participants from Mainland China to join the event in Finland.
The purpose of the thesis is to discover the current orienteering situation in China and suggest the attracting strategies for KOW. To understand China orienteering situation, the history of China orienteering, the sports playing patterns as well as the features of Chinese participants are investigated and revealed in this study. The opportunities and challenges of China orienteering market are analyzed through the information gained. Then Chinese business environment and cultural differences have been discussed by adopting the emerging market entry theories and the theory of Hofstede´s cultural dimensions.
To solve the problem of how KOW could attract more Chinese participants to join the event in Finland successfully. Qualitative research of semi-structured interview was conducted to collect the data. A semi-structured interview was designed to obtain the knowledge of the participants and discover the target group for KOW to attract in China. The research tends to reveal the Guanxi establishing possibilities with Chinese partners, and to search the possibilities of co-operation. Therefore, the general attractive strategies are suggested by adapting thematic analysis from the research data.
As a result, 4Ps marketing mix was discussed for KOW to attract potential Chinese participants to Finland. According to the research, Chinese participants are expecting a service package instead of signal event participation. Skill training is needed before the competition and language support is required during the whole trip time. Because of these service gaps, a sample program with detailed time schedule and daily program contents was suggested for KOW to promote in China market in the Appendix of this study. Furthermore, a potential Chinese cooperator has expressed their interests in cooperating with KOW, the initial meeting between two parties is going to be arranged because of the output of this study.
The purpose of the thesis is to discover the current orienteering situation in China and suggest the attracting strategies for KOW. To understand China orienteering situation, the history of China orienteering, the sports playing patterns as well as the features of Chinese participants are investigated and revealed in this study. The opportunities and challenges of China orienteering market are analyzed through the information gained. Then Chinese business environment and cultural differences have been discussed by adopting the emerging market entry theories and the theory of Hofstede´s cultural dimensions.
To solve the problem of how KOW could attract more Chinese participants to join the event in Finland successfully. Qualitative research of semi-structured interview was conducted to collect the data. A semi-structured interview was designed to obtain the knowledge of the participants and discover the target group for KOW to attract in China. The research tends to reveal the Guanxi establishing possibilities with Chinese partners, and to search the possibilities of co-operation. Therefore, the general attractive strategies are suggested by adapting thematic analysis from the research data.
As a result, 4Ps marketing mix was discussed for KOW to attract potential Chinese participants to Finland. According to the research, Chinese participants are expecting a service package instead of signal event participation. Skill training is needed before the competition and language support is required during the whole trip time. Because of these service gaps, a sample program with detailed time schedule and daily program contents was suggested for KOW to promote in China market in the Appendix of this study. Furthermore, a potential Chinese cooperator has expressed their interests in cooperating with KOW, the initial meeting between two parties is going to be arranged because of the output of this study.