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Theorizing New Sport Emergence: The Case of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
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- Author / Creator
- Zheng, Jingxuan
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In organizational theory, market categories offer important cognitive infrastructures enabling mutual understanding and communicative effectiveness among market actors, resulting in the construction of a taken-for-granted social reality. This dissertation employed a three-paper format to explore several research gaps revolving around the theorization of new market category emergence. More specifically, with content analysis conducted on a qualitative case study of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), the first paper aimed to decipher the role emotions play in new sport emergence. It found that negative emotions were embedded in the discourse surrounding early MMA that hindered its legitimation; in order to legitimize the sport, discursive institutional work was undertaken by pro-MMA stakeholders to address existing negative emotions and create positive new ones. Next, the second paper used narrative analysis to examine the inter-categorical strategies used to position an emerging market category—Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)—as optimally distinctive within a broader classification and meaning system through a normative lens. I discovered that contingent on a differentiation/conformity continuum gauged with normative positioning benchmarks of various levels, new category inter-categorical optimal distinctiveness was achieved through four comprehensive positioning strategies: complementary coupling, multi-level positioning, strategic categorization and multi-nesting, and internal temporal positioning. Finally, the third study investigated the applicability of the classic theory of new category emergence in a sport context. Through delving into the emerging history of MMA empirically, it was found that existing theory has its limitations in explaining MMA’s emergence. I then introduced celebrity as an alternative to legitimacy. Underscored by the attention economy perspective and the notion of sport ecosystems, propositions were introduced to refine and expand existing theory of new category formation. In conclusion, this dissertation contributes to the refinement of the theorization of new category emergence in particular, and category dynamics in general.
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- Graduation date
- Fall 2024
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- Type of Item
- Thesis
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- Degree
- Doctor of Philosophy
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- License
- This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Library with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.