The major sporting success of one's countrymen and women is often supposed to promote the growth of general participation in that sport. This study is the first to analyze the impact of sports heroes on the membership figures of the corresponding sports association by means of an econometric...

This paper examines the effect of superstars on external stakeholders' organizational identification through the lens of sport. Drawing on social identity theory and the concept of organizational identification, as well as on role model theories and superstar economics, we develop several...