How Hong Kong Responds to Fitness Clubs

¶ … Fitness Industry in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a densely populated, coastal city in Asia, where both Eastern and Western cultures meet. In this city-state of 7 million persons, the potential for the fitness industry (fitness clubs) to find consumer demand is evident in the government\'s recent emphasis on health and fitness as well as the entertainment industry\'s usage of body image to convey an impulse among consumers to mimic what they see. At the same time, Hong Kong has a distinctly Asian desire for fitness workouts that are more dance-oriented than in the West. Choreography is a big draw for Hong Kong fitness club users and the more complex the choreography, the more likely the draw. Still, fitness clubs also appeal to older consumers who want to belong to a club and who seek to achieve some activity in their lives, as there is limited open space in Hong Kong and fitness clubs offer young and old the option of working out in the city. This study examines the potential of fitness industry in Hong Kong via survey and finds that for the industry to succeed it should study the culture of Hong Kong and provide its people what they demand in terms of an appealing fitness club with quality service.

Chapter 1

1.1 Business Research Topic and Significance

The topic chosen of this research project is the potential of the fitness industry in Hong Kong. The significance of this topic is found in the fact that Hong Kong is a service economy -- the tertiary sector of the three sector economic model. It is one of the most prominent financial centers in the world and one of the most densely populated city-states as well. However, with more than 7 million people residing in its community of coastal skyscrapers, Hong Kong boasts a wide range of activity among both \"haves\" and \"have-nots,\" with clear evidence of economic disparity in the classes of Hong Kong life. The question this paper poses is whether there is potential for the fitness industry (a distinctly Western industry) to find traction in Hong Kong. Because Hong Kong is multi-cultural, with most inhabitants being multi-lingual, the idea of this Western industry taking root in Hong Kong is not far-fetched. For those who can afford it, fitness clubs offer the opportunity for the Western workout culture to be enjoyed via an Asian emphasis on choreography (Vassallo, 2010).

1.2 Brief Background

A brief history of fitness in Hong Kong shows that since the 1980s, more than 100 research studies have been conducted in Hong Kong to determine the health and fitness level of its residents (Fu, Nie, and Tong, 2004, p. 77). Hong Kong\'s Sport Community and Department of Health as well as a number of foundations have been instrumental in supporting and assessing health and fitness research over these years (Fu, Nie and Tong, 2004, p. 77), while Hong Kong\'s government has taken a specific interest in promoting healthy living and activity. Hong Kong\'s appreciation for Western culture along with the governmental support of fitness has allowed the fitness industry to find traction in the coastal metropolis. Today, expatriates from the West are routinely employed in the service industry because of the high wages young ex-pats can earn and the exotic opportunity that Hong Kong provides -- and this is especially true in the fitness industry (Vasallo, 2010). High wages are off-set, however, by the high cost of living: the average cost of blue jeans in Hong Kong is more than 125 USD while a cup of coffee lurks near 8 USD (McCafferty, 2016). Thus, Hong Kong is a city where fortunes are made and lost and where dreams are put to the test. This reality is especially clear in the rising (and sometimes falling) fitness industry in Hong Kong (Yeung, 2016). Taking into account the recent California Fitness scandal in which the fitness chain closed its doors just months after opening, this business research paper will discuss the potential of the fitness industry in Hong Kong.

In understanding the potential of the fitness industry in Hong Kong, it is vital to understand the culture of Hong Kong. As Mattel proved with its entry into China in the past decade, it pays to research the background and culture of the country that a firm is seeking to penetrate (Marquis, Yang, 2014). The fitness industry in Hong Kong has found a better reception, however, than Mattel did upon entering China -- that is because in Hong Kong the ground was already prepared for the fitness culture by way of Hong Kong\'s own cultural emphasis on perceptions of fat, beauty and fitness (Lee, 1999). Having cultural roots in both Western and Eastern systems (Hong Kong was a British colony throughout most of the 20th century), Hong Kong has been situated in a manner that is accepting of both East and West ideas.

Still, Hong Kong\'s health and fitness culture is nowhere near as intensive as it has been in the West, which saw the rise of the \"fitness craze\" in the 20th century -- touched by everything from fashion to food to politics to lifestyle to body image (Tavel, 2013). As Adab and Macfarlane (1998) showed in their late 20th century study on exercise and health in Hong Kong, \"in Hong Kong, 59% of all adults lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle and only one in three exercise at levels that are thought to offer significant health benefits\" (p. 389). In other words, heading into the 21st century, Hong Kong was well behind the West in terms of orientation towards fitness as a substantial industry (reflected in actual physical activity). Nonetheless, Hong Kong began to promote in conjunction with research studies a fitness culture in which sports, activity and fitness culture figured predominantly (Fu, Hao, 20002). Thus, the relevant literature shows that by the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century, Hong Kong was making a conscientious effort to address health and fitness levels in its society -- and thus situating itself to be embracive of the fitness industry. To some extent, the fitness industry has responded (HKTDC, 2015) -- but at the same time firms like J.V. Fitness, owner of California Fitness, mYoga and LEAP (all of which suspended operations in 2016), have failed to meet expectations and through what appears to be severe mismanagement of funds and a lack of quality service brought negative attention to the sector in spectacular fashion (Yuen, 2016).

The questions this paper will pose are: 1) Is there potential for the fitness industry to find traction in Hong Kong? and 2) What does the experience of individuals \"on the ground\" (i.e., engaged in the fitness industry in Hong Kong) reveal about the likelihood of the fitness industry in Hong Kong having considerable duration? In other words, is the fitness industry one that meshes well with Hong Kong culture? Considering that part of Hong Kong\'s Eastern culture is responsible for the popularity of its martial arts and dance in culture, there is reason to believe that the fitness industry -- given the right orientation -- can find traction and considerable duration in Hong Kong. As Mattel learned in China, when carving out a niche it is essential that firms understand the culture of the market they are penetrating and adapt in order to meet the needs of the consumer in that market. If firms within the fitness industry in Hong Kong successfully adapt to Hong Kong culture and meet the needs of the Hong Kong consumer, the industry should fare well.

1.3 Research Methodology

This study will use the survey methodology. The sample will consist of individuals who live in Hong Kong. Not only will the sample include those who either work in or are consumers of the fitness industry in Hong Kong, but also it will include individuals who are not members of fitness clubs. Those who are part of the fitness industry will likely range from fitness instructors to managers to personal trainers to fitness membership subscription sales agents to members of fitness clubs. The targeted sample size will consist of 100 individuals. The survey will be conducted online using social media -- Facebook and Twitter -- to attract individuals to the survey. Participants will be selected by targeting fitness clubs and asking stakeholders to participate in the survey online. Likewise, online \"hangouts\" where residents of Hong Kong engage will be used to target non-stakeholders for their impressions of the fitness industry. The survey data will be analyzed by using the Likert scale of measurement as well as through qualitative assessment for the open-ended question at the end of the survey. The questions asked in the survey will consist of queries designed to approximate the stability and acceptance of fitness clubs in Hong Kong as well as individuals\' appreciation for the fitness industry there. These answers will help to identify in quantifiable terms the extent to which the fitness industry in Hong Kong. Questions will include: 1) Are you a member of a fitness club in Hong Kong? 2) Are you a worker in a fitness club in Hong Kong? 3) Is fitness popular in Hong Kong? 4) How strong is the fitness industry in Hong Kong? 5) Would you recommend a fitness club to friends or visitors to Hong Kong? A qualitative, open-ended question will be included: If you are a member of a fitness club in Hong Kong, why? If you are not, why not? Data will be analyzed by measuring Likert scores and providing a visual, quantified reading on the popularity of the fitness industry in Hong Kong. The open-ended question will provide a window into the qualitative conditions surrounding the fitness industry in Hong Kong.

1.4 Research Process

The background for this research paper has already begun and will continue through to January 22nd. The survey questions will be prepared thereafter alongside a review of the relevant literature that will be used to support this project. The sample to be used for the survey will be selected by the end of January and the survey posted online at the researcher\'s Facebook page so that Hong Kong residents can take the survey online. The data will be gathered throughout the following week and analyzed by February 10th. A first draft of the study will be written by mid-February, revision will follow and a final draft will be prepared by the last week of February. By March, the study will be ready to deliver for teacher review.

1.5 Outline of Chapters

The first chapter of this paper serves as an introduction to the project. Chapter 2 will provide a literature review. Chapter 3 will discuss the project\'s methodology including questions used in the survey and method of analysis. Chapter 4 will discuss the findings of the research. Chapter 5 provides a conclusion and recommendations.

Chapter 2

2.1 Introduction to Literature Review

The case for the fitness industry in Hong Kong can best be gauged by understanding the rise of the fitness industry in the West, where it first emerged -- and then applying the principles taken from this assessment to the city-state of Hong Kong and detecting whether or not they appropriately hold. Thus, this literature review examines studies related to the rise of the health/fitness industry in the West, the role of body image, and how these principles translate for a Hong Kong citizenship. It is the hypothesis of this paper that the potential for fitness industry in Hong Kong depends on the culture, expectations and demand of Hong Kong residents: if the culture is one in which fitness and health are viewed as goals to be obtained, then the fitness industry should find traction in the highly densely populated city. This literature review will focus on how a culture becomes attracted to fitness. The question that it seeks to answer is how Hong Kong\'s culture might relate to the rise of the fitness culture in the West. The topics that will be reviewed in this literature section will include: the importance of body image in a fitness culture, the role quality service in Hong Kong, the role of advertising (projection of a \"fit\" lifestyle and look) in promoting the fitness culture, and the way that business uses this culture variable as a foundation for developing a consumer base. This will enable the paper to form a framework by which the state of the fitness industry in Hong Kong can more effectively be assessed.

2.2 Topic One: Body Image

The first keyword phrase used to explore the issue of fitness and culture that I used was \"body image.\" This keyword produced a number of sources that examined the concept of how individuals view themselves as fat, unfit, healthy, or beautiful and how this conception serves to motivate them towards taking up a particular lifestyle. The culture in Hong Kong and its embrace of the fitness industry will depend to some extent on how conscious Hong Kong residents are of body image. At the same time, the history of body image does not stretch as far back in Hong Kong as it does in the West, where for nearly a century, the idea of one\'s \"look\" has been the focus of attention from the medical field to the social environment. Historically speaking, the Easst is more concerned with conformity to discipline than it is to personal self-expression (Parker, 2001). The aspect of body image that does not fit in with Hong Kong\'s fitness culture is that aspect of it, which in the West deals with self-expression and pride: in the West, one\'s body image is an expression of one\'s values, whereas in the East, one\'s values are expressed through one\'s adherence to social norms, duties, religion, work, industry, and obedience (Kirkland, 2003; Parker, 2001).

As Stearns (2002) shows, the fitness industry in America was supported and cultivated on several fronts: the advertising agencies played a fundamental role in establishing, nurturing and developing a cultural desire for the so-called health craze; the business sectors were instrumental in manufacturing and/or providing products and services for consumers related to the cultural aims suggested in the advertising realm. Celebrities played a large role in depicting the kind of health/fitness projection that Westerners could emulate. The consumer demand for fitness apparel -- storing in one\'s closet the requisite workout outfit worn by models in commercials -- had as much to do with the dominant rise of the fitness industry as the gyms themselves: consumer consciousness was an essential driver of the fitness industry throughout the 20th century in the West (Stearns, 2002). In Hong Kong, these same variables have recently come into play -- from Hong Kong cinema\'s projection of martial artists like Jackie Chan to Hong Kong\'s advertising of celebrity fashion and form for consumers to emulate by adhering to a fitness lifestyle. While Hong Kong itself is far denser than the average Western city -- and far more Asian -- elements remain similar, such as the governmental advocacy of fitness and athleticism for a healthy society. Thus, the strength of this topic is that it is helpful for supporting the traction of the fitness industry but the weakness of this topic is that in Hong Kong it may not be as important or essential as it is in the West. However, studies do indicate that body image is a factor in how Hong Kong women diet, which suggests that eating disorders are more likely to be the outcome of body image obsession in Hong Kong as opposed to fitness commitments (Lai, Mak, Pang et al., 2013).

2.3 Topic Two: Service Quality

Because Hong Kong is a service economy, it stands to reason that the level of service quality that is provided in fitness clubs is a good indicator of how successful those clubs will be. The keywords \"gym industry Hong Kong\" were used to find articles related to the quality of service provided by fitness clubs in Hong Kong and its effect on sales and renewed memberships. The idea of focusing on this topic is to show how business in Hong Kong depends upon a high degree of excellent service: without the right kind of service, firms like California Fitness do not last. As Yu, Zhang, Kim et al. (2014) show, excellent quality service for fitness club members who are seniors (aged 60) is a major factor in whether or not these individuals retain or renew their gym memberships. Because older persons are a significant portion of the total consumer market for the fitness industry in Hong Kong, it is important to know what motivates them to be part of the market. Yu et al. (2014) find that \"provision of high-quality services for older adult consumers in a sport and fitness center elevated perceived value, enhanced customer satisfaction, reduced complaint behavior, and ultimately increased the likelihood of renewed membership and continued use of the center facilities\" (p. 757). In other words, the better quality service that fitness clubs provide, the more likely the overall fitness industry is to thrive in Hong Kong. Being a service economy, this makes the most sense when trying to understand how the fitness industry could find traction in Hong Kong.

Because Hong Kong is increasingly becoming a tourist destination, Chan (2014) notes that Hong Kong should establish more venues that appeal to the \"ever increasing visitor numbers\" -- and with this in mind the fitness industry could take special note and offer smaller memberships (week long memberships or month long memberships for instance) to tourists seeking a place to exercise. Because of the lack of open spaces in Hong Kong, a gym pass for a day could be an excellent way to appeal to tourists as well as to the natives of Hong Kong who do not want a full year membership. Thompson (2016) shows that the fitness trend throughout the world is increasing as globalization continues to impact nations, creating a sameness with regard to how societies move towards healthier and more active lifestyles. This trend is evident in Hong Kong but depends upon the serviceable qualities that individual fitness clubs can offer in order to build itself into a legitimate industry. Cheung and Woo (2016) note in their empirical investigation of fitness and recreational facilities that the quality of the experience of the fitness/recreational club member is primarily what drives sales of memberships and keeps consumers returning -- more so than the idea of health, fitness or activity. In Hong Kong, fitness club members enjoy both the status of being a \"member\" and the experience of being in a club that caters to their needs without coming off as overly aggressive in terms of promoting personal trainers, sales, etc. (Cheung, Woo, 2016).

The strength of the topic of service quality in relation to fitness industry in Hong Kong is found in the fact that Hong Kong is a service economy and as the research shows quality service matters a great deal to residents of Hong Kong. There is no real or substantial weakness pertaining to this topic and its relation to the hypothesis of this paper, for it correlates substantially with the concept of the fitness industry offering a service in Hong Kong to residents who want a positive, enjoyable and quality experience when they sign up to be a member of a fitness or recreation club. In terms of the hypothesis of this paper that the potential of the fitness industry in Hong Kong depends upon the culture and receptivity of Hong Kong residents to what the industry offers, this topic shows that the fitness industry will need to provide quality service in order to find adequate traction in Hong Kong.

2.4 Topic Three: Advertising

Keywords used for this topic included \"advertising Hong Kong\" and \"advertising fitness West\" to help find articles that could provide ample context for the rise of the fitness industry in both spheres. The comparison is helpful in that it shows how advertising shapes the minds of consumers in cultures (Chan, 2017, p. 188). The fitness industry in the West would not have been what it was without the power of advertising throughout the 20th century -- which set the tone and visual goal for individuals seeking to model the presentations of human life and beauty put forward by the advertising agencies (Cederstrom, Spicer, 2015; Tavel, 2013; Kasson, 2001). Without these agencies showing Westerners how they could and should look in order to best embody their Western ideals, the fitness industry would have found no receptive audience when it came to the market to offer its products (clothing, gear) and services (club use, sports). As Tavel (2013) indicates, advertising plays a fundamental role in shaping the way people of a culture view both themselves and the ideals/goals that they believe hold value. In the West, the idea of fat representing something bad and immoral gave the fitness industry a moral imperative or justification upon which it could stand. In the East, morality was more defined by traditional values and less by materialistic qualities such as body image -- however, with the rise of advertising on smart phones via the Internet in Hong Kong, Western tools of advertising are making their way into the consciousness of Hong Kong adolescents and shaping their attitudes and beliefs about morality and values with regard to topics like body image and fitness (Chan, 2017).

Thus, the strengths of this topic are supported by the literature: Tavel (2013) shows how advertising works on the mind; Cederstrom and Spicer (2015) indicate how advertising is used by the fitness and health industry to mold behavior of consumers; and Kasson (2001) depicts the history of advertising the \"perfect man\" and its effect on the lives of persons in the West. Chan (2017) highlights how advertising is taking over in the East today and shows that this presents an opening for Western models of business to penetrate markets and shape future outcomes through behavior modification. As this is currently underway in Hong Kong, the fitness industry should be able to tap into this resource and use it to its advantage. Therefore, in terms of this paper\'s hypothesis, the fitness industry in Hong Kong stands to benefit from the role of advertising in Hong Kong if utilized appropriately. The only weakness with regard to this topic and the potential of fitness industry in Hong Kong is the lack of cultivating that precedes it; in the West, advertising has had a century to impact culture but in Hong Kong its history has fewer years.

2.5 Topic Four: Consumer Base

Keywords for this topic included \"consumer Hong Kong,\" \"Hong Kong fitness consumer\" and \"fitness health consumer business.\" The goal of this keyword search was to find articles relating to the habits of the Hong Kong consumer as well as to develop a sense of consumerism in general and some context for consumerism in Hong Kong as well as in the West where consumerism essentially materialized.

The study by He, Cerin, Huang and Wong (2014) shows that adolescents and children in Hong Kong find creative ways to be active -- whether in subways or playing video games. In fact, the video game culture in Hong Kong is very strong and incorporates many active dance type games into its market. Choreography and dance is also a big part of the Asian experience and much of advertising of music groups depends upon this pop balance of dance and image. For children looking to be active, they will mimic these moves or find the ability to be active in any sphere where there is opportunity to move and play.

The study by Suzuki, Naito, Sakamoto and Hui (2015) indicates that there is a clear divide between the amount of activity that men and women spend in sports clubs. Women are less prone to reap benefits from sports clubs because they spend less time being active in them than men. This study shows that there is a clear opportunity for the fitness industry to appeal to women in particular as they are not seeing the benefits of health related to activity in sports clubs and can come to fitness clubs in order to obtain the body image that is promoted to them via advertising.

McKenzie (2013) shows that the \"in shape\" lifestyle promoted in the West by celebrities like Jane Fonda proved to be highly instrumental in cultivating the consumer base for the fitness industry. And Cederstrom and Spicer (2015) likewise show how the industry utilized the research of medical science to facilitate its ends among consumers. In Hong Kong, this same type of cultivation is currently underway via the dual combination of medical research regarding fitness and health in Hong Kong and advertising. Thus, the strengths of this topic are evident in the research and the weaknesses pertaining to the hypothesis of this study are located only in the need for the industry to tap into the findings of recent research and promote itself more heavily to targeted audiences, such as women.

2.6 Conclusion to Literature Review

After examining the relevant literature on the potential of the fitness industry in Hong Kong, it is clear that there are many issues impacting this topic. First, there is the role of advertising in the shaping and developing of the market; second, there is the role of body image; third is the very important issue of quality of service; and finally there is the issue of holding onto the consumer base. Each of these issues intertwines and impacts the other. In terms of the hypothesis of this study, the most important issues that affect the outcome of the fitness industry in Hong Kong are: the quality of service that fitness clubs provide and the ability of the industry to harness new values being promoted via advertisers of new culture in Hong Kong (pop culture, dance culture, body image culture) and using that to attract and develop a consumer base. What this literature review has shown is that there is ample potential for the fitness industry to succeed in Hong Kong as the market is there, the consumer base is currently being developed by research, governmental support and advertising, and the culture is actively promoting the value of presenting an attractive body image, which correlates well with the goals of the fitness industry.

Chapter 3

3.1 Introduction to Data Collection and Analysis

With a combination of venues ranging from chain gyms to independent gyms to crossfit gyms to martial arts studios, Hong Kong\'s fitness culture is alive and vibrant. There are, however, a range of gyms in terms of type of fitness level provided -- not all are equal in terms of consumer satisfaction (California Fitness is a prime example of a gym that did not meet consumer satisfaction). The outcomes of the questionnaire are expected to show that of the dozens of options available in Hong Kong, individuals are more excited and pleased with the fitness industry than not.

Thus, the survey (both closed and open-ended questions) should serve to indicate that there is great potential for the fitness industry in Hong Kong. From both a cultural and practical perspective, Hong Kong is ready to embrace the fitness industry and its highly-dense population of 7 million reside in a city where there is little open space and/or ability to recreate. Gyms provided by the fitness industry give Hong Kong residents an opportunity to be active and meet the health goals set forward by government initiatives.

It is expected that the surveys will indicate that individuals who can afford gym memberships are want a gym experience will join fitness clubs and use facilities as a way to stay in shape. As Hong Kong is a service economy, the fitness industry aligns particularly well with the city\'s culture and professional orientation. The forecast for Hong Kong\'s fitness industry is strong.

3.2 Data Sampling Method

This study uses survey methodology. The sample consists of individuals living in Hong Kong. Selective sampling will include those who are members of fitness clubs as well as those who are not. The survey will be posted via social media (Facebook and Twitter) and friends will be invited to take the survey. The researcher already has over 400 followers on social media, so the potential sample size is substantial. The researcher will also contact fitness clubs and invite them and their patrons to take the survey. Non-fitness club members will be drawn from the researcher\'s followers on social media who do not have a club membership. Likewise, online \"hangouts\" where residents of Hong Kong engage will be used to target non-stakeholders for their impressions of the fitness industry. The survey questions will consist of the following:

1) What is your age?

2) Are you male or female?

3) Are you a member of a fitness club in Hong Kong? Yes or No

4) Are you a worker in a fitness club in Hong Kong? Yes or No

5) Is fitness popular in Hong Kong? 1 2 3 4 5 (1 = not at all, 5 = very)

6) How strong is the fitness industry in Hong Kong? (1 = not at all, 5 = very)

7) Would you recommend a fitness club to friends or visitors to Hong Kong? (1 = never, 5 = most definitely)

8) Why or why not?

9) If you have joined a fitness club in Hong Kong, why?

10) If you have not joined a fitness club in Hong Kong, why not?

11) If you have joined a fitness club in Hong Kong, was your experience favorable? 1 2 3 4 5 (1 = not at all, 5 = very)

12) What could fitness clubs do to be more attractive to consumers in Hong Kong?

13) Do you see much fitness advertising during your day?

14) If yes, how would you describe this advertising? Is it attractive, repellant, or are you indifferent to it?

15) Are you concerned about body image? 1 2 3 4 5 (1 = not at all, 5 = very)

16) Does the fitness industry have a strong consumer base in Hong Kong in your opinion? 1 2 3 4 5 (1 = not at all, 5 = very)

17) How concerned are you about service quality? 1 2 3 4 5 (1 = not at all, 5 = very)

18) If you were to join a new fitness club in Hong Kong, would its service quality be a motivating factor in whether or not you joined? 1 2 3 4 5 (1 = not at all, 5 = very)

19) Do you think Hong Kong needs to be concerned about health and fitness? 1 2 3 4 5 (1 = not at all, 5 = very)

20) Do you think Hong Kong could use more fitness clubs? 1 2 3 4 5 (1 = not at all, 5 = very)

The degree of accuracy and level of confidence that this sample provides is high, as the researcher\'s followers consist of a mix of young and old, upper, middle and lower class, and their responses should provide an accurate reflection of trends and consumer demands regarding fitness in Hong Kong.

The study will also include secondary data from online hangouts for fitness club members who want to discuss their fitness experiences. This is a qualitative method of adding to the open-ended questions that will accompany the survey and will provide more in-depth understanding of the how fitness is received in Hong Kong and what the industry should look out for.

3.3 Data Analysis

The survey data will be analyzed by using the Likert scale of measurement as well as through qualitative assessment for the open-ended question at the end of the survey. Data will be analyzed by measuring Likert scores and providing a visual, quantified reading on the popularity of the fitness industry in Hong Kong. The open-ended question will provide a window into the qualitative conditions surrounding the fitness industry in Hong Kong.

Thus, analysis will be both qualitative and quantitative: qualitative analysis will be conducted of open-ended questions and quantitative analysis will be conducted of closed questions in which the Likert scale is utilized as a measurement. Each of these will be used to provide a mixed methods approach to either accepting or rejecting the hypothesis.

According to Clason and Dormody (1994), \"Likert scaling presumes the existence of an underlying (or latent or natural) continuous variable whose value characterizes the respondents\' attitudes and opinions. If it were possible to measure the latent variable directly, the measurement scale would be, at best, an interval scale,\" (p. 34). The questions utilized in the survey will allow the researcher to assess the variables service quality, consumer base, body image and advertising and their role in consumers\' decisions to become members of fitness clubs.

The open-ended questions will be assessed qualitatively: themes will be identified that are most common among respondents and these will be compared to the variables identified above and described in the literature review. If there is a high degree of correlation between themes identified in open-ended responses and variables most impactful to the Hong Kong fitness industry according to relevant literature, this data will be considered supportive of the hypothesis that the fitness industry in Hong Kong has potential to grow and be successful. Data will also be gathered from online hangouts wherein fitness club members discuss their experiences at fitness clubs in a variety of positive and/or negative stories. These stories can add a phenomenological dimension to the study that will support the qualitative data gathered via the survey\'s open-ended questions.

Quantitative data will be gathered from the Likert scale responses and the numerical results will be used to assess whether or not the variables are deemed relevant to consumers. If consumers give the variables addressed in the questions high marks, this will indicate that the same variables identified in the literature as impactful to the potential of the fitness industry in Hong Kong are also deemed important to consumers. If consumers do not give them high marks, this will raise questions about the validity of the hypothesis.

Taken together the qualitative and quantitative analysis will allow the researcher to reject or accept the hypothesis that there is potential for the fitness industry to grow in Hong Kong. Moreover, the data will also allow the researcher to obtain more in-depth awareness of what draws consumers to the fitness industry and what pushes them away. This data could also be useful to the fitness industry so that it has a better sense of its consumer base, its needs, and what it can do to grow and develop it.

3.4 Conclusion to Data Collection and Analysis

The value of a qualitative and quantitative data collection method through survey with closed and open ended questions (closed questions measured using the Likert scale, and open ended questions assessed for common themes), is that it provides the researcher with a balanced view of the overall consumer representation in Hong Kong regarding the fitness industry. The sample is also reflective of this consumer trend, as it includes multiple classes of people who use social media as well as those who frequent or work for fitness clubs in Hong Kong. This method of collection and analysis has a high certainty of providing adequate responses and results that will allow the researcher to gauge whether or not the hypothesis of this study that there is potential for the fitness industry in Hong Kong may be accepted or rejected.