先前對贊助相關領域的研究，往往採企業的觀點進行，注重消費者在贊助活動的過程中，對贊助者態度與認知的改變，這樣的研究，對於現階段藝文團體的發展需要上，是略顯不足的！本研究透過社會網絡理論（social network theory）的觀點，探討贊助者（sponsor）、被贊助者（sponsee）與消費者三者間，關係建構的過程與結構的特性，透過對關係內容的探索與討論，期望能對贊助關係獲得更全面、更完整的了解。
　　
　　社會網絡理論認為，網絡中所有的行動者因各種類的關係連結，形成了一個社會結構（social structure），行動者鑲嵌（embeddedness）在這樣的網絡結構中，彼此交換資源，接受所處位置所帶來的機會及限制。藉由探討先前學者對贊助研究所獲得的認識，本研究將贊助活動的進行，視為一連串關係建立、形成網絡結構的過程，這樣的過程中，被贊助者、贊助者與消費者彼此交換資源，接受來自網絡結構的影響，進而產生各種贊助的效果。
　　
　　本研究採社會網絡理論的觀點，以個案研究的方法，對小型劇團贊助關係發展的歷程進行探索，透過對贊助者、被贊助者與消費者三方的訪談、觀察與文件證據的搜集。研究發現，在贊助活動進行的過程中，贊助者本身的特性（characteristics）、被贊助者的規模（size）以及消費者對產品/服務的知識，會對三者彼此建立關係的能力產生影響；而贊助對象屬性（attributes）、資源交換的頻率與贊助者進行贊助的目標，則會對贊助者與消費者、贊助者與被贊助者之間，關係的強度產生影響。

　　The prior researches on sponsorship were studied from the aspects of enterprises most of the time, and those researches emphasized on the change of consumers’ attitude and reorganization toward sponsors in the process of sponsorship. This kind of research was not sufficient for analyzing the present developing needs of art and culture organizations. This study focused on the relation-building and structure characteristics between sponsors, sponsees, and consumers based on the Social Network Theory. Through exploring and discussing the relationship, the objective of this study was to find more completely understanding of the sponsorship.
　　
　　The Social Network Theory indicated that all movers in the network build up a social structure by some relating connections and those movers got embeddedness in this network structure. They exchange resource with others and take opportunities and limitations from their positions. From the research on sponsorship of prior studies, this study viewed the processing of sponsorship as a series of relation-building and establishment of network structure. The sponsor, sponsee, and consumer exchanged resource, gained influences from this network structure in this process and came up with every kind of sponsorship effects.
　　
　　This study, based on the Social Network Theory, used the methodology of case study to explore the sponsorship-developing process of small size troupe from the triple interview, observation, and collecting of documental evidence. The research found that the sponsor characteristics, the sponsee size, and the consumer’s understanding of product or service will have influence on the triple relationship building in the sponsorship process. Moreover, the sponsee attributes, the frequency of resource exchange, and the objective of sponsorship will influence the strength of relationship between sponsor and consumer and between sponsor and sponsee.

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