Corporate social responsibility of sports clubs: what do supporters think?

Abstract

Purpose The authors intend to contribute to the lack of information about corporate social responsibility (CSR) in sports verified in the literature. The main purpose is to understand what the supporters' perceptions of CSR practices in sports clubs are and how these initiatives influence some of their attitudes towards the clubs they support. Design/methodology/approach Using a total sample of 142 supporters, the study hypotheses were tested with PLS-SEM structural equation modeling. Findings The authors conclude that CSR initiatives have a positive influence in the supporters' perception of the club and contribute to the positive word-of-mouth communication about the club. The results also show that these initiatives do not have a significant influence on the supporters' intention to become or remain paid members of sports clubs. Originality/value It should be noted that research on CSR in the national sports context is scarce, which increases the importance of its contribution to the literature in this area.