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

Joana Tavares (ISAG – European Business School and Research Center in Business Sciences and Tourism (CICET – FCVC), Porto, Portugal)
Ana Pinto Borges (ISAG – European Business School and Research Center in Business Sciences and Tourism (CICET – FCVC) and Research Centre in Organizations, Markets and Industrial Management (COMEGI), Porto, Portugal)
Bruno Miguel Vieira (ISAG – European Business School and Research Center in Business Sciences and Tourism (CICET – FCVC), Porto, Portugal)
Elvira Vieira (ISAG – European Business School and Research Center in Business Sciences and Tourism (CICET – FCVC) and Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (IPVC) and Applied Management Research Unit (UNIAG), Porto, Portugal)
Paula Rodrigues (Lusíada University and Research Centre in Organizations, Markets and Industrial Management (COMEGI), Porto, Portugal)

Sport, Business and Management

ISSN: 2042-678X

Article publication date: 21 September 2023

Issue publication date: 10 November 2023

238

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.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors are deeply grateful to ISAG – European Business School and Research Center in Business Sciences and Tourism (CICET – FCVC) for all support.

Citation

Tavares, J., Borges, A.P., Miguel Vieira, B., Vieira, E. and Rodrigues, P. (2023), "Corporate social responsibility of sports clubs: what do supporters think?", Sport, Business and Management, Vol. 13 No. 6, pp. 752-768. https://doi.org/10.1108/SBM-03-2023-0030

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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