Corporate and Social Responsibility in Professional Football Club Organizations

While professional football clubs are facing increasing pressures to balance their business with social goals, an important unanswered question is whether these rather stakeholder-oriented organizations understand the nature and impact of corporate and social responsibility (CSR). Research has yet provided little information on how football clubs perceive and react to CSR. This thesis examines how three important aspects of CSR (communication, development and integration with other strategies) evolve across different football clubs and cultures. Because specific clubs may have unique social responsibilities attributed to them, the current study is not limited to one industry and one particular club / segment. It rather contains three complementary case studies and explores CSR activities associated with an overall 38 professional football clubs residing in a pan-European, national (league), and organizational context respectively. Specifically, the primary international analysis reveals that while most football clubs communicate various CSR efforts, these activities primarily refer to ten distinct areas. These areas, as well as prior literature, served as the framework for the development of an international football CSR typology. In addition, qualitative results gathered from a second study across football clubs from the same national context sought to determine the moderating role of national business system characteristics (i.e. legislations, socio-political drivers, internal and external barriers, and phases of CSR development). The results of a third study generally supported the aforementioned contentions providing additional information on the strategic benefits more integrative CSR can offer. Synthesizing outcomes and findings from three complementary studies, this thesis develops a conceptual model that brings together the two different views of the modern CSR debate. This conception theorises CSR as being a legally, socially and organizationally constructed umbrella positioned over the corporate organization. On one hand, CSR is an umbrella protection to cover up corporate irresponsibility, window-dress illegitimate actions, and distract public attention from sensitive business issues. On the other hand, more collaborative, planned, participative and long-term involvement to CSR activity can turn the umbrella model upside down and provide a collector of public support, or a battery where public benevolence can be stored and reused for future purposes. These findings are discussed in the context of contributions to the field of sport management and marketing, practitioners within the football industry, and scholars pursuing a research agenda in the area of CSR and sports. Future research suggestions are forwarded

Exploring value co-creation in Fan Fests: the role of fans

Fan Fests have recently provided various opportunities for host cities, organizers, sponsorsand fans, manifesting a modern intersected third place service setting (other than a stadium)where varied stakeholders can co-create value and sport experience and consumption can takedifferent forms and shapes. Yet, although Fan Fests are becoming integral parts of megaevents,research has fallen short of capturing the unique nature of such value co-creationecosystem, and the role of fans in such value co-creation environment. This paper takes upthis challenge and explores the still evolving nature of the Fan Fest, using a primarilyconsumer and participant focused approach in order to explore the experiences of a Fan Festand address questions of event construction, participation, organisation and consumption.Drawing on SDL and CCT perspectives we situate the role of fans in value co-creation in FanFests and provide implications for management and future researc

Understanding strategic decision-making through a multi-paradigm perspective: The case of charitable foundations in English football

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the efficacy of using a multi-paradigm perspective to examine the relationship between CSR and strategic decision-making processes in the context of charitable foundations  Design/methodology/approach: This paper integrates and synthesizes the micro-social processes of ‘assessable transcendence' (Anagnostopoulos et al., 2014) with Whittington's (2001) perspectives on strategy. ‘Assessable transcendence' was achieved from the constant comparison of categories developed through an early iterative process in which data collection and analysis occurred during the same period. Thirty-two interviews were conducted among a sample of key managers in the charitable foundations for the first two divisions of English football.  Findings: The present study illustrates empirically that strategic decision-making in charitable foundations does not ‘seat' neatly in any one of Whittington's perspectives. On the contrary, this study indicates a great deal of overlap within these perspectives, and suggests that conflicting paradigms should be celebrated rather than viewed as signs of theoretical immaturity. Multi-paradigm approaches can potentially reveal insights into the ‘mechanics' of managerial decision-making that are not easily discernible from a mono-paradigmatic perspective. Research limitations/implications: Practical implications: Social implications:  Originality/value: This is the first empirical work that (a) examines CSR in relation to strategy within the context of the English football clubs' charitable foundations, and (b) does so by employing a multi-paradigm perspective on strategy formulation and implementation

Developing CSR in professional football clubs: drivers and phases

Purpose: Given that professional football organizations have become particularly strong socio-political business institutions, often home to numerous social and business relationships, the purpose of this paper is to advance our understanding of how CSR develops within professional football clubs, along with its organizational implications, phases, drivers and barriers for corporate governance. Additionally it aims to to consider CSR development generally drawing specifically on examples from Scottish professional football whilst answering two key research questions: (1) what kind of drivers do clubs identify as reasons to develop CSR?, and (2) can developmental phases be identified during this process? Design/methodology/approach: The paper builds on a qualitative case study methodology that draws on primary and secondary data collected across 12 Scottish Premier League (SPL) football clubs. Three stages of data collection were set out including interviews, web content analysis and annual/CSR reports analysis. Findings: This research highlights internal and external drivers of change in Scottish football clubs along with institutional barriers and organizational (developmental) phases of CSR and corporate governance. Research limitations/implications: This research is limited on the CSR development across 12 SPL clubs Originality/value: The paper is the first to consider CSR in professional football clubs from a developmental point of view. Six phases of CSR development are identified and defined - volunteering, regulation, socialization, corporatization, separation, and integration - and implications for football and general corporate governance are presented

Sport fandom and parenthood

Research question: Sport fandom is acknowledged as offering consumers the opportunity to differentially engage as well as co-create value through network interaction, enhancing social well-being and social integration. However, recent research indicates that sport fandom escalates or de-escalates over time with calls to examine the intersection of parenting and sport fandom. This research focuses on mothers and fathers and examines how their sport fandom intensifies or declines as a consequence of having and raising children. This research will add to our understanding of fandom by identifying when and under what circumstances sport fandom is a bonding or detaching experience for parents and the role it plays in socialization and consumer behavior.  Research methods: The study adopts a multi-method interpretive qualitative approach, using in-depth interviews and an online discussion forum. The sampling frame consists of a total of thirty five parents using two stages of research (Stage 1 n=15, Stage 2 n=20). Participants are at varying stages of parenthood with single and mixed gender families.  Results and Findings: The study develops a typology of (de)escalating sport fandom during parenthood and differentiates between fandom as pertaining to an individual or social identity. Data also reveals varying dichotomies such as: excess and moderation, risk and reward, individual and shared behaviors (including customer-to-customer interaction) as well as perceptions of allegiance and disloyalty.  Implications: Knowledge of parenting and sport fandom will assist managers in developing effective loyalty schemes and marketing packages and will offer an understanding of the temporal effect of having children on fandom

Professional football clubs retail branding strategies

Purpose: While some football clubs are recognised as popular brands, little is known about the way they leverage their brand in their merchandise retailing. This study draws on brand equity and supply chain management to address this gap by investigating retail branding strategies used by professional football clubs. In particular, it analyses the type of product merchandised, the reasons for selling certain products and the ways through which football clubs merchandise, including their partners in distribution channels. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was undertaken involving content analysis of 22 Scottish professional football clubs’ websites and annual reports, and semi-structured interviews with seven football clubs retail managers and four supply chain partners. Transcribed data was coded and thematically organised through an inductive process using the qualitative data analysis software NVivo 10.  Findings: Three types of merchandise have been identified, basic, fashion and short season. Building brand equity is considered the main motive for retailing merchandise. Some football clubs use intermediaries or outsourcers to respond to sudden consumer demands and to ensure high levels of service, whereas others have an integrated supply chain which allows for greater control.  Research limitations/implications: This paper contributes to the discussion on the role of retailing in football club brand equity. It suggests initiating intermediaries in the distribution channels to build brand equity thus enabling clubs to become more responsive to consumer demand.  Originality/value: This is the first paper to look at retail branding strategies of professional football clubs

Applying a Communicating Vessels Framework to CSR Value Co-creation: Empirical Evidence from Professional Team Sport Organizations

Despite the increasing number and significance of charitable foundations in various business sectors, their role in co-creating corporate social responsibility (CSR) value remains unclear. This paper identifies CSR value co-creation in professional team sport organizations (PTSOs) and answers three key research questions: 1) Why have PTSOs developed charitable foundations as their means toward CSR value co-creation? 2) What CSR-related resources do PTSOs and their charitable foundations integrate? and (3) How do they manage, share and transfer such resources in order to co-create CSR value? Drawing theoretical insights from Service Dominant Logic (SDL) and consumer culture theory (CCT) – and using empirical data from 47 semi-structured interviews of UK-based professional football (soccer) clubs – this study develops a communicating vessels (CV) framework to illustrate the role of charitable foundations in the CSR value co-creation process. Through four tentative CSR value co-creation levels of relationship (bolt-on, cooperative, controlled, and strategic) the study suggests several internal strategies that can enhance the level of collaboration between founders and foundations. These include information-sharing through CRM systems and social media platforms; staff-sharing or flexible movement across the organizations; quality assurance agreements; flexible team cooperation; partnership protocols with social, media, cultural, and commercial stakeholders; and co-training of personnel

International sport federations' social media communication: A content analysis of FIFA's Twitter account

This study aimed to analyze the way Twitter is used by international sport federations (ISFs) to interact and engage with their followers. A content analysis of 5,389 online messages tweeted by FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) using NVivo qualitative data-analysis software was conducted between August 2014 and January 2015. Results suggest that FIFA does not use Twitter to its full potential, mainly sharing 1-way information rather than engaging to a greater level with its followers. The research highlights the importance of effectively using Twitter as a potential powerful communication tool for ISFs, which are understood as meta-organizations whose members are organizations themselves. Communicating about social development and engaging followers, including their affiliated national sport associations, could potentially increase ISFs’ reputation and build trust among followers and stakeholders

How do International Sport Federations Communicate Through Social Media: A content Analysis of FIFA's Twitter Communications

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyse the way in which Twitter is used by International sport federations to interact and engage with its followers.  Methodology: A content analysis using Nvivo qualitative data analysis software was conducted of 5,389 online messages tweeted by FIFA on Twitter between August 2014 to January 2015. Findings: The results suggest that FIFA does not use Twitter to its full potential by mainly sharing one-way information rather than engaging to a greater level with its followers.  Implications: The research highlights the importance of the effective use of Twitter as a potential powerful communication tool for International sport federations. Communicating about social development and engaging followers could potentially increase International sport federations' reputation and build trust amongst followers and stakeholders

The more we post, the better? A comparative analysis of fan engagement on social media profiles of football leagues

Purpose In a dynamic, continuously evolving sports landscape, social media have become an indispensable tool for sports organizations to cultivate meaningful connections with fans. The rapid pace of technological advancements has elevated these digital platforms from a supplementary role to a pivotal position within strategic management frameworks. The existing literature explores how football clubs can utilize social media, but analyzing social media strategies within the context of football leagues is lacking. The absence of comparative studies benchmarking clubs across different geographical regions while simultaneously analyzing multiple social media platforms is especially noteworthy. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of social media engagement is undertaken within esteemed football leagues spanning Europe, South America and North America. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on relationship marketing and employing content analysis as a methodological tool, the study examined 10,772 posts from the official accounts of eight football leagues on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Findings Across the leagues, the findings reveal that content quality drives engagement more than frequency. In addition, several format combinations were identified that facilitate engagement and Instagram emerged as the top social media platform for generating fan engagement. Originality/value This is one of the first empirical studies focusing on optimizing the use of social media to amplify fan engagement across various geographies and social media accounts and formats simultaneously