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Social impact of a corporate social responsibility initiative
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the social impact of an initiative (Hockey FIT) aimed at improving the health and well-being of sport fans and their community.
Design/methodology/approach
Fans ( n =80) participated in 12 weekly health promotion sessions hosted in local hockey club facilities. Objective health measurements, diet and physical activity levels of fans were measured at baseline, 12 weeks and 12 months, to determine the intermediate, long-term, individual and community impact. Furthermore, one-on-one interviews with 28 program participants were conducted to further understand the program’s social impact.
Findings
The intermediate impact was noticed as improvements in weight loss, body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (BP), steps per day, healthful eating, self-reported overall health and fatty food scores at 12 weeks. The long-term individual impact of Hockey FIT was realized as participants maintained or continued to improve their weight loss, waist circumference, healthful eating, systolic BP and diastolic BP 12 months after the program had been offered. The program was also reported to increase family bonding time and improved the diet, daily physical activity, and general awareness of health promotion programs and components for friends, family members and coworkers.
Originality/value
The positive health-related results from this study contradict prior research that has suggested there is minimal evidence of any substantial contributions from social programs in sport. Through a collective approach to corporate social responsibility, this research demonstrates the ability for sport organizations to contribute to meaningful social change and the positive role that they play within the community.
... Research has mostly focused on the benefits of CSR for the organisation and its finances, rather than evaluating the social impact and consequences of such initiatives [9,17,22,23]. However, this trend is starting to change, at least at the level of discourse, as questions arise about how such initiatives affect society [23]. ...
... Research has mostly focused on the benefits of CSR for the organisation and its finances, rather than evaluating the social impact and consequences of such initiatives [9,17,22,23]. However, this trend is starting to change, at least at the level of discourse, as questions arise about how such initiatives affect society [23]. As Donna Wood (2010) states: 'The whole idea of Corporate Social Performance (CSP) is to discern and assess the impacts of business-society relationships. ...
... Researchers have identified a variety of challenges in measuring CSR programmes; there are many measures to assess CSR (across multiple dimensions), which results in a lack of consensus on the best practice approach [23,26]. There is also a lack of consensus on the methodological approach, given the complexity involved [23]. ...
This article aims to explore how multinationals measure CSR activities in Mexico and
their alignment with core business activities and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through a qualitative approach and an exploratory methodology, based on 15 semi-structured interviews with CSR and sustainability managers, the results suggest that multinationals in this sample focus on outputs rather than on impact. Two reasons provided by the interviewees are as follows: (1) impact measurement does not carry any punishment or social reward, so corporations do not have much interest in measuring it; and (2) some corporations do not know how to measure CSR impact, so they usually report outputs in their sustainability reports. The results also suggest a disconnection
between CSR and core business activities. Finally, multinationals recognise SDGs as a paramount guide to address the world’s more urgent problems and are starting to link their CSR initiatives to particular goals. However, such efforts are still incipient and mostly mean connecting CSR initiatives and specific SDGs in their sustainability reports
... Individuals having positive approach about CSR are inclined more towards supportive contribution and constructive movements (Rodrigues and Borges, 2015). Other studies institute that CSR approach validates individual's aptitude to boost expressive societal change and ultimately very helpful for the overall community development (Riggin et al., 2019). Academia's stakeholders (activists) are considered to be well-informed about the universal tendencies and thus supposed to respond quickly in the process of sustainability (Purcell et al., 2017;Evans et al., 2015). ...
... Specifically, measuring, managing, and communicating about corporate social and environmental activities is necessary for competitive corporate sustainability performances, and measuring the impacts is the least developed area among them (Grewal and Serafeim, 2020). Past studies have investigated CSR from several perspectives, such as the relationship between CSR activities and the development of fan-team relationships (e.g., Walker and Kent, 2009;Kim et al., 2015;Lacey and Kennett-Hensel, 2016;Liu et al., 2019;Chen and Lin, 2021), environmental sustainability development (e.g., Inoue and Kent, 2012;Trendafilova et al., 2013), program benefits or social impacts on stakeholders (e.g., Kihl et al., 2014b;Walker et al., 2017;Riggin et al., 2019) and the determinants, pressures, or motives of CSR (e.g., Babiak and Wolfe, 2009;Babiak and Trendafilova, 2011). Regarding the benefits of CSR in professional football, the review literature has summarized the following nine outcomes of CSR: brand image, reputation, identification, new partners, new supporters, financial value, cultural value, human value, and reassurance (Fifka and Jaeger, 2020). ...
In response to the lack of evidence for visualizing the monetary value of professional sport teams' CSR-related social impact, this study aimed to calculate the social impact of a Japanese professional soccer team's corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity (i.e., community soccer/physical activity program) by using a social return on investment (SROI) framework. Specifically, Matsumoto Yamaga Football Club was used for the estimation. This professional soccer team was ranked in the top division of the league (J1) during the estimation period and engaged in CSR activities at 129 community soccer schools in a year (2019–2020). The SROI calculation involved five stages: (1) identifying key stakeholders, (2) mapping inputs, outputs, and outcomes, (3) measuring and valuing outcomes, (4) establishing impact, and (5) calculating SROI. For the first step, we specified seven major stakeholders (soccer team, nursery school children, parents, coaches, teachers, local governments, and local football associations) and conducted interview investigations with each stakeholder. Our result showed that the social value of the teams' targeted community soccer school was USD 54,160, and the total financial and non-financial inputs to the school were USD 10,134, meaning an SROI ratio of 5.3. This means that for every USD invested in a community soccer school, social benefit worth USD 5.3 was generated. This study contributes to advancing social impact research in sport by shedding light on the monetary value of the social impact of professional sport teams' CSR activities. In addition, it also has practical implications for team managers looking to utilize CSR activities as a management strategy, through cost-effective investment and optimization of resources.
... Nejen stále rostoucí komercionalizace, medializace a globalizace profesionálního světa sportu, ale také zintenzivnění požadavků ze strany zúčastněných stran, značně ovlivnila chování mnoha sportovních subjektů (Valeri, 2019). Zejména špičkové sportovní kluby jsou vystaveny intenzivnímu zájmu a také kontrole ze strany masmédií, respektive široké veřejnosti, která je jejich prostřednictvím nepřetržitě informována téměř o všem, co nějakým způsobem souvisí s jejich činností (Riggin et al., 2019). V každodenní řídící praxi se jedná o řešení mnoha souvisejících problémů, ať například v podobě zvýšené pozornosti směrem k jejich případným neetickým praktikám či rostoucímu zájmu jejich fanoušků i o mimosportovní aspekty fungování klubů. ...
... Also pushing in this direction is the notable increase in the ability to scrutinize large clubs by the media and by society in general (Riggin et al. 2019). Thus, sports organizations that want to win the long-term commitment of their key stakeholders and achieve success beyond sports results must also consider the ethical aspects and values of SR, a more multidimensional approach in their strategies (Kunz, 2020). ...
Purpose
This study aims to explore how responsible corporate behaviour, specifically self-imposed financial regulatory control, might subsequently be reflected in the financial performance of companies subject to such regulation.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the authors aim to explore how financial compliance in the form of the Economic Control Regulation (ECR) has impacted on the financial performance of professional football clubs in Spain. To this purpose, the authors adopted a quasi-experimental before and after study design. This type of design assesses the object of study before and after a specific event in order to determine whether this event has had any effects on the object. In this case, the event was the coming into effect of the ECR in the fiscal year of 2012, and the object hypothetically affected was the clubs’ economic performance.
Findings
The authors can confirm that in general terms and for the whole set of clubs analysed, the ECR has had a strong and positive effect on financial performance.
Research limitations/implications
In this study, the authors wish to establish a link between the idea of “compliance” and that of “responsible corporate management practice”. It is not just a matter of compliance with the law. The fact of complying with certain laws could, in general terms, or from the point of view of common sense, be qualified as “responsible behaviour”. However, under the contemporary concept of corporate responsibility, compliance with the law is a behaviour that must be taken for granted. Responsibility, therefore, would entail going beyond such expected behaviour to one that exceeds the environment's expectation of the corporate actor.
Practical implications
What extent improvements in financial performance have also boosted social performance. Confirming such a positive effect endorses the argument that ethical improvements in corporate culture have a general effect on business sustainability in its different aspects: economic, social, environmental and in governance.
Social implications
The authors may foresee that the culture of compliance will spread from the finance departments to other management areas. Its connection with ethical business practice is directly linked to the more complex concept of the “citizen company”. There are suggest interesting bases on which professional football clubs might move from a traditional profit-oriented company model towards a more contemporary one oriented towards relationships of integrity with the sport's environment. This study shows that the ECR has been a starting point for the development of Spanish professional football clubs towards this type of “citizen company”.
Originality/value
It was a single-sector study whose principal value lies in the verification of whether responsible economic management (the main consequence of applying the ECR) had any effects on company profits, financial results and other important indicators. In addition to fostering responsibility, this new management model involves a special innovation, as it is based on self-regulation (i.e. on regulations not imposed by national or supranational states), designed and implemented to ensure the sector's viability.
Purpose
The objectives of this study were to evaluate knowledge on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission, attitude toward the measures of COVID-19 prevention and control, explore social responsibility behaviors and test for the association between variables and social responsibility among university students.
Design/methodology/approach
It was a cross-sectional study. The population was 7,754 students from a university in Yala province. The sample size was 370 students according to Krejcie and Morgan table. Google form was introduced to make the self-administered questionnaires. Content validity was evaluated by three experts, and for reliability of knowledge and attitude, the coefficient was 0.707 and 0.702. Data collection was done in the early April 2020. Descriptive statistics and χ ² were used to analyze the data. Ethical approval number 095–63.
Findings
The results found that students' knowledge on COVID-19 transmission was in a moderate level, attitude toward the state measures for COVID-19 prevention and control was at a high level. Their social responsibility behaviors were at a high level. Their knowledge, attitude and payment were significant association with social responsibility behaviors among university students ( p < 0.05).
Originality/value
University students' knowledge on disease transmission as well as positive attitude toward the measures of regulation led them to have cooperation. Social distancing and lockdown measures affected their lifestyle. However, they have responsibility behaviors to the society, especially in the pandemic situation.
Introduction:
Hockey Fans in Training (Hockey FIT) is a gender-sensitized weight loss and healthy lifestyle program. We investigated: 1) feasibility of recruiting and retaining overweight and obese men into a pilot pragmatic randomized controlled trial; and 2) potential for Hockey FIT to lead to weight loss and improvements in other outcomes at 12 weeks and 12 months.
Methods:
Male fans of 2 ice hockey teams (35-65 years; body-mass index ≥28 kg/m) located in Ontario (Canada) were randomized to intervention (Hockey FIT) or comparator (Wait-list Control). Hockey FIT includes a 12-week active phase (weekly, coach-led group meetings including provision of dietary information, practice of behaviour change techniques, and safe exercise sessions plus incremental pedometer walking) and a 40-week minimally-supported phase (smartphone app for sustaining physical activity; private online social network; standardized emails; booster session/reunion). Measurement at baseline and 12 weeks (both groups), and 12 months (intervention group only), included clinical outcomes (e.g., weight) and self-reported physical activity, diet, self-rated health.
Results:
Eighty men were recruited in 4 weeks; trial retention was >80% at 12 weeks and >75% at 12 months. At 12 weeks, the intervention group lost 3.6 (95% CI: -5.26, -1.90) kg more than the comparator (p<0.001) and maintained this weight loss to 12 months. The intervention group also demonstrated greater improvements in other clinical measures, physical activity, diet and self-rated health at 12 weeks; most sustained to 12 months.
Conclusion:
Results suggest feasible recruitment/retention of overweight and obese men in the Hockey FIT program. Results provide evidence for the potential effectiveness of Hockey FIT for weight loss and improved health in at-risk men and thus, evidence to proceed with a definitive trial.
Background: Increasing rates of chronic disease, especially in men, have led to an increased effort to implement lifestyle interventions focusing on healthy eating and physical activity. Men are underrepresented in lifestyle programs and some studies have observed that males prefer men-only programs that occur in the context of sports. This paper reviews men’s feedback regarding motivation for joining and overall experience in a 12-week lifestyle intervention in the context of junior level ice hockey teams. Methods: Men age 35-65 with a BMI ≥28 were recruited from local ice hockey team fan bases in London and Sarnia Ontario, Canada and randomized to the 12-week lifestyle intervention or control group. Those who attended at least 6 of the 12 weekly sessions, including at least one session in the final six weeks (n=30) were asked to complete an online questionnaire upon finishing the active phase of the intervention. The questionnaire elicited reasons for joining the program, changes seen following their participation, and the usefulness of specific components of the program. Results: For the 27 men who completed the questionnaire, weight loss and a desire to increase physical activity were the two main reasons cited for joining the program. After the intervention, 100% of the men reported eating a healthier diet and 78% increased their activity level. Program satisfaction was high and 96% of men believed both the classroom and exercise components were useful. Conclusion: Our results support previous research showing increased levels of satisfaction in men when lifestyle interventions are run in a sporting context and incorporate both an educational component and an exercise component.
Background
Effective approaches that engage men in weight loss and lifestyle change are important because of worldwide increases, including in Canada, in obesity and chronic diseases. Football Fans in Training (FFIT), developed in Scotland, successfully tackled these problems by engaging overweight/obese male football fans in sustained weight loss and positive health behaviours, through program deliveries at professional football stadia. Methods
Aims: 1) Adapt FFIT to hockey within the Canadian context and integrate with HealtheSteps™ (evidence-based lifestyle program) to develop Hockey Fans in Training (Hockey FIT); 2) Explore potential for Hockey FIT to help overweight/obese men lose weight and improve other outcomes by 12 weeks, and retain these improvements to 12 months; 3) Evaluate feasibility of recruiting and retaining overweight/obese men; 4) Evaluate acceptability of Hockey FIT; and 5) Conduct program optimization via a process evaluation. We conducted a two-arm pilot pragmatic randomized controlled trial (pRCT) whereby 80 overweight/obese male hockey fans (35–65 years; body-mass index ≥28 kg/m2) were recruited through their connection to two junior A hockey teams (London and Sarnia, ON) and randomized to Intervention (Hockey FIT) or Comparator (Wait-List Control). Hockey FIT includes a 12-week Active Phase (classroom instruction and exercise sessions delivered weekly by trained coaches) and a 40-week Maintenance Phase. Data collected at baseline and 12 weeks (both groups), and 12 months (Intervention only), will inform evaluation of the potential of Hockey FIT to help men lose weight and improve other health outcomes. Feasibility and acceptability will be assessed using data from self-reports at screening and baseline, program fidelity (program observations and coach reflections), participant focus group discussions, coach interviews, as well as program questionnaires and interviews with participants. This information will be analyzed to inform program optimization. DiscussionHockey FIT is a gender-sensitive program designed to engage overweight/obese male hockey fans to improve physical activity and healthy eating choices, thereby leading to weight loss and other positive changes in health outcomes. We expect this study to provide evidence for a full-scale confirmatory pRCT. Trial registrationNCT02396524 (Clinicaltrials.gov). Date of registration: Feb 26, 2015.
The objective of this study is to develop an instrument to measure the social impact of sport. While there is a rich literature suggesting and measuring the ways in which sport contributes to society, no broad, encompassing scale has been developed. A measure of this type is useful if sport initiatives are to gain social, political and financial support, especially in the form of corporate sponsorship. The proposed "Social Impact of Sport Scale" includes the dimensions of social capital, collective identities, health literacy, well-being and human capital. In addition to development of a detailed 75 item composite scale stemming largely from past measurement, a shorter set of global measures is also examined. A convenience sample of university students is used in scale development as well as a partial test of the scale in context. Results find support for the detailed scale and for the short global measure instrument. In addition, the partial test of the scale in a context of sport experience relevant to students is reported. The value of the scale in use and areas of future research are discussed.
Although many organizations around the world have engaged in corporate social responsibility (CSR) programing, there is little evidence of social impact. This is a problematic omission since many programs carry the stigma of marketing ploys used to bolster organizational image or reduce consumer skepticism. To address this issue and build on existing scholarship, the purpose of this study was to evaluate a socially responsible youth employability program in the United Kingdom. The program was developed through the foundation of a professional British soccer team to bolster employability and life skills for marginalized London youth. Program funding was provided by a large multinational bank as part of their CSR agenda. This evaluation was undertaken to understand the beneficiary impacts associated with program deployment. Results from the pre-intervention/post-intervention, sequential mixed-method evaluation show statistically significant differences among several “soft” beneficiary outcomes (e.g., self-esteem, self-efficacy, and perceived marketability). However, results are mixed regarding whether the “hard” outcome of employment was achieved by program participants. Qualitative findings buttress these results, indicating a high level of motivation for work, attitude enhancement, and satisfaction with program delivery.
Organizations within the sport industry are facing increasing pressure to both maintain profitability and behave in socially acceptable ways, yet researchers have provided little information on how consumers perceive and react to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This mixed-design study examined the relationship between CSR activities and fans' assessments of reputation and patronage intentions. In addition, the study sought to determine the role of team identification in the aforementioned relationship. Fans of two NFL teams were sampled (N=297), with quantitative results suggesting that CSR is an important predictor of reputation, and that two types of patronage could be significantly impacted as well. The moderating effect of team identification was significant yet influenced the outcomes in different ways. Qualitative findings reinforced the quantitative discussion by providing support for the general conclusions that CSR was viewed favorably by most fans, and is an important aspect of the overall business strategy of a sport organization.
In this paper we seek to improve the measurement of corporate social performance (CSP) by advancing a new supplemental technique for assessing a firm's reputation for social legitimacy. Specifically, we propose using generalizability theory to measure the extent to which corporate conduct is perceived as acceptable to various stakeholder groups. We argue that this suggested approach to measurement can render CSP more meaningful to scholarship and useful in practice. We also note some limitations of this approach and directions for future research.
Background
The definition of health incorporates the physical, social and mental domains, however the Physical Activity (PA) guidelines do not address social health. Furthermore, there is insufficient evidence about the levels or types of PA associated specifically with psychological health. This paper first presents the results of a systematic review of the psychological and social health benefits of participation in sport by adults. Secondly, the information arising from the systematic review has been used to develop a conceptual model of Health through Sport.
Methods
A systematic review of 14 electronic databases was conducted in June 2012, and studies published since 1990 were considered for inclusion. Studies that addressed mental and/or social health benefits from participation in sport were included.
Results
A total of 3668 publications were initially identified, of which 11 met the selection criteria. There were many different psychological and social health benefits reported, with the most commonly being wellbeing and reduced distress and stress. Sport may be associated with improved psychosocial health in addition to improvements attributable to participation in PA. Specifically, club-based or team-based sport seems to be associated with improved health outcomes compared to individual activities, due to the social nature of the participation. Notwithstanding this, individuals who prefer to participate in sport by themselves can still derive mental health benefits which can enhance the development of true-self-awareness and personal growth which is essential for social health. A conceptual model, Health through Sport, is proposed. The model depicts the relationship between psychological, psychosocial and social health domains, and their positive associations with sport participation, as reported in the literature. However, it is acknowledged that the capacity to determine the existence and direction of causal links between participation and health is limited by the cross-sectional nature of studies to date.
Conclusion
It is recommended that participation in sport is advocated as a form of leisure-time PA for adults which can produce a range of health benefits. It is also recommended that the causal link between participation in sport and psycho-social health be further investigated and the conceptual model of Health through Sport tested.
“Development” has become both a watchword and a fascination in sporting circles worldwide. Yet sport officials, policy makers, and advocates often have relatively unsophisticated understandings of development and the role of sport therein. This can result in programs and initiatives that are unfocused, ineffective, or even counterproductive. Drawing on critical theory and informed by our own research on sport-based social programs, the authors attempt to impart clarity by distinguishing two different approaches to sport and development: a dominant vision, in which sport essentially reproduces established social relations, and an interventionist approach, in which sport is intended to contribute to more fundamental change and transformation. The authors develop a critique of the former and elaborate on the latter, focusing on normative visions of the social status quo and the role of sport as an educational tool for otherwise disempowered, marginalized young people. The overarching objective is to show that practitioners interested in using sport for development however defined must recognize these theoretical issues and create appropriate programming if their intended outcomes are to be achieved.
Marginalized groups, such as those experiencing homelessness, are largely excluded from participation in, and the benefits provided by, sport programs and events. This study uses the case of the ‘Street Socceroos’, the Australian Homeless World Cup team, to argue that participation in sport can provide beneficial outcomes for participants, and through a process of (re)engagement, develop social capital. Drawing on interviews and observations with team members before and after the Homeless World Cup, this study found both intrinsic benefits of sport participation, and broader social capital outcomes. Although sport participation alone cannot account for these beneficial outcomes, this study demonstrates the role that sport programs can play in the (re-) engagement of marginalized people within the broader community.
The attention paid to the influence of organizational philanthropy on consumer responses has precipitated a shift in the role this practice plays in organizational dynamics—with philanthropy becoming an increasingly strategic marketing tool. The authors develop and test a model predicting that: (1) perceived organizational credibility will mediate the relationship between awareness of philanthropy and the outcomes of advocacy and financial sacrifice; (2) consumer social consciousness will moderate the relationship between awareness of philanthropy and firm credibility, and between credibility and the outcome variables; and (3) these moderated relationships will be mediated by perceived credibility. Data obtained from a sample of professional golf patrons support our assertions. Notably, the findings implicate perceived credibility as a key intervening variable in the hypothesized relationships for the PGA Tour.
There are specific guidelines regarding the level of physical activity (PA) required to provide health benefits. However, the research underpinning these PA guidelines does not address the element of social health. Furthermore, there is insufficient evidence about the levels or types of PA associated specifically with psychological health. This paper first presents the results of a systematic review of the psychological and social health benefits of participation in sport by children and adolescents. Secondly, the information arising from the systematic review has been used to develop a conceptual model.
A systematic review of 14 electronic databases was conducted in June 2012, and studies published since 1990 were considered for inclusion. Studies that addressed mental and/or social health benefits from participation in sport were included.
A total of 3668 publications were initially identified, of which 30 met the selection criteria. There were many different psychological and social health benefits reported, with the most commonly being improved self-esteem, social interaction followed by fewer depressive symptoms. Sport may be associated with improved psychosocial health above and beyond improvements attributable to participation in PA. Specifically, team sport seems to be associated with improved health outcomes compared to individual activities, due to the social nature of the participation. A conceptual model, Health through Sport, is proposed. The model depicts the relationship between psychological, psychosocial and social health domains, and their positive associations with sport participation, as reported in the literature. However, it is acknowledged that the capacity to determine the existence and direction of causal links between participation and health is limited by the fact that the majority of studies identified (n=21) were cross-sectional.
It is recommended that community sport participation is advocated as a form of leisure time PA for children and adolescents, in an effort to not only improve physical health in relation to such matters as the obesity crisis, but also to enhance psychological and social health outcomes. It is also recommended that the causal link between participation in sport and psychosocial health be further investigated and the conceptual model of Health through Sport tested.
Most theorizing on the relationship between corporate social/environmental performance (CSP) and corporate financial performance (CFP) assumes that the current evidence is too fractured or too variable to draw any generalizable conclusions. With this integrative, quantitative study, we intend to show that the mainstream claim that we have little generalizable knowledge about CSP and CFP is built on shaky grounds. Providing a methodologically more rigorous review than previous efforts, we conduct a meta-analysis of 52 studies (which represent the population of prior quantitative inquiry) yielding a total sample size of 33,878 observations. The meta- analytic findings suggest that corporate virtue in the form of social responsibility and, to a lesser extent, environmental responsibility is likely to pay off, although the operationalizations of CSP and CFP also moderate the positive association. For example, CSP appears to be more highly correlated with accounting-based measures of CFP than with market-based indicators, and CSP reputation indices are more highly correlated with CFP than are other indicators of CSP. This meta-analysis establishes a greater degree of certainty with respect to the CSP-CFP relationship than is currently assumed to exist by many business scholars.
Background
The prevalence of obesity in men is rising, but they are less likely than women to engage in existing weight management programmes. The potential of professional sports club settings to engage men in health promotion activities is being increasingly recognised. This paper describes the development and optimization of the Football Fans in Training (FFIT) programme, which aims to help overweight men (many of them football supporters) lose weight through becoming more active and adopting healthier eating habits.
Methods
The MRC Framework for the design and evaluation of complex interventions was used to guide programme development in two phases. In Phase 1, a multidisciplinary working group developed the pilot programme (p-FFIT) and used a scoping review to summarize previous research and identify the target population. Phase 2 involved a process evaluation of p-FFIT in 11 Scottish Premier League (SPL) clubs. Participant and coach feedback, focus group discussions and interviews explored the utility/acceptability of programme components and suggestions for changes. Programme session observations identified examples of good practice and problems/issues with delivery. Together, these findings informed redevelopment of the optimized programme (FFIT), whose components were mapped onto specific behaviour change techniques using an evidence-based taxonomy.
Results
p-FFIT comprised 12, weekly, gender-sensitised, group-based weight management classroom and ‘pitch-side’ physical activity sessions. These in-stadia sessions were complemented by an incremental, pedometer-based walking programme. p-FFIT was targeted at men aged 35-65 years with body mass index ≥ 27 kg/m2. Phase 2 demonstrated that participants in p-FFIT were enthusiastic about both the classroom and physical activity components, and valued the camaraderie and peer-support offered by the programme. Coaches appreciated the simplicity of the key healthy eating and physical activity messages. Suggestions for improvements that were incorporated into the optimized FFIT programme included: more varied in-stadia physical activity with football-related components; post-programme weight management support (emails and a reunion session); and additional training for coaches in SMART goal setting and the pedometer-based walking programme.
Conclusions
The Football Fans in Training programme is highly acceptable to participants and SPL coaches, and is appropriate for evaluation in a randomised controlled trial.
In this article, we develop a model for measuring corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the club level in European professional football. Modern CSR management and activities have advanced considerably throughout most industries since the late 1990s. However, CSR has only gained recognition in the sports management literature very recently, and models to evaluate CSR programs and activities in the sports context hardly exist. Hence, we conceptualize a CSR Performance Scorecard based on literature on CSR and sports management as well as empirical exploration into particularities of the football business. Relevant to scholars and managers alike, this article seeks to motivate the strategic CSR engagement of professional football. This is achieved through an innovative and context-specific way for its organizational measurement along quantifiable economic, integrative-political, and ethical-emotional dimensions. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
This chapter posits two principal streams of participatory evaluation, practical participatory evaluation and transformative participatory evaluation, and compares them on a set of dimensions relating to control, level, and range of participation. The authors then situate them among other forms of collaborative evaluations.
There is a small, but positive, relationship between corporate social performance and company financial performance. However, research in this area has provided little guidance to managers on how they should measure the financial impacts of their CSP strategies. Commonly used market measures, such as share price, or accounting measures, such as return on equity, are impacted by a host of other variables. These metrics do not provide the necessary level of detail for managers who want to establish an optimal level of CSP investment for their company. Further, academic research has tended to overlook the mediation process between CSP and financial performance. This gap limits the practical application of research and leaves the question of causality unaddressed. The author reviews the research examining the business case for CSP from both the academic and practitioner literatures, and provide recommendations for managers interested in measuring the impacts of CSP investment on financial performance.
By engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, companies can not only generate favorable stakeholder attitudes and better support behaviors (e.g. purchase, seeking employment, investing in the company), but also, over the long run, build corporate image, strengthen stakeholder–company relationships, and enhance stakeholders' advocacy behaviors. However, stakeholders' low awareness of and unfavorable attributions towards companies' CSR activities remain critical impediments in companies' attempts to maximize business benefits from their CSR activities, highlighting a need for companies to communicate CSR more effectively to stakeholders. In light of these challenges, a conceptual framework of CSR communication is presented and its different aspects are analyzed, from message content and communication channels to company- and stakeholder-specific factors that influence the effectiveness of CSR communication.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) continues to gain attention atop the corporate agenda and is by now an important component
of the dialogue between companies and their stakeholders. Nevertheless, there is still little guidance as to how companies
can implement CSR activity in order to maximize returns to CSR investment. Theorists have identified many company-favoring
outcomes of CSR; yet there is a dearth of research on the psychological mechanisms that drive stakeholder responses to CSR
activity. Borrowing from the literatures on means-end chains and relationship marketing, we propose a conceptual model that
explains how CSR provides individual stakeholders with numerous benefits (functional, psychosocial, and values) and how the
type and extent to which a stakeholder derives these benefits from CSR initiatives influences the quality of the relationship
between the stakeholder and the company. The paper discusses the implications of these␣insights and highlights a number of
areas for future research.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities have the potential to create stronger relationships between firms and stakeholders.
Although marketing researchers have studied the impacts of CSR activities on stakeholder responses, the CSR activities and
outcomes measured have been varied and inconsistent. In this article we (a) review the extant literature to outline which
CSR activities and outcomes have been included in previous research; (b) synthesize the means by which CSR activities can
add value for consumers and how these have been represented in CSR literature, and; (c) present a research agenda for future
research to allow greater consistency among CSR researchers.
KeywordsCorporate social responsibility–Sustainability–Systematic review–Green marketing–Consumption values–Philanthropy–Identification–Customer value
This research investigates the impact of a corporate oral health initiative aimed at disadvantaged Hispanic families, especially the children. We find that the initiative promotes oral health behaviors only among less acculturated families. Moreover, it does so by both enhancing participant children's beliefs about the physical and psychosocial benefits of oral health behaviors and strengthening the link between the psychosocial beliefs and behaviors. We also find that when parents of the participant children believe that the program has been beneficial to them, they are willing to engage in reciprocal behaviors, such as purchasing and supporting the corporate sponsor's products. (c) 2008 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..
Content analysis is a widely used qualitative research technique. Rather than being a single method, current applications of content analysis show three distinct approaches: conventional, directed, or summative. All three approaches are used to interpret meaning from the content of text data and, hence, adhere to the naturalistic paradigm. The major differences among the approaches are coding schemes, origins of codes, and threats to trustworthiness. In conventional content analysis, coding categories are derived directly from the text data. With a directed approach, analysis starts with a theory or relevant research findings as guidance for initial codes. A summative content analysis involves counting and comparisons, usually of keywords or content, followed by the interpretation of the underlying context. The authors delineate analytic procedures specific to each approach and techniques addressing trustworthiness with hypothetical examples drawn from the area of end-of-life care.
The general view of descriptive research as a lower level form of inquiry has influenced some researchers conducting qualitative research to claim methods they are really not using and not to claim the method they are using: namely, qualitative description. Qualitative descriptive studies have as their goal a comprehensive summary of events in the everyday terms of those events. Researchers conducting qualitative descriptive studies stay close to their data and to the surface of words and events. Qualitative descriptive designs typically are an eclectic but reasonable combination of sampling, and data collection, analysis, and re-presentation techniques. Qualitative descriptive study is the method of choice when straight descriptions of phenomena are desired.
Despite the acknowledged importance of investigating the link between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate financial performance (CFP) within a single industry, very few studies have examined this relationship in the context of the sport industry. Using charitable giving data as a proxy of CSR, this study investigated if CSR would affect CFP of professional sport teams within the four major U.S. leagues. Although the positive CSR-CFP relationship was hypothesized based on instrumental stakeholder theory, CSR was found to have non-positive effects on CFP. These results are still notable since they may highlight the importance of the connectedness between CSR and team operations and the awareness of CSR activity among stakeholders in leveraging CSR benefits. Overall, through the use of improved methodology, the current study furthers the understanding of the CSR-CFP relationship among the U.S. professional teams.
The findings of a 4-year research project that examined the potential for greater integration of sport and tourism policy in the UK are reported. The study is based on in-depth interviews and consultations with various agencies and identifies a number of tensions that exist within the sport-tourism policy process. An analysis of such tensions is used to review the five influences on sport-tourism policy proposed by Weed and Bull (1998). Six influences are now suggested: ideology, definitions, regional contexts, government policy, organizational culture and structure, and individuals. Using these revised influences, an assessment is made of the potential for a sustainable sport-tourism policy network in the UK. It is argued that such a network is not sustainable at the national level but may be possible at the regional level. The author suggests a need to empirically validate the international relevance of the concepts discussed utilizing Weed's (2001) model.
The rise and institutionalization of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in sport is captured in a growing body of work in sport management. This literature suggests professional teams should be strategic in their approaches-matching internal resources with external needs-but we lack an understanding of the processes and mechanisms in the evolution to more strategic CSR, as well as specific practices that characterize these approaches. Further, by focusing on broad trends in how and why teams are adopting CSR, we miss the opportunity to learn from teams with innovative and authentic CSR approaches. To address these gaps, this article uses a qualitative case-study approach to examine how one professional team in the U.S.-the Detroit Lions-evolved their CSR to a more strategic and authentic partnership-focused model. Our findings point to key process steps and mechanisms in the decision making around, and implementation of, this approach, including the role of organizational structure, leadership, and community partnerships. We draw out themes around these central partnerships and highlight best practices. In offering a more nuanced understanding of professional sport CSR process and practice, we contribute to the literature on CSR in sport, sport-community partnerships, and sport and city revitalization.
The authors review the corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature based on 588 journal articles and 102 books and book chapters. They offer a multilevel and multidisciplinary theoretical framework that synthesizes and integrates the literature at the institutional, organizational, and individual levels of analysis. The framework includes reactive and proactive predictors of CSR actions and policies and the outcomes of such actions and policies, which they classify as primarily affecting internal (i.e., internal outcomes) or external (i.e., external outcomes) stakeholders. The framework includes variables that explain underlying mechanisms (i.e., relationship- and value-based mediator variables) of CSR–outcomes relationships and contingency effects (i.e., people-, place-, price-, and profile-based moderator variables) that explain conditions under which the relationship between CSR and its outcomes change. The authors’ review reveals important knowledge gaps related to the adoption of different theoretical orientations by researchers studying CSR at different levels of analysis, the need to understand underlying mechanisms linking CSR with outcomes, the need for research at micro levels of analysis (i.e., individuals and teams), and the need for methodological approaches that will help address these substantive knowledge gaps. Accordingly, they offer a detailed research agenda for the future, based on a multilevel perspective that aims to integrate diverse theoretical frameworks as well as develop an understanding of underlying mechanisms and microfoundations of CSR (i.e., foundations based on individual action and interactions). The authors also provide specific suggestions regarding research design, measurement, and data-analytic approaches that will be instrumental in carrying out their proposed research agenda.
This paper examines how corporate social responsibility (CSR) is implemented through social partnerships. Drawing on previous literature and case study research, it presents a conceptual model of the process of implementation. An exploratory case study of the social responsibility partnership programme at the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has been conducted. The case study draws on interview data and documentary sources of evidence gathered from UEFA and the six partner organisations that comprise its CSR portfolio. The conceptual model identifies three stages of the implementation process (selection, design, management), with partnership evaluation being an ongoing process during all three. The latter consists of two elements, namely project and process evaluation. A key finding is the lack of process evaluation due to a high degree of inter‐personal trust. The conceptual model adds to the growing body of research on the implementation of social partnerships and CSR. This paper is also the first to empirically explore the process of CSR implementation through social partnerships in the football sector.
The use of sport in pursuit of international development goals is broadening, with widespread policy support for sports-based programmes that promote social, educational and health goals. Academic assessment has however been more critical, posing searching questions about the paucity of evidence that justifies the use of sport in these roles. Recent growth in evaluation studies has increased the evidence-base but carries some risks of privileging positivist forms of knowledge and fails to engage with issues surrounding decolonization of research.1 This essay suggests that reflexive qualitative studies that capture authentic local knowledge can help address both of these issues, illustrating this through an exploratory study conducted with young women and adult sport workers involved in a ‘successful’ community-based sports programme in Delhi, India (n = 38). It is argued that the form of data obtained can enhance academic understanding and assist in the process of decolonization of sport-in-development research.
The goal of social impact assessment is to help individuals and communities, as well as government and private-sector organizations, understand and better anticipate the possible social consequences for human populations and communities of planned and unplanned social change resulting from proposed policies, plans, programmes and projects. Like all assessments, the SIA model is comparative. We look to similar settings for direction as to what will happen in the future. Based on decades of research, we have organized SIA indicators under the general headings of population characteristics, community and institutional structures, political and social resources, individual and family changes, and community resources. The SIA process identifies alternatives to a proposed action as well as guidelines for enhancement and mitigation.
The “International Principles for Social Impact Assessment” is a statement of the core values of the SIA community together with a set of principles to guide SIA practice and the consideration of ‘the social’ in environmental impact assessment generally. It is a discussion document for the impact assessment community to be used as the basis for developing sector and national guidelines. In the process of being developed explicitly for an international context, increasing pressure was placed on the conventional understanding of SIA and a new definition, with official imprimatur of an international professional body, has been formalised. “Social Impact Assessment includes the processes of analysing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programs, plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those interventions. Its primary purpose is to bring about a more sustainable and equitable biophysical and human environment.”
Based on theories of attribution and suspicion, three experiments highlight the mediating role of perceived sincerity of motives in determining the effectiveness of CSR activities. CSR activities improve a company's image when consumers attribute sincere motives, are ineffective when sincerity of motives is ambiguous, and hurt the company's image when motives are perceived as insincere. Variables affecting perceived sincerity include the benefit salience of the cause, the source through which consumers learn about CSR, and the ratio of CSR contributions and CSR-related advertising. High benefit salience of the cause hurts the company, in particular when consumers learn about it from a company source. This backfire effect can be overcome by spending more on CSR activities than on advertising that features CSR.
This article defines corporate social performance (CSP) and reformulates the CSP model to build a coherent, integrative framework for business and society research. Principles of social responsibility are framed at the institutional, organizational, and individual levels; processes of social responsiveness are shown to be environmental assessment, stakeholder management, and issues management; and outcomes of CSP are posed as social impacts, programs, and policies. Rethinking CSP in this manner points to vital research questions that have not yet been addressed.
Companies are increasingly asked to provide innovative solutions to deep-seated problems of human misery, even as economic theory instructs managers to focus on maximizing their shareholders' wealth. In this paper, we assess how organization theory and empirical research have thus far responded to this tension over corporate involvement in wider social life. Organizational scholarship has typically sought to reconcile corporate social initiatives with seemingly inhospitable economic logic. Depicting the hold that economics has had on how the relationship between the firm and society is conceived, we examine the consequences for organizational research and theory by appraising both the 30-year quest for an empirical relationship between a corporation's social initiatives and its financial performance, as well as the development of stakeholder theory. We propose an alternative approach, embracing the tension between economic and broader social objectives as a starting point for systematic organizational inquiry. Adopting a pragmatic stance, we introduce a series of research questions whose answers will reveal the descriptive and normative dimensions of organizational responses to misery.
In the course of developing a standardised, non-disease-specific instrument for describing and valuing health states (based on the items in Table 1), the EuroQol Group (whose members are listed In the Appendix) conducted postal surveys in England, The Netherlands and Sweden which indicate a striking similarity in the relative valuations attached to 14 different health states (see Table 3). The data were collected using a visual analogue scale similar to a thermometer (see Table 2). The EuroQol Instrument Is Intended to complement other quality-of-life measures and to facilitate the collection of a common data set for reference purposes. Others interested in participating in the extension of this work are invited to contact the EuroQol Group.
Corporate social responsibility (csr) and sport—often in combination with each other—are being increasingly voiced as vehicles that assist various forms of social and economic development, particularly in years with mega-sporting events like the 2010 football World Cup. However, there is little evidence of evaluation to demonstrate that csr-for-development or sport-for-development works (especially over time). This article examines the extent to which evaluation of csr for development through sport has been undertaken, with specific reference to the 2010 World Cup—an event portrayed as displaying developmental virtues. The research highlights not only a paucity of evaluation for csr for development in general and csr for development through sport in particular (as discussion on evaluation largely revolves around financial performance, often from the perspective of the corporation) but also a dilemma: when prevailing techniques of evaluation of mainstream development are conducted, a concern is raised that the techniques implemented are overly managerial or one-dimensional, representing a crass tick-box mentality that fails to address the contextual environment in which development is delivered and steeped in unequal power relations. As a result, the critical development perspective can point to a further element that highlights the paucity and inherent problems of csr for development.
presents a road map of research methods to facilitate the development of a multimethod approach to [primary care research] / five styles of inquiry are identified and described / research aims and analysis objectives are then matched with these styles / the research styles are also connected with three different paradigms / this information is used to describe the process of choosing an appropriate method for a particular research interest / elaborates a typology of qualitative methods and overviews how to develop appropriate qualitative designs (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
How to measure the value and results of corporate philanthropy remains one of corporate giving professionals’ greatest challenges. Social and business benefits are often long-term or intangible, which make systematic measurement complex. And yet: Corporate philanthropy faces increasing pressures to show it is as strategic, cost-effective, and value-enhancing as possible. The industry faces a critical need to assess current practices and measurement trends, clarify the demands practitioners face for impact evidence, and identify the most promising steps forward in order to make progress on these challenges. This report aims to meet that need, by providing the corporate philanthropic community with a review of recent measurement studies, models, and evidence drawn from complementary business disciplines as well as the social sector. Rather than present another compendium of narrative accounts and case studies, we endeavor to generalize the most valuable concepts and to recognize the strengths and limitations of various measurement approaches. In conjunction with the annotated references that follow, the analysis herein should provide an excellent starting point for companies wishing to adapt current methodologies in the field to their own corporate giving programs.
This paper reviews the literature on corporate social performance (CSP) measurement and sets that literature into a theoretical context. Following a review of CSP theory development and the literature on relationships between CSP and corporate financial performance, Wood's CSP model (Wood, D.J. (1991). Corporate social performance revisited. Academy of Management Review, 16, pp. 691–718) is used as an organizing device to present and discuss studies that use particular measures of CSP. Conclusions emphasize the need for CSP scholars to refocus on stakeholders and society, and to incorporate relevant literatures from other scholarly domains.
One of the older questions in the debate about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is whether it is worthwhile for organizations
to pay attention to societal demands. This debate was emotionally, normatively, and ideologically loaded. Up to the present,
this question has been an important trigger for empirical research in CSR. However, the answer to the question has apparently
not been found yet, at least that is what many researchers state. This apparent ambivalence in CSR consequences invites a
literature study that can clarify the debate and allow for the drawing of conclusions. The results of the literature study
performed here reveal that there is indeed clear empirical evidence for a positive correlation between corporate social and
financial performance. Voices that state the opposite refer to out-dated material. Since the beginnings of the CSR debate,
societies have changed. We can therefore clearly state that, for the present Western society, “Good Ethics is Good Business.”
The use of the program logic model as an integrative framework for analysis is illustrated in a multimethod evaluation of Project TEAMS, a middle school curriculum delivery program. The logic model was used to: (a) focus the data collection activities on relevant activities and outcomes, (b) organize the data and (c) interpret the data from multiple methods and sources within an integrative framework. One of the anticipated outcomes, computer skills, is examined in detail to illustrate the utility of program logic models as an analysis framework.
For chronic disease prevention and management, brief but valid dietary assessment tools are needed to determine risk, guide counseling, and monitor progress in a variety of settings. Starting The Conversation (STC) is an eight-item simplified food frequency instrument designed for use in primary care and health-promotion settings.
This report investigates the feasibility, validity, and sensitivity to change of the STC tool, a simplified screener instrument for assessment and counseling.
Data from an ongoing practical efficacy study of type 2 diabetes patients in a diverse population (N=463) were used to document STC validity, robustness, stability, and sensitivity to change from baseline to 4 months. Data were collected from 2008 to 2010, and they were analyzed for this report in 2010.
The eight STC items and summary score performed well. STC items and the summary score were moderately intercorrelated (r =0.39-0.59, p<0.05). The STC summary score was significantly correlated with the NCI fat screener at baseline (r =0.39, p<0.05), and change in the STC summary score correlated with reduction in percentage of calories from fat (r =0.22, p<0.05) from baseline to 4 months. The STC was sensitive to the intervention, with intervention participants improving significantly more than controls on the summary score (M=1.16 vs 0.46, p<0.05).
The brief STC is a relatively simple, valid, and efficient tool for dietary assessment and intervention in the clinical setting. It is available in English and Spanish and is in the public domain. Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to assess its utility in other settings and with other dietary interventions.
Professional sport organizations in the United States have notable celebrity status, and several teams have used this "star power" to collaborate with local school districts toward the goal of affecting children's health. Program effectiveness is unknown due to the absence of comprehensive evaluations for these initiatives. The Memphis Grizzlies, the city's National Basketball Association franchise, launched "Get Fit with the Grizzlies," a 6-week, curricular addition focusing on nutrition and physical activity for the fourth and fifth grades in Memphis City Schools (MCS). The health-infused mini-unit was delivered by physical education teachers during their classes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the "Get Fit" program effectiveness.
Survey research was employed which measured health knowledge acquisition and health behavior change using a matched pre/posttest design in randomly chosen schools (n = 11) from all elementary schools in the MCS system (N = 110). The total number of matched pre/posttests (n = 888) equaled approximately 5% of the total fourth-/fifth-grade population. McNemar's test for significance (p < .05) was applied. Odds ratios were calculated for each question.
Analyses confirmed that there was significant health knowledge acquisition (7 of 8 questions) with odds ratios confirming moderate to strong associations. Seven out of 10 health behavior change questions significantly improved after intervention, whereas odds ratios indicated a low level of association after intervention.
This community-school-home initiative using a professional team's celebrity platform within a certain locale is largely overlooked by school districts and should be considered as a positive strategy to confront childhood obesity.
Recent political and policy concerns with social inclusion, civic renewal and 'joined up' government have placed debates about social capital at the centre of a number of areas of social policy. In this context increasing demands are being made of sport to contribute to this broader social regeneration agenda. This essay explores the nature of sport's presumed contribution, in particular the contribution of sports clubs to the development of types of capital, especially social capital. It concludes that it is not clear what contribution sports clubs can play in this agenda, that the new policy agenda carries dangers of undermining the nature and strengths of the voluntary sector in sport and that more research is required to explore the processes of social capital formation in sports clubs.
Primary health care staff are involved increasingly in the provision of dietary advice for health promotion, often without
adequate training in nutrition assessment or counselling. At present no brief diet assessment methods are available which
have been validated for this purpose in the UK. We report on the accuracy of the Dietary Instrument for Nutrition Education
(DINE) in classifying dietary fat and fibre intakes. This structured questionnaire can be administered and scored in under
10 minutes by primary care staff without specialized nutritional knowledge, and includes a dietary counselling component.
The classification of fat and fibre intakes as low, medium or high by the DINE method was compared to that of a detailed 4-day
diet record in a population of 206 factory workers. There was exact agreement of categorization for 53% of fat intakes and
52% of fibre intakes, and only 6% of fat intakes and 5% of fibre intakes were grossly misclassified (placed in a high category
by one method and a low category by another). Pearson correlation coefficients between the two methods were 0.51 for fat,
0.46 for fibre and 0.43 for the polyunsaturated:saturated fat ratio. The DINE method is a brief and inexpensive tool for diet
assessment in primary care health promotion programmes.
The general view of descriptive research as a lower level form of inquiry has influenced some researchers conducting qualitative research to claim methods they are really not using and not to claim the method they are using: namely, qualitative description. Qualitative descriptive studies have as their goal a comprehensive summary of events in the everyday terms of those events. Researchers conducting qualitative descriptive studies stay close to their data and to the surface of words and events. Qualitative descriptive designs typically are an eclectic but reasonable combination of sampling, and data collection, analysis, and re-presentation techniques. Qualitative descriptive study is the method of choice when straight descriptions of phenomena are desired.