Impact of Corporate social Responsibility (CSR) activities of sports clubs in Portugal on brand attitude and electronic word-of-mouth intention

Abstract

This research aims to analyze Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the Sports Industry, specifically in the universe of sports clubs in Portugal. The main goal was to understand what the fans’ perceptions on CSR practices of Portuguese sports clubs are, and how these perceptions influence their brand attitude and e-WOM intention. A questionnaire survey was conducted, obtaining a total of 159 responses. The research results show that the fans’ perception of CSR initiatives positively influences their identification with the club, pride, word-ofmouth (WOM), electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) and the intention to remain members. The intention to become paid members of a sports club is not influenced by the fan’s perception of CSR. However, their familiarity with the clubs’ CSR initiatives positively influences their identification with the club, WOM and eWOM. In addition, relevant managerial implications are provided for sports club’s managers as to how to improve CSR communication and create long-term benefits for the clubs.