Corporate citizenship in football: delivering strategic benefits through stakeholder engagement

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain that corporate citizenship refers to the specific activities that an organisation engages in to meet social obligations, and which has become an issue of growing importance within the business community. A key area in academic literature concentrates on justifying corporate citizenship initiatives to the corporate sector by illustrating a range of strategic benefits that a firm can achieve. This study is located within this body of work and aims to illustrate the strategic benefits that a football club can gain from the implementation of corporate citizenship activities through the community trust model of governance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study draws from qualitative primary and secondary data gathered from Charlton Athletic and Brentford football clubs.

Findings

Analysis of the data resulted in the identification of six strategic benefits that a football club can realise through the creation of a community trust model of governance. These are the removal of commercial and community tensions; reputation management; brand building; local authority partnerships; commercial partnerships; and player identification.

Research limitations/implications

The paper considers the importance of these findings for a generic business audience, discussing how organisations can also benefit from the creation of partnerships with football clubs focused on the delivery of corporate citizenship initiatives.

Practical implications

The paper provides information regarding the application of management practice evident in football to other forms of business organisation.

Originality/value

The paper is the first to consider how corporate citizenship initiatives in football can assist firms in other sectors to achieve a range of strategic benefits.

Citation

Walters, G. and Chadwick, S. (2009), "Corporate citizenship in football: delivering strategic benefits through stakeholder engagement", Management Decision, Vol. 47 No. 1, pp. 51-66. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740910929696