Corporate social responsibility and college sports fans’ online donations
International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship
ISSN: 1464-6668
Article publication date: 21 April 2020
Issue publication date: 21 September 2020
Abstract
Purpose
This study examined how a US college athletic department’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives influenced fans’ online donation intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 490 fans of a Division I intercollegiate athletic program and analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Findings
Results indicated that the quality of CSR information positively affected e-satisfaction with CSR initiatives, which, in turn, predicted fans’ online donation intentions, university attachment, and fan–athletic department identification. Moreover, the relationship between e-satisfaction with CSR initiatives and online donation intentions was mediated by fan–athletic department identification.
Research limitations/implications
This study has a limitation in terms of generalizability. The current focus on a single athletic department does not apply the results to athletic programs at other US universities and colleges. Future research should confirm the generalizability of the study’s findings by collecting data from fans of other athletic departments.
Originality/value
It is important to understand the impact of CSR activities on online donor intentions because marketing these activities could serve as an effective fundraising tool for athletic departments. The findings from this study inform athletic administrators of factors they might consider when promoting CSR initiatives through online media to encourage fans’ donations.
Keywords
Citation
Hwang, G., Kihl, L.A. and Inoue, Y. (2020), "Corporate social responsibility and college sports fans’ online donations", International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, Vol. 21 No. 4, pp. 597-616. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSMS-07-2019-0079
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited