IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i21p14062-d956312.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fan Responses of Sponsored Environmental Sustainability Initiatives

Author

Listed:
  • Brian P. McCullough

    (Laboratory for Sustainability in Sport, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA)

  • Jonathan C. Casper

    (Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA)

  • Danielle M. Kushner Smith

    (Exercise and Sport Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA)

Abstract

The sport sector is advancing its efforts to be environmentally friendly. These efforts now include corporate sponsored environmental initiatives, yet fans’ responsiveness to such efforts remains unexamined. Specifically, in this study, the corporate-sponsored environmental initiatives of a college athletic department with an established history of environmental commitments were examined to evaluate the influence of a point of attachment, sport brand-sustainability fit, and receptivity to messaging on the sport organization’s desired outcomes of the campaign (i.e., sustainability behavioral, support for environmental initiative corporate partner). Data were collected from college football fans of an institution in the United States Midwest region using an internet-based survey after the 2019 football season ( N = 548). We found that most of our hypotheses were supported. Specifically, attachment to athletics, athletics/sustainability fit, and ascription of responsibility to athletics explained 52.7% of the variance of receptivity to messaging from athletics. In turn, receptivity to sustainable messaging and behaviors explained 45.0% of the support for corporate partners. Our results show that sport practitioners should evaluate the ascription of responsibility their fans place on the sport organization to be environmentally responsible, increasing the receptivity of environmental messages and desired outcomes from such efforts. In addition, this study shows the versatility and applicability of the model to actual sponsored environmental sustainability campaigns of a sport organization.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian P. McCullough & Jonathan C. Casper & Danielle M. Kushner Smith, 2022. "Fan Responses of Sponsored Environmental Sustainability Initiatives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:21:p:14062-:d:956312
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/21/14062/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/21/14062/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Grzegorz Zasuwa, 2017. "The Role of Company-Cause Fit and Company Involvement in Consumer Responses to CSR Initiatives: A Meta-Analytic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-16, June.
    2. Matt Dolf & Paul Teehan, 2015. "Reducing the carbon footprint of spectator and team travel at the University of British Columbia's varsity sports events," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(2), pages 244-255, April.
    3. Harry H. Kwon & Galen T. Trail & Dean S. Anderson, 2005. "Are Multiple Points of Attachment Necessary to Predict Cognitive, Affective, Conative, or Behavioral Loyalty?," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(3), pages 255-270, September.
    4. De Cannière, Marie Hélène & De Pelsmacker, Patrick & Geuens, Maggie, 2009. "Relationship Quality and the Theory of Planned Behavior models of behavioral intentions and purchase behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 82-92, January.
    5. Yuhei Inoue & Aubrey Kent, 2012. "Investigating the role of corporate credibility in corporate social marketing: A case study of environmental initiatives by professional sport organizations," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(3), pages 330-344, July.
    6. Jonathan M. Casper & Brian P. McCullough & Michael E. Pfahl, 2020. "Examining environmental fan engagement initiatives through values and norms with intercollegiate sport fans," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(2), pages 348-360, April.
    7. Jonathan M. Casper & Brian P. McCullough & Danielle M. Kushner Smith, 2021. "Pro-Environmental Sustainability and Political Affiliation: An Examination of USA College Sport Sustainability Efforts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-17, May.
    8. Morgan, Ashlee & Taylor, Tracy & Adair, Daryl, 2020. "Sport event sponsorship management from the sponsee’s perspective," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 838-851.
    9. Casper, Jonathan M. & McCullough, Brian P. & Pfahl, Michael E., 2020. "Examining environmental fan engagement initiatives through values and norms with intercollegiate sport fans," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 348-360.
    10. Yuan‐Shuh Lii & Kuang‐Wen Wu & May‐Ching Ding, 2013. "Doing Good Does Good? Sustainable Marketing of CSR and Consumer Evaluations," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(1), pages 15-28, January.
    11. Becker-Olsen, Karen L. & Cudmore, B. Andrew & Hill, Ronald Paul, 2006. "The impact of perceived corporate social responsibility on consumer behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 46-53, January.
    12. Kwon, Harry H. & Trail, Galen T. & Anderson, Dean S., 2005. "Are Multiple Points of Attachment Necessary to Predict Cognitive, Affective, Conative, or Behavioral Loyalty?," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 255-270, November.
    13. Dolf, Matt & Teehan, Paul, 2015. "Reducing the carbon footprint of spectator and team travel at the University of British Columbia's varsity sports events," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 244-255.
    14. Kevin P. Gwinner & Brian V. Larson & Scott R. Swanson, 2009. "Image Transfer In Corporate Event Sponsorship: Assessing The Impact Of Team Identification And Event-Sponsor Fit," International Journal of Management and Marketing Research, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 2(1), pages 1-15.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ricardo Roseira Cayolla & Joana A. Quintela & Teresa Santos, 2022. "“If You Don’t Know Me by Now”—The Importance of Sustainability Initiative Awareness for Stakeholders of Professional Sports Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-16, April.
    2. Jonathan M. Casper & Brian P. McCullough & Danielle M. Kushner Smith, 2021. "Pro-Environmental Sustainability and Political Affiliation: An Examination of USA College Sport Sustainability Efforts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-17, May.
    3. Ricardo Roseira Cayolla & Teresa Santos & Joana A. Quintela, 2021. "Sustainable Initiatives in Sports Organizations—Analysis of a Group of Stakeholders in Pandemic Times," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-16, August.
    4. Orr, Madeleine & Inoue, Yuhei, 2019. "Sport versus climate: Introducing the climate vulnerability of sport organizations framework," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 452-463.
    5. Barbara Mazza, 2023. "A Theoretical Model of Strategic Communication for the Sustainable Development of Sport Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-19, April.
    6. Jaeman Son & Stephen W. Dittmore & Younghwan Choi, 2023. "Understanding the Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility, Team Identification, and Behavioral Intention with the Mediating Effect of Satisfaction in Korean Professional Baseball League," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-12, May.
    7. Andrea Pérez & Ignacio Rodríguez del Bosque, 2015. "How Customer Support for Corporate Social Responsibility Influences the Image of Companies: Evidence from the Banking Industry," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(3), pages 155-168, May.
    8. Clément Auger & Benoit Hilloulin & Benjamin Boisserie & Maël Thomas & Quentin Guignard & Emmanuel Rozière, 2021. "Open-Source Carbon Footprint Estimator: Development and University Declination," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-15, April.
    9. Farman Ullah & Yigang Wu & Khalid Mehmood & Fauzia Jabeen & Yaser Iftikhar & Ángel Acevedo-Duque & Ho Kwong Kwan, 2021. "Impact of Spectators’ Perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility on Regional Attachment in Sports: Three-Wave Indirect Effects of Spectators’ Pride and Team Identification," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-14, January.
    10. Su‐Jung Nam & Hyesun Hwang, 2019. "What makes consumers respond to creating shared value strategy? Considering consumers as stakeholders in sustainable development," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(2), pages 388-395, March.
    11. Dwyer, Brendan & Mudrick, Michael & Greenhalgh, Gregory P. & LeCrom, Carrie W. & Drayer, Joris, 2015. "The tie that blinds? Developing and validating a scale to measure emotional attachment to a sport team," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 570-582.
    12. Iva Glibo & Laura Misener & Joerg Koenigstorfer, 2022. "Strategic Sustainable Development in International Sport Organisations: A Delphi Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-18, August.
    13. Ricardo Roseira Cayolla & Joana A. Quintela & Teresa Santos, 2023. "Analysis of Travel Behaviour of Professional Sports Organisation Members to the Stadium: Future Implications for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-14, April.
    14. Riadh Ladhari & Soumaya Cheikhrouhou & Miguel Morales & Emna Zaaboub, 2022. "Antecedents and consequences of emotional attachment to sport teams brands," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 29(5), pages 454-469, September.
    15. Lidia Piccerillo & Francesco Misiti & Simone Digennaro, 2023. "Assessing the Environmental Impact of a University Sport Event: The Case of the 75th Italian National University Championships," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-14, January.
    16. Pérez-Neira, David & Rodríguez-Fernández, Ma Pilar & Hidalgo-González, Cristina, 2020. "The greenhouse gas mitigation potential of university commuting: A case study of the University of León (Spain)," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    17. Brian P. McCullough & Andrea Collins & Jack Roberts & Shelley Villalobos, 2023. "Sport Events and Emissions Reporting: An Analysis of the Council for Responsible Sport Standard in Running Events," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-12, September.
    18. Laurent Castaignède & Frederic Veny & Johnathan Edwards & Véronique Billat, 2021. "The Carbon Footprint of Marathon Runners: Training and Racing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-10, March.
    19. Stavros Triantafyllidis & Robert J. Ries & Kyriaki (Kiki) Kaplanidou, 2018. "Carbon Dioxide Emissions of Spectators’ Transportation in Collegiate Sporting Events: Comparing On-Campus and Off-Campus Stadium Locations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, January.
    20. Dongho Yoo & Jieun Lee, 2018. "The Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Fit and CSR Consistency on Company Evaluation: The Role of CSR Support," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:21:p:14062-:d:956312. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.