Evaluating a Socially Responsible Employment Program: Beneficiary Impacts and Stakeholder Perceptions

Abstract

Although many (sport) organizations around the world have engaged in corporate socially responsible (CSR) and Sport-For-Development (S4D) programing, there is little evidence of actual social impact. This is a problematic omission since many programs (CSR in particular) 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 overall 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, perceived marketability, etc.). Qualitative findings buttress these results, indicating a high-level of motivation for work and satisfaction with program delivery. While traditionally, CSR and S4D have been viewed as disparately literature streams, we argue that certain elements make them comparatively similar. As such, the results of this evaluation are discussed through both CSR and S4D lenses.

What Does Entrepreneurship Add to the Understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility Management in Sport?

“…For example, professional sport teams can get tax advantages, league funding, and subsidies for engaging in myopic community initiatives through their charitable foundation (Kolyperas et al, 2015). Defensive and compliant approaches (e.g., answering to pressures and seeking funding) may deliver short-term and discrete benefits for the club and/or the community; however, such programs are often one-offs, underfunded, and detached from the core business, which limits sustainable, scalable, and observable impact (Hills et al, 2019;Walker et al, 2017). Business case approaches to CSR can lead to fan skepticism, a decrease in staff motivation, and even a risk of ethical malpractice, when managers do not feel the need to act socially responsibly outside the realm of the charitable foundation (Walker et al, 2017).…”

“…Empirical research on CSR in professional sport has enhanced our understanding on strategy development (Babiak & Wolfe, 2009;Schyvinck & Willem, 2018), implementation (Fifka & Jäger, 2020;Schyvinck & Willem, 2019), communication (Inoue, Mahan, & Kent, 2013), and evaluation and impact (Kihl et al, 2014;Walker, Hills, & Heere, 2017). The unique characteristics of professional sport, such as engagement of mass media, communication power, youth appeal, and the ability to create positive health and social impacts, make teams ideal vehicles to carry out CSR (Smith & Westerbeek, 2007).…”

“…The unique characteristics of professional sport, such as engagement of mass media, communication power, youth appeal, and the ability to create positive health and social impacts, make teams ideal vehicles to carry out CSR (Smith & Westerbeek, 2007). Additionally, numerous positive benefits and outcomes have been assigned to CSR engagement, including increased revenue, enhanced image and reputation, and strengthened stakeholder relationships (Inoue et al, 2013;Walker & Kent, 2009), as well as societal development (Hills et al, 2019;Inoue & Havard, 2014;Walker et al, 2017). While a lot of progress has been made in CSR scholarship and management, firms, including professional sport organizations, still struggle to manage the often contradictory social and economic goals behind CSR engagement (Malik, 2015).…”

Persuasion effect of corporate social responsibility initiatives in professional sport franchise: Moderating effect analysis

“…However, stakeholder perception of CSR is not entirely positive. For instance, consumers are likely to negatively evaluate the CSR initiatives of sports organizations if they perceive that these organizations engage in CSR activities only for profit rather than in the best interests of society [33]. Furthermore, stakeholder dissatisfaction with a firm's CSR performance may negatively influence the firm's corporate image [34].…”

Establishment of Expression of Management Culture as a Formal Part of the Organizational Culture, Aiming to Implement Corporate Social Responsibility

“…Meanwhile, Cooke [9] considers enterprise's orientation towards the employees' welfare, which includes improving the quality of employees' working conditions and applying means of motivation, as one of the main important cultural aspects. There are found quite a lot of sources that analyse certain elements of formal organizational culture: strategies, processes [10], organizational structure [11][12][13][14], control [15,16], incentive [17].…”