Governance and social responsibility perceptions of the SAFA affiliated football clubs executives

Abstract

Governance concerns have been in facade of society both in South Africa and in the rest of the world. These concerns have been raised at various levels such as public sector, private sector, and even within sports and recreation. The South African media have also heightened the exposure of incidents whenever gross violation of good governance principles occurred. The sport fraternity, particularly football, is not immune to this scourge. In the South African context, very little research has been done to look into the governance trajectories concerning sports organisations. As a result, this paper will consider how the Gauteng football clubs that are affiliated with the South African Football Association (SAFA) perceive issues of governance and those that concern social responsibility. Qualitative data in a form of semi-structured interviews was used. A total of 12 executive managers participated in the study. Atlas ti was used to analyse data deductively.The findings seem to suggest that the clubs are aware and supportive of good governance principles, ethics and issues of social responsibility. Calls are made to SAFA and its structures, government and the corporate sector to instil good governance principles and support social initiatives within their surroundings. Moreover, families and communities were encouraged to raise the bar in terms of improving the moral capital of society.

Examining the X factor of corporate social responsibility in professional football clubs: An integrative literature review

“…The literature concerning CSR impacts and perceptions has offered valuable insights into positive outcome variables of fans' behavioural attributions and intentions. Previous studies strongly suggest that clubs' involvement in community activities can influence a positive brand image which further orients consumers' supportive behaviour (Blumrodt et al, 2012; Boya, 2016; Moyo et al, 2015; Salguero & Rivera‐Camino, 2016).…”

“…For example, Liu and Schwarz (2020) and Liu et al (2019) examined Chinese football clubs and highlighted certain CSR initiatives deemed the most necessary for fulfilling community expectations such as “responsibility to spectators”, “responsibility to employees”, and “youth educational initiatives”. Focusing on the South African context, Boya (2016) reiterated clubs' compliance to good CSR governance principles in local communities to legitimise and cultivate stakeholder relationships. Similarly, Park et al (2018) studied the South Korean context and found that the perceived fit between fans and clubs' CSR activities strongly influences team identification and team loyalty.…”

“…Prior research has evaluated CSR from a strategic and process‐based perspective, with most studies having centralised their attention on CSR attributes and organisational‐level consequences (e.g., Blumrodt, 2014; Boya, 2016; Kunz, 2020; Liu et al, 2019; Moyo et al, 2015). In this regard, the CSR implementation dimension has emphasised organisational outcomes resulting from CSR‐related practices (e.g., brand image, brand equity, patronage intentions, etc.).…”

“…Given their influential position in society, football clubs and their associated constituents (i.e., charitable foundations) have to authenticate and legitimise their CSR mission to continuously sustain legitimacy in the eyes of their stakeholders (hereby supporters) (Kolyperas et al, 2016). Certain studies have examined CSR impacts on stakeholders' perceptions and behaviour (e.g., Boya, 2016; Kulczycki & Koenigstorfer, 2016; Liu & Schwarz, 2020; Park et al, 2018). However, a research gap exists with regards to studying the impact on other external stakeholders such as investors, suppliers, or sponsors, to name a few.…”