The impact of CSR-linked sport sponsorship on consumers’ reactions to service failures

Abstract

Purpose Drawing on the corporate association framework and attribution theory, the purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the shield effects of CSR-linked sport sponsorship on consumer attitudes toward a sponsor, attribution patterns in a sponsor’s service failure and repurchase intentions and second, to investigate the halo effect of CSR-linked sport sponsorship on corporate ability (CA) associations and the relationship between CA associations and consequential variables in the context of service failure. Design/methodology/approach A scenario-based two-factor (sponsorship types: baseline vs sport sponsorship vs CSR-linked sport sponsorship × service failure types: flight delay vs cancellation) experimental design was employed. Findings The results indicate that CSR-linked sport sponsorship outperforms non-CSR sport sponsorship in forming CSR association and developing CA association. Both CSR and CA associations are found to positively influence the consumer’s attitude toward a service provider. Consumers with positive attitudes attribute the sponsor’s service failure to external factors, leading to repurchase intention after a service failure. Originality/value This study connects two fields of research, service failure and sport sponsorship, thereby providing evidence on how CSR-linked sport sponsorship can play a shield role in the context of service failure and whether CSR-linked sport sponsorship can be a proactive strategy for service providers in industries where service failures are inevitable. Additionally, this study provides empirical evidence on whether CSR-linked sponsorship can lead consumers to perceive service quality as “doing right leads to doing well” by creating a halo effect.

Moderating Effect of the Power–Distance Belief on the Relationship between Employees’ Service Failures and Customers’ Behavioral Outcomes in the Sport Service Industry

“…First, to limit respondents to those who were currently fitness center program members, they were asked to answer the following screening question: “Are you currently a fitness center program member?” Upon confirmation of their eligibility, a total of 55 respondents was recruited via MTurk and assigned randomly to one of the two scenarios ( n = 26 for low severity; n = 29 for high severity). Next, as a manipulation check, we adopted Kim et al’s [ 35 ] service failure severity scale. The respondents were asked to answer three items about the severity of service failures on a 7-point Likert scale (α = 0.96).…”

“…Researchers have found that, among diverse service industries (e.g., restaurants and airlines), the higher a service failure's severity, the greater the consumers' unfavorable reactions [5,30]. In the sport consumer behavioral context, Kim et al [35] tested customers' responses to the magnitude of given service failure situations on the part of an airline company that sponsors sport teams (flight cancelations vs. delays) and the way they affected sport consumers' repurchase intention.…”

Effects of sponsorship quality and quantity on employee brand behavior

“…Sponsorship refers to “the provision of assistance either financial or in-kind to an activity by a commercial organization for the purpose of achieving commercial objectives” (Meenaghan 1983 , p. 9). In the past, much of the sponsorship literature has focused on analyzing the effects of sponsoring on external audiences (e.g., D. Kim et al 2020 ; Ko et al 2008 ; Levin et al 2001 ). However, firms have started to treat sponsorship as an internal marketing tool to engage with their employees (e.g., Khan et al 2013 ; Wagner et al 2019 ; Zepf 2008 ).…”

Understanding consumer attitudes in cause-brand alliances in sports: the role of sport entity attitudes

“…Indeed, brands are redefining their purposes in an attempt to create sustainable value that better serves all stakeholders through various corporate social responsibility (CSR) endeavors, some claiming it is “the only way to be successful over the long term” (Business Roundtable, 2019). There is even some evidence that traditional sponsorship of a professional sports team increases the perception that the sponsoring brand is more socially responsible than brands that lack this type of sponsorship (Demirel, 2020; Kim et al , 2019).…”