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Abstract
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities have the ability to impact the image and reputation of professional sports franchises, and ultimately, their relationships with the respective fan bases. The National Basketball Association (NBA), in particular, utilizes CSR as part of its marketing and public relations strategy. Based on field survey data collected with the assistance of an NBA team in the Southeastern United States over three consecutive seasons, this study expands our understanding of CSR by exploring how fans' expectations and perceptions of CSR initiatives impact the quality of their relationship with the team. The findings show that when fans expect their team to exhibit social responsibility and it is closely matched by the team's perceived CSR practices, the combined impact improves the quality of the fan relationships with the team.
Introduction
Brands are judged on what they do, not what they say (Clarke, 2003). Nowhere is this truer than in the realm of professional sports. "Because of the important role, impact and visibility of sport in society . . . there is a close integration between CSR and sport" (Filizoz & Fisne, 2011, p. 1,405). More and more, professional sports entities feel pressure to make a positive contribution outside of the game (e.g., Kennett-Hensel et al., 2010; Smith & Westerbeek, 2007). CSR activities have the ability to impact the image and reputation of professional sports franchises, and ultimately, their relationships with the respective fan bases (Giannoulakis & Drayer, 2009; McGowan & Mahon, 2009). Thus, CSR has become a visible component in the mission of professional sports (Knecht, 2007; Sheth & Babiak, 2010) and is beginning to receive significant attention in the sport management and marketing literature (Heinze et al., 2014).
The National Basketball Association (NBA), in particular, utilizes CSR as part of its marketing and public relations strategy. The NBA mission reads, "We understand the popularity and visibility of our teams, players and league obligate us to demonstrate leadership in corporate social responsibility" (NBA, 2014). This mission guided the establishment of the NBA Cares program, which was initially conceived as a way to enhance the image of the league and its players (Bucher, 2006; Giannoulakis & Drayer, 2009; McGowan & Mahon, 2009), and which, to date, has resulted in the donation of over...