Developing a structural model of corporate social responsibility for Chinese professional football

The professionalisation of football has been ongoing in the past three decades in China. However, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) concept is still new, with minimal knowledge about Chinese consumers’ CSR perceptions. The CSR perception models in the professional football industry are mostly designed for the Western context. This study sought to test the psychometric properties of the scale for consumers’ perceptions about CSR of the Chinese Super League (CSL) clubs and to build a theoretical and empirical framework for CSR, explaining the pathways of football consumers by assessing the structural model for CSR perception and its antecedents (i.e., club capability and CSR informativeness) and consequences (i.e., attitudes and behavioural intentions). Additionally, this study also examines the moderating role of perceived fit and involvement on the paths.

Specifically, grounded on the theoretical paradigm of sustainable development (SD), globalisation and glocalisation, positive youth development, and sense of community theories, this study developed and validated a CSR measurement scale with five dimensions: economic, youth, community, environmental, and cultural responsibilities. Secondly, grounded on the competitive advantage theory and the mass communication theory, corporate capability and CSR informativeness were proposed as antecedents of CSR perception. Then, based on the theory of reasoned action, the hypothesised link between each of CSR dimension and attitude was established, as well as the hypothetical relationship between attitudes and behavioural intentions (i.e., attendance intention, WOM intention, merchandise purchasing intention, and media consumption intention). Lastly, this study proposed perceived fit as a moderator on the relationships between CSR perceptions and attitude based on the theory of meaning transfer, and involvement with the club as a moderator on the paths from attitude to behavioural intentions based on the elaboration likelihood model. To sum up, it is hypothesised that club capability and CSR informativeness are determinants of CSR perception, which subsequently influences consumer attitudes and behavioural intentions. Perceived fit and involvement are proposed as moderators on the paths.

This research adopts an objectivist ontological stance and a positivist epistemological position, utilizing a quantitative method within a deductive approach. Data collection was conducted online at four stages: July 2022 (Pilot EFA), November 2022 to January 2023 (EFA), January to February 2023 (CFA), and December 2023 (SEM). The findings validate a five-dimensional scale (economic, youth, community, environmental, and cultural responsibility) comprising 29 items to measure consumers’ CSR perceptions in Chinese professional football. Results indicate that youth, community, environmental, and cultural responsibilities positively influence consumer attitudes, while economic responsibility does not. Additionally, attitude is positively linked to behavioural intentions, with partial moderating effects of perceived fit and involvement observed.

By developing the CSR structural model, this research significantly advances the understanding of CSR within the Chinese professional football industry. By examining the drivers of consumer CSR perception and its consequential attitudinal and behavioural outcomes, the empirical validation of the conceptual framework provides valuable insights into football consumers’ psychology and behaviours. Furthermore, this research offers practical guidance for club managers in designing effective CSR strategies and fostering sustainable development.