ABSTRACT

The term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an important feature of the management lexicon. CSR and related terms (e.g., strategic philanthropy, corporate citizenship, sustainability, social entrepreneurship, corporate governance) are underpinned by the belief that modern business has a responsibility to society that extends beyond the shareholders of a firm and, more specifically, focuses on minimising or eliminating harmful effects on society and maximising long-term beneficial impact (Mohr, Webb and Harris, 2001). Serious discussion concerning CSR gained momentum in the early 1970s when Milton Friedman suggested, ‘there is one and only one social responsibility of business – to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud’ (Friedman, 1970, p. 33), and scholars began debating the role of business in society (Friedman, 1962, 1970). From that time, the interest in, and significance of, CSR has grown and has gained broad acceptance as a legitimate aspect of business practice. Today, organisations across industries engage in CSR practices. In the sport setting, CSR has become a central and strategic feature encompassing an array of activities and objectives for sport organisations.