The influence of sport sponsorship on employee’s organisational commitment

Abstract

The influence of sports sponsorships on the organisational commitment of employees has the potential to critically impact the sport sponsorship decisions of companies. In periods of economic uncertainty and economic decline, companies often consider sport sponsorship a fundamental expense that has to be carefully managed and measured against the corporate objectives. Employees are a vital asset to any company, and taking into consideration which teams or sporting events employees support, may be a key contributing factor to the ensuing productivity. This trend was investigated by conducting various research strategies in the course of compiling a final research document. These strategies included sending out electronic questionnaires to the employees of a sample company that sponsors provincial sporting teams. Statistical analysis on the results obtained culminated in in-depth conclusions that strive to theoretically answer the research question posed at the onset of this study. The outcome of the research study showed that sports sponsorships do not contribute sufficiently to the organisational commitments of employees to justify its inclusion on the list of sports sponsorships’ key objectives when making strategic decisions. However, some evidence suggests that a reverse influence may exist whereby specific sports teams prove useful in the recruitment process and/or sponsorships decisions.