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Cengiz, Mehtap (2025) Corporate social responsibility in football associations - UEFA, DFB and the regional level in Germany. DBA thesis, University of Gloucestershire. doi:10.46289/TJBM1899
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Abstract
The role of football in our society is of considerable significance, both in economic and cultural terms. In light of the considerable social impact of football, the question is no longer whether football organisations should engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR), but rather how they can do so in the most effective manner. Despite approximately 70 years of research into CSR, there are still challenges in applying the concepts to the organisations under analysis, given that it is a relatively new area of study. This is particularly the case with regard to the definition of CSR, an understanding of its scope and the assurance of transparent decision-making processes. This thesis examines the areas of CSR as they relate to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the German Football Association (DFB), and one regional football federation in Germany. This structure allows for a comprehensive examination of the various organisations and their constituent hierarchical levels. The initial objective is to undertake a critical exploration of the potential for the application of the principles of CSR to organisations within the football industry. The second objective is to ascertain the perceptions of CSR held by the organisations in question. Subsequently, the research aims to identify appropriate methodologies for the implementation of CSR projects, with a particular focus on the national and one regional federation in Germany. The final objective is to propose improvements and recommendations for the development of effective CSR measures. In order to achieve these objectives, 14 semi-structured expert interviews were conducted with decision�makers in associations at all levels. The findings indicate that for CSR-related projects in associations to be effective, they must be integrated into the core business, aligned with the overall strategy, and embedded in every step of the operational process. There is a notable divergence between the recommendations set forth in the literature and the actual practice of CSR at various levels within the analysed organisations. It is recommended that the responsibility of CSR should not be solely delegated to the public relations department or to external entities, such as charitable foundations. The findings are presented in the context of the existing literature, and a guideline for effective CSR for football associations is developed.
| Item Type: | Thesis (DBA) | |||||||||
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| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV557 Sports > GV861 Ball games: Baseball, football, golf, etc. H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management > HD60 Social responsibility in business |
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| Divisions: | Schools and Research Institutes > School of Business, Computing and Social Sciences | |||||||||
| Depositing User: | Rhiannon Goodland | |||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 03 Aug 2026 13:17 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 03 Aug 2026 13:53 | |||||||||
| URI: | https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/16456 |
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