Organisational tensions and the relationship to CSR in the football sector

Research question: The objective of this paper is to examine how Danish football (‘soccer’) clubs perceive organisational tensions, and to explore the relationship between the level of tensions and the level of CSR activity. Research methods: The analysis is based on survey responses from 226 Danish football clubs organised in the Danish Football Association (DFA).

Results and findings: It is concluded that clubs primarily face tensions linked to football/non-football activities and elite/non-elite discussions. Moreover, the results demonstrate a significant, positive relationship between the level of organisational tensions and the clubs’ engagement in social and environmental activities.

Implications: The paper moves beyond isolated studies of individual tensions by analysing how organisation members perceive the multitude of oppositional demands permeating organisations. Moreover, the quantitative analysis advances our knowledge about the complex relationship between organisational tensions and CSR.