Public thesis defense of Géraldine ZEIMERS

The Rector of UCLouvain and the Doctoral Commission in Health Sciences announce that Mrs Géraldine Zeimers will publicly support her dissertation, for the title of Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (UGent) and in Sport Sciences (UCLouvain) Title: " Corporate Social Responsibility Implementation in Non-Profit Sport Organisations"

Summary: " Sport is believed to create positive economic, cultural, health and social values. At the same time, it faces ethical, social and environmental challenges. Through corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, sport organisations may stimulate sport’s positive social side and counter and/or prevent its negative side. The scholarly debate about CSR within the sport management field focuses almost exclusively on for-profit sport organisations. Yet, these traditional non-profit sport organisations are increasingly addressing such issues under the scope of CSR or any related notion. The purpose of this dissertation is to empirically examine the implementation of CSR programmes by non-profit sport organisations. This dissertation provides important insights on three main elements of CSR implementation, namely organisational determinants, collaborations and organisational learning. The focus of this study is on sport federations – those sport governing bodies in charge of the organisation of specific sporting codes and the representatives of their sport. The study examines how sport federations build on their sport-federated network, internal and external stakeholders (e.g., sport clubs, state and national bodies, public authorities, non-profit partners). Theoretical and practical implications are formulated for sport federations in their quest to implement CSR in a sustainable way.

Registration: geraldine.zeimers@uclouvain.be