From Corporate Motives to the Impacts of Sports Sponsorship on Employees: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This paper reviews the common motives and major
impacts of sports sponsorships undertaken by sponsoring
organisations. Following a systematic review of 72
relevant articles, seven key motives for engaging in
sports sponsorship were identified. Marketing, customer
retention, and brand equity emerged as the most frequently
studied, while the sponsorship of emerging sports
associations for brand promotion was the least examined.
Regarding impacts on employees, findings from 28 articles
indicated that high retention and brand identification were
the most researched topics, with no studies addressing
potential negative effects. The study contributes to the
existing literature by highlighting overlooked motives and
effects of sports sponsorships. We recommend that future
research focuses on the less-studied motives and investigates
potential negative impacts on employees within sponsoring
organisations.