National Pride vs. Global Unity: Exploring Nationalism-Infused CSR and Stakeholder Perceptions in Global Sports Events

Global sporting events, such as the Olympics, often highlight a delicate tension between universal ideals of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and nationalistic appeals to local pride. Against this backdrop, the present study investigates how moral foundations (fairness vs. loyalty) and national attachment shape stakeholder perceptions of nationalism-infused CSR motives and CSR authenticity. Building on moral foundation theory and attribution-based CSR research, we tested hypotheses regarding the interplay between these variables. Conducting a survey (N = 755) through Dynata, we found that fairness-oriented individuals attributed egoistic- and strategic-driven motives, while people with in-group/loyalty foundation perceived value-driven motives from the initiatives.