ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how corporate social responsibility (CSR) partnerships (corporate–corporate, corporate–nonprofit, and sport-governing body) influence different types of CSR legitimacy: organizational, issue, and actional legitimacy. Results highlight the effectiveness of corporate–corporate partnerships in generating perceptions of organizational, issue, and actional legitimacy. Study results provide meaningful insights for the profession, specifically with regard to what partnership types are seen as the most legitimate. Sport-convention partnerships are not perceived to be as legitimate as other partnership types, which raises questions about CSR in the sport sector. The chapter concludes with propositions for future research about CSR communication and legitimacy creation, as well as the expanded role of CSR partnerships in a society with evolving expectations and stakeholder demands.
