Conceptualization of ESG Management Values of Professional Sports Clubs: From Consumers’ Perspective

Discussions and practices of sustainability are actively underway around the world. In this social context, this study conceptualized ESG management values focused on sports organizations, especially professional sports clubs in Korea. Utilizing Q methodology, which is suitable for research on individuals’ subjectivity, we explored ESG management values accepted by consumers of Korean professional sports. As a result, the ESG management values were confirmed as follows: “Type I: Trust Management Emphasis”, “Type II: Local Community Emphasis”, and “Type III: Safety–Respect Culture Emphasis”. While each of the three types accepted governance, social responsibility, safety, and respect culture as their main values, they tended to deny environment-related values. Accordingly, this study provided two discussions: “professional sports consumers’ low awareness of the environment” and “reinterpretation of environmental values among the ESG management values of professional sports clubs”. In conclusion, the three types are significant in that (1) they reflect well the social and cultural context of Korean professional sports and consumers’ perceptions, and (2) they provide a new perspective on the ESG management value of professional sports teams.