Embracing social responsibility: Insights from Iranian Premier League football clubs

Abstract Despite existing literature on ISO 26000 and its application in various industries, there is a notable gap in research specifically focusing on the application of these indicators within the context of sports organizations, particularly football clubs. This study aims to address this gap by providing insights into the unique challenges and opportunities faced by Iranian Premier League football clubs in enhancing their social responsibility (SR) practices. The present study analyzed the key indicators of ISO 26000 in order to improve SR using Statistica 13 software. The new technique of multi‐layer artificial perceptron (MLP) neural network was used to estimate and evaluate. Results from these analyses highlight the efficacy of specific SR models, indicating the significance of factors such as development and community involvement, labor practices, and fair operating practices in driving positive outcomes (Model 11). The findings underscore the commitment of Iranian Premier League clubs to advancing SR principles, paving the way for continued progress and impact in the sports industry and broader society. This study contributes to filling the existing gap by highlighting the potential of development and community involvement, labor practices, and fair operating practices to enhance SR in football clubs in such contexts.