Bortom mål och prestation : En kvalitativ studie som syftar till att studera hur Helsingborgs IF:s (HIF) Corporate SocialResponsibility arbete kan användas som medel till att attrahera och bibehålla sponsorer ikontrast till deras sportsliga framgångar.

Sammanfattning: This paper examines the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) effortsand sporting success in attracting and retaining sponsors with a focus on the Swedish footballclub Helsingborgs IF (HIF). In 2022, Helsingborgs IF was relegated from Allsvenskan(swedish top-flight football) to Superettan (swedish second tier league) and faces a newexternal situation in relation to competition, attractiveness and commercial development inthe coming season (2023). Thus, it was considered of significant relevance to study theassociation's stakeholder and customer relations - in particular linked to the sponsors'continued willingness to support the organisation in light of HIF´s CSR work.Thus, the main aspiration of our thesis is to determine the extent to which HIF`s CSR workcan supersede on-field performance in sponsorship endeavours. Through qualitative researchmethods, including interviews with a spokesperson from HIF and their sponsors, our findingsindicate that HIF's CSR initiatives positively add to their relationships with their sponsors.Furthermore, the paper concludes that sponsors generally express a favourable attitudetoward CSR activities and do not consider sporting achievements as a central aspect for acontinued sponsorship.However, through our analysis it was shown that a handful of the sponsors chose to withdrawtheir sponsorship following the team's demotion from Allsvenskan in the previous season.This indicates that CSR alone may not suffice as a means of attracting and retaining sponsors,and sporting success still holds significance for some sponsors.Future research on this subject could broaden the sample to include sponsors who terminatedtheir collaboration with HIF after the demotion, providing a more comprehensiveunderstanding of the club's ability to attract and retain sponsors. Overall, this study shedslight on the complex interplay between CSR, sporting success, and sponsorship within HIF.The findings emphasise the importance of striking a balance between CSR efforts and onfieldperformance to effectively engage and retain sponsors in the highly competitive sportsindustry.