국내 프로스포츠 구단의 ESG 경영사례를 통한 그린워싱(Greenwashing)의 문제점 및 개선방안 연구

The purpose of this study is to identify the issues and propose improvement measures regarding greenwashing within the environmental aspect of ESG management in domestic professional sports clubs. Notably, there has been a rapid increase in ESG activities by these clubs in recent years. Environmental activities in ESG management conducted by professional sports clubs often face challenges, necessitating academic inquiry for effective improvement measures. To achieve the study's objectives, research questions related to greenwashing in the ESG management of professional sports clubs were formulated. An in-depth interview methodology was employed to address these research questions. The study interviewed a total of nine experts, comprising three university professors, three doctoral researchers, and three practitioners from professional sports clubs involved in environmental work. These interviews were conducted in a mixed format of face-to-face and remote sessions. Initial research problems were identified through literature reviews and in-depth interviews related to previous studies, revealing that greenwashing is often used as a promotional tool. To explore the second research problem, thematic analysis was applied to the in-depth interview data. Through this process, recommendations for preventing greenwashing in ESG management and suggestions for future improvements were proposed. Additionally, directions for subsequent research were outlined.