Embedding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Principles in Public Sports Organizations: A Pathway to Strengthening Social Identity and Sustainable Organizational Citizenship

The integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles with sportsmanship values has emerged as a critical strategic priority in the sports sector. ESG management not only fosters corporate social responsibility but also enhances organizational citizenship behavior by aligning financial sustainability with broader societal impact. This study investigates the relationship between employees’ perceptions of ESG management and organizational citizenship behavior within public sports organizations, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of social value orientation and organizational identification. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) and multiple mediation analysis, survey data were collected from 343 employees of government-affiliated public sports organizations in South Korea. The findings reveal that social value orientation and organizational identification fully mediate the association between ESG management and organizational citizenship behavior, underscoring their essential role in facilitating ESG integration. These findings suggest that perceived ESG management influences OCB indirectly through two sequential psychological mechanisms: first, by fostering a prosocial value orientation, and second, by strengthening employees’ organizational identification—thereby demonstrating the importance of PEM, SVO, and OI in enhancing voluntary and value-driven organizational behavior. By providing empirical evidence on ESG-driven organizational behavior, this study offers strategic insights for enhancing sustainable management practices and corporate social responsibility within the sports industry.