Corporate Sponsorships in Schools: Altruism and Ethical Judgments

Over the last several years corporate sponsorships have become prevalent within the U.S. K–12 school system. For corporations, sponsorships can be an effective method for targeting young consumers. For schools, corporate sponsorships are an opportunity to replace state funding that has been lost since the 2007 financial crisis. However, many people have voiced concerns about the ethicality of corporate involvement in schools. Accordingly, the purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to examine parents’ views of corporate-school sponsorships. Results indicate that altruism is a key factor; that is, sponsorships that provide direct benefits to students are viewed more favorably, and that parents who are critical of children's advertising tend to view corporate-school sponsorships less favorably.