The Role of Gender in Evaluating Athletes' Endorsements of Corporate Social Advocacy Initiatives.

This article examines how gender influences the perception of athlete credibility when endorsing corporate social advocacy (CSA) initiatives, focusing on both the gender of the athlete and the participant. Using NBA and WNBA players Rajon Rondo and A'ja Wilson as endorsers of a fictitious NBA Foundation initiative supporting LGBTQ+ rights, the study found that male athletes were generally perceived as more credible than female athletes across competence, trustworthiness, and goodwill. Male participants rated the NBA player as more credible than the WNBA player, while female participants showed no significant difference; however, female participants were more likely to support the initiative when endorsed by the NBA player. These findings suggest that gender-based social identity affects how athlete endorsements of social justice causes are received, highlighting challenges female athletes face in gaining equal credibility and the potential impact of league popularity on audience support.