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ABSTRACT
Findings from empirical studies on the legacy of hosting a mega sporting event are inconclusive. This paper considers empirical studies published in English language peer-reviewed journals between 1997 and 2016 to identify trends and gaps in current knowledge related to event-attributed changes in structures, consequences, and stakeholder evaluations. Following systematic literature search guidelines, 233 articles (238 studies) were coded. The authors assessed structural changes, consequences, and stakeholder evaluations. Contextual factors, such as type of event, timeframe, and geographical location were also considered, as well as research design, methods, and a risk of bias assessment. Most studies considered structural changes per se, without further specification (such as the urban and human level). Economic and social consequences were the two most often considered consequences. The range of stakeholders considered in the studies was diverse, although host city residents received the most research attention. The mapping helps scholars better understand dominant themes, critically appraise studies as well as identify gaps in existing research. The authors discuss managerial implications and propose research directions that address concerns: unclear definition and biased selection of relevant stakeholder groups, short legacy timeframes, and the low-level evidence for cause-effect relationships in the legacy production process.
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This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.
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Notes on contributors
Joerg Koenigstorfer
Joerg Koenigstorfer is a Professor in the Department of Sport and Health Sciences at Technical University of Munich, Germany. He currently serves as the Associate Editor of European Sport Management Quarterly. His research focus is on consumer behaviour in sports and health. His work has appeared in such journals such as Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, Journal of Sport Management, Sport Management Review, among others.
Jason N. Bocarro
Jason N. Bocarro is a Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management at NC State University, USA. His research examines the intersection of sport, recreation and health. His research has been funded by numerous agencies including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Park Service (NPS), European Union (EU), NC Division of Public Health, National Recreation and Park Association and sport governing bodies such as USA Hockey and the National Hockey League. He is also the co-editor of the book Legacies of Mega Events: Fact or Fairy Tales published by Routledge.
Terri Byers
Terri Byers is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology at University of New Brunswick, Canada. Her research focuses on sport organisations, including managing volunteers, governance and mega event legacy production. She is engaged in teaching and researching on community sport, event management and critical perspectives of sport. Her publications can be found in a variety of journals, books, book chapters and practitioner publications. She is also the co-editor of the book Legacies of Mega Events: Fact or Fairy Tales published by Routledge.
Michael B. Edwards
Michael B. Edwards is an Associate Professor of Community Sport with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at NC State University, USA. His research interests centre on social inequality in access to physical activity and sport environments and sport’s impact on community health, development and wellbeing. He is also interested in how management practices and public policies related to sport can build sustainable community capacity for health development, particularly in rural areas. Many of the problems he studies are situated at the organisational and community levels and are directly related to management practices and policy development.
Gareth J. Jones
Gareth J. Jones is an Assistant Professor of Sport and Recreation Management in the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management at Temple University. His research focuses on how sport and recreation influences the cognitive, social, and physical development of youth and communities. In addition to analysing the individual outcomes associated with participation in sport and recreation programs, he also focuses on the management and delivery of these services across different communities. He is particularly interested in how inter-organizational partnerships and collaborative networks are utilized to enhance and expand sport and recreation services.
Holger Preuss
Holger Preuss is a Professor of Sport Economics and Sport Sociology in the Faculty of Social Science, Media and Sport at the Johannes Gutenberg-University in Mainz, Germany, and at the Molde University College, Norway. He is also adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa, Canada, and international scholar at the State University of New York. His research focus is on the Olympic Movement. He is former Editor of European Sport Management Quarterly and his work appeared in leading journals in sport and leisure management such as Leisure Studies, Journal of Sport Management, and European Sport Management Quarterly.
