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How business legacy influences organising body legitimacy in the delivery of mega events: The drift to myth at Rio 2016

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  • Merendino, Alessandro
  • Bek, David
  • Timms, Jill

Abstract

The extent to which mega events, such as the Olympics and World Expos, catalyse meaningful legacies is a contentious issue. However, the organisers of such events go to great lengths to develop business legacy plans in order to gain legitimacy with their wider stakeholders. This process constitutes a critical cornerstone for the overall success of the event, but business legacy plans tend to fade away after the delivery phase. Drawing upon the legitimacy literature, our study investigates this gap between planning and long-term delivery through a case study of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Interviews with forty-three directors of Rio 2016 were conducted between February-April 2016, in addition to the collection of field notes and secondary data. We find that Rio 2016 applied a decoupling strategy before and during the event to gain short-term legitimacy via legacy planning. However, a legitimacy drift was identified, whereby legacy delivery was side-lined and positive outcomes were minimal. We argue that the drive for legitimacy tends to be short-lived, and as legitimacy drifts, legacy becomes mythical. This has important implications for literature on legitimacy and legacy, organising bodies and for all businesses involved in event management.

Suggested Citation

  • Merendino, Alessandro & Bek, David & Timms, Jill, 2021. "How business legacy influences organising body legitimacy in the delivery of mega events: The drift to myth at Rio 2016," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 29-42.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:129:y:2021:i:c:p:29-42
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.02.038
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