Most recent findings presented on sport development legacies from the 2009 Sydney World Masters Games at the 2012 SMAANZ conference in Sydney, Australia

1. Large-Scale Sport
Events
and
Sport Development
Outcomes
Alana Thomson
PhD Candidate
University of Technology,
Sydney
Sport Management Association
of Australia and New Zealand
(SMAANZ) Conference
29th – 30th November, 2012

2. Structure of Presentation
• Background
• Research Questions
• Research Design
• Findings & Discussion
• Conclusions

3. Background
Large-Scale Sport Events
• Large-scale sport events offer a range of outcomes
and legacies for host cities
• Sport development legacies are often used to
encourage public support and justify government
spending on events
• Sport Development defined as:
– “policies, processes and practices that form an integral
feature of work involved in providing sporting
opportunities and positive sporting experiences” (Bramham
& Hylton, 2008, p. 2)

4. Background
Sport Development Legacies
Type of Legacy Description Trickle-down
effect
Increased Inactive and irregular sport participants encouraged to Direct
Participation become more active more often
*Improved sport performance – the next generation of
Olympians
Enhanced Refurbishment or development of new facilities Indirect
Facilities
Improved Event-related media coverage of sports improves profile of Indirect
Profile of Sport sport
Strengthened Opportunities to train volunteers, gain financial legacies, Indirect
Sport enhance links between sports and event stakeholders, gain
Organisations exposure and expertise working with organising
committees, other sports and other sport event
stakeholders
Improved Sport Opportunities to improve sport policy for increased Indirect
Policy participation

5. Research Problem
• Limited research that supports the trickle-down effect
• There is limited understanding of the relationship
between large-scale multi-sport events and sport
development legacies
• Concept of Event Leverage (ex ante frameworks)
applied to economic, tourism and broader social
outcomes
(Chalip, 2002, 2006; Chalip & Leyns, 2002; Kellet et. al., 2008; O’Brien, 2005, 2006, 2007; O’Brien &
Chalip, 2007, 2008; O’Brien & Gardiner, 2006)
– Highlighted the importance of understanding of relationships
between organisations in networks that influence these
broader outcomes

6. Theoretical Framework
• Interorganisational Network (ION) Theory
(Benson, 1975; Hudson, 2004)
– Collaborative outputs influenced by interrelationships between
many organisations operating interdependently in a network
• Effectiveness of IONs based on 4 dimensions:
– Domain Consensus – agreement between organisations
regarding the scope of activities within the ION;
– Ideological Consensus – agreement between organisations
regarding the appropriate methods for tasks;
– Interorganisational Evaluation – perception of the value of
contributions by other organisations in the ION;
– Work Coordination – patterns of collaboration and cooperation
between organisations to achieve effectiveness and efficiency.

7. Conceptual
FrameworkDomain
Consensus
Key Key
Organisation Organisation
Ideological
Sport
Consensus
Development
Key Key Legacies
Organisation Organisation
from a large-
Key Inter- scale sport
Organisation organisational event
Evaluation
Work
Coordination

8. Research Objective & Questions
• To understand what facilitates and/or inhibits sport
development legacies from large-scale sport events
1. Who are the key organisations impacting on sport development
legacies from a large-scale sport event and how is the network
structured?
2. How do the conceptualisations of sport development legacies by
key organisations in an event network affect the development of a
common domain?
3. What strategies do the key organisations consider should be
undertaken to secure sport development legacies?
4. How and why do key organisations interact around a large-scale
sport event to deliver sport development legacies?
5. What factors enable and constrain the coordination of leverage
activities by key organisations for sport development legacies?

9. Research Design
• Case Study: Sydney 2009 World Masters Games
• Data collection:
– Documents
– Interviews from key organisations (July ‘09-May ‘10)
• Data analysis:
– Process of Open and Pattern Coding (Bazeley, 2007; Bryman, 2004)
• sport development legacies
• relevant interactions by organisations
in the network

10. Sydney 2009 World Masters
Games
• Awarded to Sydney in 2004, formalised under the Sydney
World Masters Games Organising Committee Act (2005)
• 27,500 competitors, 28 sports, 72 venues, 9 days
• $8.5m NSW Govt. investment
• $8.5m Australian Govt. investment
• Estimated $AU48m direct and flow
on economic impact
• Bid promises to leave a lasting legacy for Masters sport

11. Empirical Themes
Theme Subtheme
Event Networks -Organisational Purpose
-Network Roles
-Network Structures
Legacy Visions -Increase Participation
-Raise Awareness
-Enhance Opportunities
Legacy Strategies -Mass Participation
-Event Media
-Pathways
-Organisational Learning
-Government Funding
Interactions - Relationship Building
-Organisational Culture
-Success
Coordination -Contracts
-Legitimacy
-Impetus of Individuals

12. Event Networks (1)
Key Organisations
•Event organising committee
– Sydney 2009 World Masters Games Organising Committee (SWMGOC)
•Relevant government departments:
– NSW Major Event Board (bid phase and legislation), Events NSW established
in 2007
– NSW Sport & Recreation (came under the auspices of Communities NSW in
the lead up to the SWMG)
•Event governing body
– International Masters Games Association (IMGA)
•Sport organisations
- 28 sports contracted by SWMGOC including SSOs, NSOs and a Masters Sport
Association, representatives from 24 sport organisations agreed to be
interviewed for the research

13. Event Networks (2)
Key Organisational Purpose Network Roles
Organisation
SWMGOC Plan, organise and stage •Documents indicate role in securing legacy
the SWMG •Interviews revealed SWMGOC focus on event
delivery, not responsible for securing legacy
(NSW MEB) (To attract events to NSW) (n/a)
Events NSW To attract and develop •No role to secure legacies for sport, where it
events in NSW occurs is a bonus
NSW Sport & Deliver NSW sport and •Identified by other org as having a role to play
Recreation physical activity objectives •Legacies to Master sport from SWMG not part of
their strategy
IMGA Promote and affect •Identified by other orgs as having a role to play
change in mainstream •Identified role in securing legacies for Masters
sport for improvements in sport, but no capacity to do so for the SWMG
Masters sport
Sport Promote, develop and/or •Identified by other orgs as having a role to play
Organisations grow their sports •Focused on event delivery
•Limited identification of role in securing legacies

14. Event Networks (3)
IMGA IFs
NSW Government
Tourism Portfolio
Events NSW NSOs (contracted) Other NSOs
SWMGOC
SSOs (contracted) Other SSOs
NSW Sport &
Recreation MSA (contracted)
Communities NSW

15. Legacy Visions
Key
Increase Participation Raise Awareness Enhance Opportunities
Organisation
Raise Show Sport Organisations
Encourage participation in awareness/understanding Masters sport worth
SWMGOC ever-lasting, active and of Masters sport, increase focusing on, but no
healthy lifestyles responsibility by Sport discussions with Sport
Organisations Organisations
Promote and inspire active Raise awareness of Masters Encourage increased
NSW MEB lifestyles and increases in sport by Sport provision of Masters sport
sport participation Organisations opportunities
SWMG fit agency purpose, Enhancing opportunities
NSW Sport &
but not incorporated into n/a dependent on Sport
Recreation
agency strategy Organisations
Raise profile and interest of
IMGA n/a n/a
Masters sport – Host City
Sport Most Sport Organisations Uncertain of such legacies
n/a
Organisations already aware, mixed impl. Need for ROI

16. Legacy Strategies
Mass Org’l Government
Event Media
Key Orgs Participation Pathways Learning Funding
(EM)
(MP) (OL) (GF)
Promoted
Promoted Implemented
Success (Qty) access to
SWMGOC MP ‘Observer n/a
Legacy (low) SWMG
Mixed Impl. Program’
database
Promoted Promised OL
NSW MEB Success (Qty) n/a n/a
MP opps
Pathways
NSW Sport & Messages
n/a req’d to n/a n/a
Recreation questioned
secure legacy
Promoted
Messages GF needed to
IMGA MP n/a n/a
questioned secure legacy
‘Sport for All’
Current GF
Mixed Could not
Sport OL opps does not
Mixed Impl. perceptions utilise SWMG
Organisations desired support
of EM database

17. Legacy Strategies >
Event Media

18. Interactions
Organisational
Key Organisations Relationship Building Successes
Cultures
Aware Sport Orgs
SWMG successfully
Relationships focused operate differently,
delivered
SWMGOC on event delivery but this did not come
SWMG secured
Temporary org. through in
participation legacies
interactions
(Govt agencies and
(NSW MEB) SWMG successfully
Sport Organisations n/a
Events NSW delivered
critical to success)
SWMGOC’s approach
NSW Sport &
n/a n/a not conducive
Recreation
participation legacies
IMGA n/a n/a n/a
Sport components
Some frustrated by Perceived SWMGOC
successfully delivered
Sport Organisations high turnover of staff did not
Participation legacies
SWMGOC staff understand sport
limited

19. Coordination
Impetus of
Key Organisations Contracts Legitimacy
Individuals
Challenges attracting Individual’s impetus
All relationships govt support and and advocacy key to
SWMGOC
formal - contracted buy-in by Sport motivating org.
Organisations efforts
Aware IMGA seeking
Signed Host City
NSW MEB ex-Olympic city to n/a
Contract with IMGA
improve legitimacy
Relationship SWMG portfolio shift
NSW Sport &
legislated, but influenced SWMGOC n/a
Recreation
changed objectives
Signed Host City IMGA selected
Contract with Sydney to build
IMGA n/a
SWMGOC, required legitimacy of the
further contracts WMG
“contracted” Limited hype created Constraints on
Sport Organisations
Created tensions limited impetus individual efforts

20. Concluding Comments
• Limited efforts to form Domain and Ideological
Consensus for sport development legacies
• Interactions in the ION were narrowly focused on the
successful delivery of the event, not legacy
• Contracts, Legitimacy of the
event and the Impetus of Individuals
in organisations impact coordination ION

21. Key References
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Routledge.
• Bryman, A. (2004). Social Research Methods (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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