Examining the evolution of network governance forms of an event leveraging collective: a longitudinal investigation

Abstract

This study aims to investigate how an event leveraging collective’s network governance forms evolved from pre- to post-Games and how these forms influenced members’ collaborative engagement. We adopted a longitudinal qualitative case study approach. Our primary data sources included 996 pages of archival documents and 18 interviews with collective members. We found that in the pre- and during- Games stage, the leveraging collective adopted a shared participant-governed form with a facilitator. This participant-driven structure could enhance connectedness and collaborative engagement among member organizations. In the post-event phase, the collective assumed a pillar-governed form with a facilitator. Although this structure appeared to promote within-pillar collaboration, it could compromise cross-pillar integration. This study sheds light on the changing nature of an evolving leveraging collective from pre- to post-Games. This study also provides practical implications for how to maintain a leveraging collective and optimize collaborative engagement among member entities in the long term.