Observing the limits of steering - Norway’s abortive Bid for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Oslo

Abstract

ABSTRACT Hosting mega-events and Olympic games have been debated lately. Some cities are eager to bid for hosting such games while others refrain from bidding. Why? Indeed, quite a few articles have sought to understand the mechanisms behind the bidding processes. However, the present body of knowledge appears fragmented and disjointed. It is essential to make the body of knowledge more coherent and understandable. This article analyses the Oslo 2022 bidding process in particular and other mega-events in general as cases of political steering. The political, economic, and social outcomes are not always as expected. People other than those who initiate and carry out the bidding process pay the bills. Are all these occurrences coincidences or consequences? Niklas Luhmann’s system theoretical approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of this complexity. This study suggests extending and strengthening the theory with other theoretical concepts to carry out this meta-theoretical endeavour. Empirical research on the Oslo case in particular and other bidding cases for hosting mega-events in general is used to substantiate the presented arguments. This study’s main finding is that each stakeholder, often as a social subsystem, operates from its code or logic, irritating other stakeholders to act according to their code and logic, thereby reducing the possibility to steer the process. In the Oslo case, the process ended when the Norwegian people said the event was not worth it. This result falls in line with other studies of failing bids that show reactions and resistance against elites’ powers and towards democratic beneficiaries.