Abstract
PurposeIntangible legacy encapsulates the essence of Olympism and its manifestation, the Olympic Games. Despite significant interest in the capacity of the Olympics to produce notable changes in society, conceptual difficulties in defining and measuring intangible legacy persist. The study develops a conceptual definition of intangible Olympic legacy.Design/methodology/approachThe study follows a four-step concept definition approach. It examines and integrates three strands of literature including intangibles, social interactions and public value, which is combined with insights from a longitudinal empirical investigation of intangible Olympic legacy for National Sport Organisations (NSO).FindingsThe proposed concept of intangible legacy defines it an emerging combination of attributes, interactions, processes and technology, with the goal of creating public value which is the ultimate goal of the Olympic Games. Since intangible legacy is qualitative rather than quantitative, a reconsideration of the current research paradigm is also proposed.Research limitations/implicationsThe study develops a new analytical device for the investigation of intangible legacies for specific publics such as NSO.Practical implicationsThe study carries practical implications for Olympic and events/festival promoters as it allows defining and operationalising the key attributes of the concept.Originality/valueThis is the first study to conceptualise intangible legacy of mega events.
Highlights
Intangible legacy encapsulates the essence of Olympism and its manifestation, the Olympic Games
The current study addresses these requirements through the integration of the ideological claims of Olympism with the theoretical perspectives on intangible resources, social interactions and public value
This entails a commitment to demonstrate a causal relationship between Olympic claims
Summary
Intangible legacy encapsulates the essence of Olympism and its manifestation, the Olympic Games. The link between Olympic claims and their effects on society has been questioned as early as 1749 when Gilbert West published the first modern dissertation on the subject. He was concerned with the quality and sufficiency of evidence and analysis and questioned the accuracy of events and perceptions about the ancient Games since the material available for studying them is so often myth, fable and tradition (Girginov, 2013). West’s (1749) point applies to the modern Games, as definite claims about the role of Olympism in society have been limited to suppositions and reduced to a form of linear correlational relationship (Delbridge and Fiss, 2013).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Submitted Version (
Free)
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call