A Strategic Sensemaking Approach Of Sport Events’ Social Impacts From The Perspective Of Local Governments

The literature investigating sport events’ social impacts remains limited.Besides,these impacts have mainly been examined from the point of view of spectators or residents.This paper explores how these impacts are perceived by local governments.Using qualitative research methods,based on the theoretical framework of strategic sense making,the author made the semi-structured interview between 11 civil servants who participated in sport events management.My purpose is to analyze how local sport officials collect and interpret information concerning these impacts,and how these interpretations lead them to develop management strategies,and how these interpretations lead them to develop impact management strategies,which has theoretical significance and practical significance.This paper is divided into 7 chapters: the first chapter mainly introduces the research background and the origin of this study,then determined qualitative research as study methods and strategic sensemaking theory as theoretical framework;the second chapter is the literature review,which included the definition of sports events and sport events’ social impacts,summarized the research contents and methods of sport events’ social impacts,thus clarify the research perspective and the main research contents;the third chapter is theoretical framework,introduced the characteristics and research mode of strategic sensemaking in detail,explored government management strategies based on the framework;the fourth and fifth chapter is research design and analysis,including sample determination,data collection and data encoding,classification and analysis;The sixth and seventh chapter included the conclusions and recommendations,research limitations and deficiencies.Mainly conclusions are as follows:Firstly,the social impact of sports events including the impacts on the hosts and host communities,which can be divided into sport participation,well-being and collective identities,human capital,urban regeneration,city cohesion,city brand and reputation,each dimension includes positive and negative effects.Secondly,from an economic perspective,this study found that these impacts are actually limited,with the end of the event,economic impacts will gradually disappear,and sustainable development of the social effects of sports on sports events is more important.Thirdly,as the management and supervision of political,economic and social activities,local governments’ manage of sports events’ social impacts mainly includes three aspects:(1)understand the various social which sporting events may trigger;(2)recognize the expectation of their local community;and(3)convey those expectations to the organizers in order to enable positive and minimize negative impacts.Fourthly,according to strategic sensemaking,the governments’ search for social impacts including three phrases: information seeking,meaning ascription,and organizational response.Fifthly,semi-structured interviews were conducted among 11 government departments in Shanghai and Nanjing,then transcribed,coded and analyzed the databy QSR Nvivo 10,finding: the governments’ search for social impacts can be divided into external information and internal information,internal information is the main way for managers to collect information,but this kind of collection are usually positive impacts’ collection,thus will affect the interpretation phase of managers;the government’s interpretation of the social impacts included positive and negative,however,respondents rarely mentioned negative social impacts,when mentioned,usually emphasized that "this is only personal expected",and "we have already made the risk plan",or "we can control it totally";the management of the social impacts includes two ways: direct and indirect.Sixthly,the government began to take measures to expand the positive impacts,but the methods are limited,mainly works of these officials are holding events successfully;the management of negative impacts is make risk prevention measures before or during the game.On the whole,both positive and negative effects are lack of depth understanding.Seventhly,local governments lack the awareness of cooperation,a clear social impact management mechanism has not been formed,are still the main reasons for the development of the social benefits of sports events.