Exploring conflict among stakeholders in the governance of Olympic legacy

ABSTRACT Stakeholder conflict associated with sporting event legacy can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the related governance system. This study addresses this issue by investigating a case study that focuses on stakeholder conflict at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre, one of the venues for the 2018 Winter Olympics, through the theoretical lens of conflict management. Archival materials and interviews (n = 17) were gathered and analysed using inductive and deductive coding techniques. Findings highlighted that disparate values among stakeholders triggered conflict, which escalated as a result of various drivers (e.g., lack of communication, various interpretations of regulations and information) throughout the pre- and post-Games phases. Several conflict management strategies (e.g., negotiation, communication and mediation) were employed in the case. Functional and dysfunctional effects of the conflict, implications for sporting event legacy governance and directions for future research are discussed. HIGHLIGHTS This paper investigates conflict in the Olympic legacy context from a conflict management perspective. Conflict during the governance of Olympic legacy can escalate for a number of reasons including differing values and interests, divergent interpretations of data and regulations and lack of communication. Emergent conflict during the governance of Olympic legacy may be both constructive and destructive. Timely implementation of conflict management strategies can help promote constructive benefits and mitigate negative consequences.