There are indications that commercial stakeholders are reluctant to associate with sports involved in doping scandals. A survey of 925 Norwegian sports consumers supports this reluctance, showing no tolerance for pure doping substances. The majority were in favour of tough responses to athletes and sports involved in doping. Older respondents were more negative towards doping. Those who were strongly interested in sport were more willing than others to accept doping.

PurposeThis study analyses the impact of institutional logics on the outcomes of a sporting event's risk process.Design/methodology/approachThe research design is an exploratory case study of the 2017 Road World Cycling Championship using a qualitative approach. By drawing on multiple sources, documents and experiences of six key stakeholders the richness of the qualitative data were utilised to provide a deeper understanding of the impact of institutional logics on the process.FindingsStakeholders relied on different organisational and professional logics in arguments for certain risk preferences and strategies. Further, the logics behind stakeholder attention varied between stakeholder groups and within a stakeholder group. This led to a tension-filled relationship amongst stakeholders working in the same organisation and between those in different organisations. Finally, new professional practices emerged; however, there were also unintended consequences, such as a large financial deficit, with a significant part of the cost overrun being the risk assessment work.Research limitations/implicationsThe study includes a case study of a major sporting event that was arranged some years ago. Events are usually organised as temporary projects in collaboration with public sector organisations and must be arranged in accordance with the logics of efficiency as well as meeting the particular needs of citizens. Assuming similar risk planning processes may occur in other contexts is reasonable.Originality/valueThe study contributes to knowledge about the impact of logics on the outcome of risk planning and improves scholars' understanding of risk management and the outcomes of planning mega-sporting events. Moreover, insights into these micro-level processes reveal the importance of dealing with the logics that lie beneath stakeholders' perceptions of risk in order to collaborate, achieve common goals, and prevent cost overruns.

PurposeThis paper sought to determine how a major sport event can become trapped in a winner's curse, in which the fierce competition to host the event forces organisers to spend more on acquiring and hosting it than what it is worth in economic terms.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a combination of document analysis and 47 in-depth interviews with 51 individuals representing various private and public organisations involved in the implementation of the UCI 2017 Road Cycling World Championship. Snowball sampling and a semi-structured interview guide were used to ensure coverage of all relevant information.FindingsThe organiser and the host municipal lacked the necessary experience with events of this size and character. Information from previous championships events was not transferred, and the municipality administration did not utilise experiences from hosting previous events. Limited financial resources prevented the organiser from hiring enough employees with the necessary competence. Lack of communication between the stakeholders who contributed in hosting the event reduced the quality of planning and preparations. A dubious culture and lack of seriousness within the Norwegian Cycling Federation, which was the owner of organising company, seemed to have been transferred to organiser.Originality/valueThe research identifies some of the reasons why major sports events so often turns out to be more problematic than expected in economic terms, not only for the organiser but also for actors in the public sector in the host city. The novelty is that it goes into depth on the underlying reasons and the dynamic forces behind these problems.