1. ^aSchool of Management, heilbronn business school, Bahnhofstrae 1, Heilbronn 74072, Germany. E-mail: dolles@hn-bs.de
2. ^bSchool of Business, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE 106 91, Sweden. E-mail: sod@fek.su.se

Received 28 January 2008; Revised 1 February 2008; Accepted 3 February 2008.

Abstract

Mega-sporting events today are central stages that not only feature professional athletes representing their country in competing for excellence, but also provide host nations with a universally legitimate way to present and promote their national identities and cultures on a global scale. This introduction to the special issue of Asian Business & Management on 'Mega-sporting events in Asia' suggests insights into the emerging field of research related to mega-events and sport and summarizes the history of mega-sporting events in Asia, linking the topic to the growing importance of sports and the interest shown by national governments and cities in staging sporting events in Asia. It also offers a general framework for understanding a range of conceptual and methodological issues related to defining and measuring the impact of mega-sporting events, indicating potential directions for further research.