Opening the black box of the sport event volunteer’s journey: from candidate to volunteer

Research question: This paper investigates candidates’ journey to being selected as a volunteer for the Rio2016 Games. Drawing on Actor–Network Theory, the research tracked the sociomaterial practices undertaken by candidates to become volunteers and sought to identify the actors that participate in these practices and the role the latter played in facilitating a positive (or negative) experience. Research method: A postmodern ethnography provided the basis to critically analyse candidates’ experiences in applying for a volunteer role at the Games. Data were collected via internet sites, email communications, a volunteer Facebook page, interviews with volunteers (N = 17) and official Rio 2016 documents. Results and Findings: The journey to volunteering at Rio 2016 comprised sociomaterial practices that impacted the volunteer candidate’s progression (or lack thereof) through the journey to volunteering. These were qualifying as a candidate, Waiting for ‘Godot’, Being rejected and Getting the ‘passport’ to the Games. Implications: This research presents a practice-based conceptualisation of volunteer candidates’ journey to selection. The findings demonstrate the centrality of sociomaterial practices in volunteer recruitment and the importance of an effective human and non-human interface. Flexible approaches to volunteer recruitment and selection that consider the diversity of interactions of actors involved can be profitably deployed to facilitate a good candidate experience and minimise the stress, tension and communication issues that potential volunteers face.