Interessment

Interessment is the ‘[g]roup of actions by which an entity [in this case, the Rio3016 organising committee] attempts to impose and stabilize the identity of the other actors it defines through its problematization’ (Callon, 1986, p. 8), locking them into the roles and relations as designed.

The Rio2016 organising committee tried to ‘impose and stabilize the identity of the other actors’ (Callon, 1986, p.8), that were defined in the problematisation and with which they shared the goal of staging an inclusive Games and volunteer program. In this, the organising committee defined the identity and goal of the actors, and their problem, and offered to the actors a single path forward (through the OPPs) to reach their goal espousing their ‘program of action’ (Latour, 1992), the volunteer journey.

The Rio2016 organising committee needed the support of other actors to ensure that candidates became volunteers and stayed in the volunteer journey. Candidates were one of the actors. In the application form submitted to the committee, candidates were required to indicate up to three preferences among the nine roles indicated in the application form. The roles were in the areas in which candidates could volunteer at the Games. In individuating the nine roles, the committee forced candidates to choose only among the roles that it identified for them constituting another OPP through which volunteers had to go through. Besides the expression of preference of the role, the application form also required candidates to provide personal information, previous work experience (among the alternative offered), work preferences (among those offered), languages spoken and clothing size for the volunteer uniform. Candidates had to be available for a minimum of 10 days at each Games (Olympic and Paralympic) to be selected as a volunteer.

The submission of the application form with the information required, coerced candidates to follow the path as designed, as it was the only one available to them. Completing and submitting the application form was a necessity for candidates who wanted to participate in the volunteer selection process. By stating the conditions for volunteering and indicating what roles were available for the candidates to choose, the organising committee tried to attribute the identity to candidates and to stabilise them, as it outlined who volunteers could be (Callon, 1986b).

To submit the application form, candidates had to register on the volunteer portal.

Registration on the volunteer portal constituted the agreement between the organising committee and the candidates, as it was the only way for candidates not only to access information on the volunteer journey, but also to complete and submit the application form.

As there was one path to follow, the volunteer journey, there was a ‘single technological way forward in theory’ (Heeks & Stanforth, 2015, p. 39)– that is, through the volunteer portal. As part of the volunteer journey, candidates were expected to undertake a series of actions, as indicated by the organising committee, in order to receive communication, via email, from the organising committee on when each subsequent step of the volunteer journey on the volunteer portal was available for them.

Managers and team leaders

Managers and team leaders were expected to contribute to the volunteer journey by training and managing volunteers after they were selected and allocated to the different functional areas and roles. The organising committee used talks as device of interessment (Callon, 1986), in which it persuaded managers and team leaders to become ‘interested’ by stating that they can provide their expertise in training, managing and supervising volunteers, while working at the Games. The prestige of working at the Games in an important role such as manager and team leader, as conveyed by the Rio2016 organising committee, placed managers and team leaders at a distance from the other actors (activities and or jobs) which may have taken them away from their role. Managers and team leaders were expected to execute their job as prepared by the organising committee, and indicated in the volunteer portal where the job descriptions and roles were posted.

The communication program

The communication program played an instrumental role for the organising committee in the transmission of information, as it was the only way through which candidates could receive communication necessary to volunteer at the Games. It is thus persuaded that it is important to convey the message to candidates and volunteers for candidates to become volunteers and for the communication program to have a role, in the volunteer program. As part of its enrolment into the organising committee program of action, the communication program had to align with the timeframes identified by the organising committee, to avoid delays and problems of communication flow. Issues in transmitting information could have potentially affected candidates and volunteers, undermining the organising committee’s goal. By putting forward these conditions, the organising committee tried to define the actor ‘communication program’, its role and to stabilise its identity, defining itsrelationship with the other actors.

For the interessment to be successful, the communication program needed to enrol in the organising committee’s ‘program of action’ (Latour, 1992), while distancing from other actors.

Policy on diversity and inclusion

The involvement of the policy is seen as important to host inclusive games. To deliver an inclusive volunteer program, the organising committee developed a formal policy on diversity

and inclusion. The policy on diversity and inclusion is linked to the volunteer program through a series of actions that involve actors of the volunteer program, such as managers, sport (goalball), training course, volunteers, language and images. The policy on diversity and inclusion, has an interest in being involved in such a prestigious event and contribute in delivering a diverse and inclusive volunteer program making itself heard. However, the involvement of the policy takes place under the conditions made by the organising committee. If the interessment of the policy is successful, the policy would enrol, espousing the organising committee program of action and contributing to staging a diverse and inclusive volunteer program, at least standing to what is written in the paper. Then, it will have to be seen how this would play out in practice.

The physical places

The interessment of the physical places takes place with the agreements that have granted the use of the physical places to the organising committee for the Games. The attractiveness of the place and its fame for hosting fairs, as it is the case of Riocentro, the relevance of conveying the historic image of Rio, the one of the Carnival against the degrade of the centre of the city, which was the case of the uniform accreditation centre (UAC), where the workforce collected their uniforms and credentials for both Games, and the breathtaking view of Copacabana bay, that is one of the Rio de Janeiro’s spots worldwide known and staging the Games in such appealing physical places was one of the strategies deployed by the organising committee to successfully

‘interest’ the physical places in delivering a diverse and inclusive volunteer program/Games. If successful, the interessment culminates with the enrolment of the physical places.