Using the Carnival of Salvador as an example, in this paper we propose some explanations for the interorganizational collaboration of mega-events. Collaborative practices involving different public and private organizations are crucial, given the evolution of Carnival in Salvador in terms of its size, diversity and complexity. We view it through the lenses of the inter-organizational collaboration theories as our main theoretical framework. A qualitative approach using documentary analysis and in-depth interviews with 13 relevant actors is used. Our results suggest that the collaborative processes are related to the alignment between local and sub-national governments, to the degree of centrality of some key actors, to the presence of a specialized technical staff, who have the appropriate know-how for organizing and operating the event, and to the presence of symbolic and instrumental topics.
Interorganizational collaboration; Mega-events; Carnival; Salvador
