Similarity on Sports Sidelines: How Mentor–Protégé Sex Similarity Affects Mentoring

Abstract

This study examined the effects of mentorprotégé similarity (sex and attitudinal) and relationship duration on the quantity of mentoring (psychosocial and career) received. Survey data collected from 97 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women's basketball head coaches in the USA indicated both types of similarity were associated with the receipt of more psychosocial and career mentoring as assistant coaches. Those who had White male mentors also reported receiving more career mentoring than those with sex dissimilar mentors. Finally, the effects of sex similarity were significantly weaker in longer than in shorter mentoring relationships.

Gender and Sex Diversity in Sport Organizations: Introduction to a Special Issue

“…The articles in the Special Issue have adopted varied methodological approaches, including indepth semi-structured qualitative interviews (Bruening and Dixon 2008;Claringbould and Knoppers 2008;FieldingLloyd and Mean 2008;Hoeber 2008;Ross and Shinew 2008), critical discourse analyses (Knoppers and Anthonissen 2008), participant observations (Anderson 2008), survey research (Avery et al 2008), and laboratory experiments (Angelini 2008;Parker and Fink 2008). The diversity of approaches to the study of sex and gender in sport organizations provides an encompassing perspective-one that allows for a more complete understanding of gender in the workplace.…”

“…Indeed, many of the studies in the Special Issue focused on this context, examining under-researched areas. Bruening and Dixon (2008), for instance, investigated the ways women coaches negotiated the pressures of work and family, while Avery et al (2008) researched the effects of mentor-protégé gender similarity on the quantity of mentoring received. Furthermore, few scholars have examined athletes and their perceptions of gender-related concepts.…”

The Experience of Former Women Officials and the Impact on the Sporting Community

“…Next, utilizing more female officials in recruiting materials (Warner et al 2012c), encouraging females to consider the role (cf. Dixon et al 2008), and creating a gender-matched mentoring program (Avery et al 2008;Weaver and Chelladurai 1999) may help address the Lack of Role Models and Mentors. As noted by a participant, although some female officials have made strides at the elite levels, it is not translating into role models who are promoting officiating as an occupation.…”

Gender and Sex Diversity in Sport Organizations: Concluding Comments

“…Angelini (2007) reports that women are happier watching women participate in feminine sports, an indication that only certain sports are "acceptable" for the female athlete, even among female viewers. Avery et al (2007) describe that White male mentors offset the harmful effects of dissimilarity between mentor and mentee which provides evidence of a continued power imbalance (favoring white males), even in a female dominated setting. Perhaps most disturbing because of their subtlety are Fielding-Lloyd and Meân's (2007), Knopper and Anthonissen's (2007), and Claringbould and Knopper's (2007) results which highlight how dominant organizational members engage in various discourses construed as "common sense" to negate the significance of previous gender discrimination and maintain the status quo in highly male dominated settings.…”