“Think Athletic Director, Think Masculine?”: Examination of the Gender Typing of Managerial Subroles Within Athletic Administration Positions

Abstract

To examine the influence of gender stereotyping of administration positions in intercollegiate athletics, the present study evaluated the gender typing of managerial subroles by undergraduate and graduate sport management students from two northeastern universities in the U.S. (59 women, 189 men). Participants indicated importance of managerial subroles for the positions of athletic director, life skills coordinator, and compliance coordinator. Participants rated masculine managerial subroles as most important for athletic director, however feminine managerial subroles were rated of similar importance for both the life skills coordinator and the athletic director. There were no differences between women and men on evaluation of the importance of managerial subroles across all positions. Results of the current study provide some support for role congruity theory within athletic administration.

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

“…However, sport is acknowledged as a powerful cultural institution linked to the construction and reinforcement of gender inequities (Messner 1988). While progress has been made in providing sport opportunities for women, women are still significantly under-represented in its management and research affirms the suggestion that men continue to dominate the field (Burton et al 2009;Walker and Bopp FEMALE OFFICIALS 4 2010). In fact, sport has been widely criticized for the lack of women in roles of power (e.g., Cunningham 2008;Sartore and Cunningham 2007).…”

Women in intercollegiate athletics : an exploration of the career development of female senior administrators.

“…In a similar study, Burton et al (2009) (Lapchick, 2010). If masculine characteristics are most important…”

“…Studies in sport management have attributed low numbers of women in managerial positions to male-dominated organizational structures and the gender stereotypes they perpetuate (Bruening, Dixon, Tiell, Osbourne, Lough, & Sweeney, 2008;Burton, Barr, Fink, & Bruening, 2009;Burton et aI., 2011;Grappendorf & Lough, 2006;Inglis, Danylchuk, & Pastore, 2000;Moore, Parkhouse, & Konrad, 2001;Sartore & Cunningham, 2007;Whisenant et aI., 2002). While organizational structures and stereotypes affect women's work experiences, perhaps the experiences of women in intercollegiate athletic administration warrant a more holistic perspective to better explain the underrepresentation of women in senior management positions and as Athletic Directors.…”

Role models, women's leadership and careers of women in the management of professional baseball.

“…The sport industry is traditionally considered to be a male dominated industry (Bower & Hums, 2009;Burton, Barr, Fink, & Bruening 2009;Burton, Borland, & Mazerolle, 2012;Burton, Grappendorf, & Henderson, 2011), which has struggled to increase women's representation in leadership positions over a number of years (e.g., Acosta & Carpenter, 2012;IOC, 2012). The under-representation of women within sports organizations has received considerable attention in the recent years (Inglis, Danylchuk, & Pastore, 1996Sartore & Cunningham, 2007).…”

“…Burton, Barr, Fink, and Bruening (2009) examined the "think manager-think male" paradigm (Schein, 1973) These same women may also fail to value themselves as adequate and appropriate leaders and/or coaches. Sartore and Cunningham (2007) applied role congruity theory to indicate underrepresentation of women as leaders within the sport context.…”